CAT Percentile Calculation 2025: CAT Percentile 2025 is an important score indicator that reflects candidates’ performance in the CAT exam compared to other candidates. The CAT score 2025 includes raw marks for each section and the total marks. These raw scores are then scaled and converted into a percentile score. Most top B-Schools, including the IIMs, use the CAT percentile for shortlisting candidates for admission. The CAT 2025Exam is expected to be conducted on 30th November 2025. Continue reading this blog to know more about the CAT Percentile Calculation 2025 in detail.
What is CAT Percentile 2025?
The CAT Percentile 2025 tells the percentage of test-takers who scored less than other candidates. For example, if a candidates’ CAT percentile is 90, it means they performed better than 90% of the candidates. It is not the same as the candidates’ marks or score. Instead, it shows their rank in the competition.
CAT 2025 Percentile is important because most IIMs and MBA colleges use it to shortlist students for the next rounds of admission. The CAT Raw Score is first scaled to remove any difficulty differences in exam slots. Then, the CAT final percentile is calculated using the scaled score.
How is the CAT Percentile 2025 Calculated?
The CAT 2025 Percentile Calculation Process involves raw scores, scaled scores, and final percentiles. Since the exam is conducted in different slots, scores are normalised to scaled scores. Based on the scaled score, the CAT Percentile 2025 is calculated.
Steps to Calculate CAT Percentile 2025
- Count the total number of candidates who appeared for CAT 2025.
- Identify the number of candidates who scored less than you.
- Use the formula:Percentile = (No. of candidates scoring less than you / Total candidates) × 100
- This is done separately for each section and overall score.
Check CAT 2025 Exam Pattern
What is the Difference Between CAT Raw Score & CAT Scaled Score?
The CAT raw score is the total of marks you get by answering questions correctly. Candidates will get 3 marks for each correct answer and lose 1 mark for each wrong MCQ. There is no negative marking for TITA questions.
The CAT scaled score is calculated after adjusting the raw score for the difficulty level of different exam slots. This is done through a process called normalisation. The scaled score is used to determine the final percentile.
Feature | CAT Raw Score | CAT Scaled Score |
Based on | Correct and incorrect answers | Normalised raw score |
Marking | +3 for correct, -1 for wrong (MCQ) | Adjusted after slot-wise difficulty |
Used for | Personal score reference | CAT Percentile Calculation |
Same across slots | No | Yes |
CAT 2025 Normalisation Process & Its Impact
CAT 2025 is conducted in multiple slots. The difficulty of the paper may vary slightly across these sessions. So, IIMs use a normalisation process to ensure fairness in scoring.
This process adjusts the raw score up or down based on the relative difficulty of the slot. If the slot was difficult, candidates’ scores may be scaled up. If it was easier, it may be scaled down.
Impact on CAT Percentile 2025:
- Ensures fairness across all slots.
- Helps maintain score consistency.
- Final percentile depends on scaled, not raw score.
- Candidates with lower raw scores in tougher slots may get higher percentiles.
CAT 2025 Score vs Percentile (Slot-Wise)
CAT Percentile2025 is calculated from the scaled score, which varies by slot. The following section gives a brief idea of the expected score-to-percentile mapping for all three CAT 2025 slots. Check CAT Score vs CAT Percentile
CAT 2025 Slot 1
Most students found Slot 1 moderate in difficulty. VARC was slightly easier, while QA was a bit tricky.
CAT Percentile | VARC Score | DILR Score | QA Score | Total CAT Score |
100 | 42-44 | 29-30 | 30-32 | 100-102 |
99+ | 40 | 25-27 | 25-28 | 80 |
95+ | 28-30 | 18-20 | 20-22 | 55 |
90+ | 22-24 | 15-17 | 15-17 | 45-48 |
85+ | 20-22 | 13-14 | 15-14 | 40-45 |
80+ | 18-20 | 11-12 | 10-12 | 35-37 |
CAT 2025 Slot 2
Slot 2 had a slightly tougher DILR section, while VARC and QA were moderate.
CAT Percentile | VARC Score | DILR Score | QA Score | Total CAT Score |
100 | 43-44 | 25-27 | 29-30 | 98-100 |
99+ | 40-42 | 22-23 | 27-28 | 82-83 |
95+ | 30-33 | 18-20 | 20-22 | 57-58 |
90+ | 24-26 | 14-15 | 15-17 | 46-48 |
85+ | 20-22 | 13-14 | 15-14 | 40-43 |
80+ | 18-20 | 18-22 | 18-20 | 36-39 |
CAT 2025 Slot 3
Slot 3 had a slightly easier QA section but a balanced VARC and DILR.
CAT Percentile | VARC Score | DILR Score | QA Score | Total CAT Score |
100 | 42-43 | 27-28 | 32-34 | 98-100 |
99+ | 38-40 | 23-24 | 27-28 | 78-80 |
95+ | 28-30 | 18-20 | 18-20 | 57-58 |
90+ | 24-25 | 15-17 | 15-17 | 46-48 |
85+ | 20-22 | 13-14 | 15-14 | 40-41 |
80+ | 18-20 | 18-22 | 18-20 | 36-37 |
How Do I Score 99+ Percentile in CAT 2025 in 4 Months?
To score 99+ percentile in CAT 2025 in just 4 months, you need a solid preparation plan and consistent effort. Use the CAT score vs percentile trend to set score targets. Follow some of the given strategies below to score 99+ percentile in 4 months-
- Focus on Strengths First: Maximise your score in your strongest section.
- Take Mock Tests Weekly: Track your CAT percentile using mock results.
- Analyse Every Mock Test: Learn from mistakes and improve your weak areas.
- Revise Basic Concepts: Especially for QA and DILR.
- Practice Reading: Improve reading speed and comprehension for VARC.
Final Thoughts
CAT Percentile 2025 is an important factor in MBA admissions. It tells how well one performed compared to others. The CAT raw score, scaled score, and percentile each have their role in the CAT percentile calculation. The normalisation process ensures fairness across slots. Aim to score smartly across sections to reach the 99+ percentile target. With focused preparation and strategy, scoring high in CAT 2025 is possible.
