CAT 23 Score vs Percentile

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a nationwide management aptitude test organized by the IIMs for admission to MBA programs offered at their 21 campuses. Additionally, it is recognized by leading B-Schools in the country such as FMS, SPJMIR, MDI, etc. The CAT exam takes place on a single day in three sessions at approximately 400 test centers in over 150 cities across India. CAT acts as a crucial pathway to securing admission in top business schools. This article will present the CAT Score Vs percentile 2023 data of the examination, along with a detailed examination of the syllabus, pattern, and some key insights.

CAT 2024 is tentatively scheduled for November 24, 2024, which is the last Sunday of the month. IIM Calcutta will be the conducting body for CAT 2024.

CAT Score Vs Percentile 2023: What does CAT score mean?

The CAT (Common Admission Test) score represents the total score obtained by a candidate in each section of the exam. It is calculated by adding the marks gained from correct answers while deducting points for incorrect answers. Candidates receive +3 for each correct answer, -1 for each wrong answer, and 0 for unanswered questions.

CAT Score Vs Percentile 2023: Understanding the CAT Scaled Score

 The CAT scaled score is a modified score obtained from the raw score after undergoing a normalization process. This process takes into consideration the varying difficulty levels in different test slots to ensure fairness. Adjustments are made to a student's raw score, which can differ across sections and slots of the exam.

For example, in CAT 2023, the third slot was relatively easier, resulting in a reduction of nearly 4 marks through normalization, while in the first slot, 3 marks were added.

Exam Structure & Total Duration: 

• 120 minutes (2 hours)

• Each section is timed separately for 40 minutes per section.

Section	Number of Question	Time Allotted (In Minutes)	Marks (+3 for every correct answer and -1 for every incorrect answer)
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)	24	40	72
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)	20	40	60
Quantitative Aptitude (QA)	22	40	66

CAT Percentile Explained:

A percentile is a metric used to assess the proportion of students in the merit list who rank above or below a specific individual. For example, achieving a score of 90 percentile on the CAT indicates that 90% of the test takers scored lower than you. Consequently, candidates with a percentile of 90 or higher are considered part of the top 10% among all the test takers.

CAT Score vs. Percentile 2023: How to Calculate the CAT Percentile

Before delving into the comparison between CAT scores and percentiles for 2023, it is important for candidates to grasp the underlying mathematical concept of CAT percentiles. These percentiles, much like those used in other exams, reflect the proportion of test-takers who scored lower than you. Essentially, the analysis of CAT scores versus percentiles serves to gauge your performance relative to that of other test-takers. The formula for calculating CAT percentiles in 2023 is as follows:

Illustrative Example: If, for instance, 300,000 students appeared for the CAT exam and you secured a rank of 6,000, your CAT percentile can be determined using the subsequent formula: 

Your CAT percentile = [1 - { 6000/300,000 }] * 100 = 98 Percentile 

CAT Marks Vs Percentile 2023: Percentile Vs Marks Distribution (CAT 2023) (Overall)

Percentile	Scaled Score
100	142.9
99.99	118.67
99.95	106.95
99.9	101.43
99.83	95.96
99.5	84.29
99.37	81.75
99	76.02
98.5	71.15
98.37	70.31
98	66.68
97.7	65.91
97	61.56
96.6	59.99
96	58.1
95.42	56.13
95	54.86
94	53.32
93	52.35
92.05	47.99
91	46.13
90	45.16
85	42.29
80	41.19
75	40.02

VARC SECTION- Scaled Score Vs Percentile

Percentile	Scaled Score
100	61.66
99.99	57.32
99.87	51.02
99.5	44
99.26	41.76
99	39.7
98.21	35.88
96.72	31.47
95	28.68
93.5	26.33
90	23.39
86.43	20.66
80	17.58
75	15.27
62.28	11.53

DILR SECTION- Scaled Score Vs Percentile

Percentile	Scaled Score
100	50.6
99.99	42.7
99.9	36.58
99.71	32.78
99.43	29.71
99.14	27.56
99	27.39
98.37	24.58
96.83	20.88
95.53	19.6
90	15.63
84.87	13.01
80	11.67
77.88	10.81
72.94	9.67

QA SECTION- Scaled Score vs Percentile 

Percentile	Scaled Score
100	49.46
99.98	41.87
99.9	37.83
99.5	31.39
99	28.18
98.5	25.73
98	24.31
97.5	23.71
97	22.7
96.5	21.69
96	21.41
95.5	20.44
95	19.68
94	17.91
93.5	17.66
93	17.54
92.5	15
90	13.63
80	9.2

TOP MBA Colleges to Target Based on CAT Percentile

Here are the MBA colleges to target based on the percentile range:

- If you have a percentile between 98-100:

  - Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM Ahmedabad)

  - Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM Bangalore)

  - Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM Calcutta)

  - Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi (FMS Delhi)

  - Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow)

  - Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIM Kozhikode)

  - Indian Institute of Management Indore (IIM Indore)

- If you have a percentile above 95:

  - Indian Institute of Management Shillong (IIM Shillong)

  - SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai (SPJIMR Mumbai)

  - National Institute of Industrial Engineering, Mumbai (NITIE Mumbai)

  - Management Development Institute, Gurgaon (MDI Gurgaon)

  - Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT)

  - Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management, IIT Bombay (SJMSOM IIT Bombay)

  - Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi)

  - Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad 

   - New  IIMs (Udaipur, Ranchi, Raipur, Trichy, Rohtak)

If you have a percentile between 90 and 95

   - Baby IIMs (Amritsar, BodhGaya, Nagpur, Sambalpur)

  - Xavier Institute of Management (XIMB), Bhubaneswar

  - Vinod Gupta School of Management (VGSoM), IIT Kharagpur

  - Department of Industrial and Management Engineering (IME), IIT Kanpur

  -International Management Institute (IMI), Delhi

If you have a percentile between 80 and 90

  - Fore School of Management (FSM), Delhi

  - Goa Institute of Management (GIM)

  - Great Lakes Institute of Management (GLIM), Chennai

  - LalBahadurShastri Institute of Management (LBSIM), New Delhi

  - T.A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), Manipal

  - University Business School (UBS), Chandigarh

Frequently Asked Questions 

Q1: What is the difference between CAT marks and percentile?

A: CAT marks are the raw scores a candidate achieves in the exam, calculated based on the number of correct and incorrect answers. The percentile, however, is a relative ranking that indicates the percentage of test-takers who scored lower than a particular candidate.

Q2) How many questions should I attempt in CAT to achieve a 99 percentile?

A: For the past two years it has been observed that the difficulty of paper has been increasing, with IIM C being dubbed as Quant heavy college one can expect a paper similar to the 2023 level where 76 marks assured 99 percentile.

 Q3) How can I improve my CAT percentile?

A: To improve your CAT percentile, focus on strengthening your conceptual understanding, practicing with mock tests, analyzing your performance to identify weak areas, and managing your time efficiently during the exam. Revision, especially as the CAT exam approaches is very important.

Q4) How do sectional scores determine my overall CAT percentile?

A: Sectional scores are crucial as most top B-Schools have sectional cut-offs that candidates must meet in addition to the overall cut-off. Strong performance in all sections is necessary to secure a high overall percentile and meet the criteria of top business schools.

Q5) How does the normalization process impact my CAT score?

A: The normalization process adjusts your raw score to account for varying difficulty levels across test slots. This ensures fairness, so candidates in an easier slot are not unfairly advantaged over those in a tougher slot.