{"id":83131,"date":"2026-10-23T17:52:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T12:22:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/?p=83131"},"modified":"2026-10-23T17:55:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T12:25:12","slug":"cat-score-vs-percentile-info","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/cat-score-vs-percentile-info\/","title":{"rendered":"CAT Score vs Percentile: How Many Marks Do You Need for 90, 95, 99 &#038; 99.5 Percentile?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The CAT Score vs Percentile is a constant topic for discussion. Now that the CAT 2026 exam will reportedly take place on 29th November 2026, interested candidates must be keen about knowing the difference between it. Previous candidates might know everything about it but if you&#8217;re appearing for the first-time then you must know the difference between CAT score vs Percentile.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This year around 284,000 lakhs of candidates have registered for the CAT exam which states that competition will be tough and everyone will give their best shot. Henceforth, an advance briefing about how your CAT raw scores are scaled through a standard normalization process to generate a CAT percentile is very important. This blog will speak about the prominent difference between CAT score vs Percentile, expected CAT 2026 percentile and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em><mark>Join iQuanta\u2019s diversified student community for free and prepare with other 4.1L+ peers. Get access to 24*7 doubt-solving, mentorship, free webinars, etc., all at one single platform<\/mark><\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/li.iquanta.in\/3FagB\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"171\" src=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/CATBLOGBANNER.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-75698\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/CATBLOGBANNER.png 640w, https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/CATBLOGBANNER-300x80.png 300w, https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/CATBLOGBANNER-150x40.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_77 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/cat-score-vs-percentile-info\/#What_is_the_Difference_Between_CAT_Score_vs_Percentile\" >What is the Difference Between CAT Score vs Percentile?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/cat-score-vs-percentile-info\/#CAT_Score_vs_Percentile_2026_Expected\" >CAT Score vs Percentile 2026 (Expected)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/cat-score-vs-percentile-info\/#CAT_Score_vs_Percentile_2025\" >CAT Score vs Percentile 2025<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/cat-score-vs-percentile-info\/#CAT_Score_vs_Percentile_2024\" >CAT Score vs Percentile 2024<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/cat-score-vs-percentile-info\/#CAT_Score_vs_Percentile_2023\" >CAT Score vs Percentile 2023<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/cat-score-vs-percentile-info\/#CAT_Score_vs_Percentile_2022\" >CAT Score vs Percentile 2022<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/cat-score-vs-percentile-info\/#CAT_Score_vs_Percentile_2021\" >CAT Score vs Percentile 2021<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/cat-score-vs-percentile-info\/#How_Does_the_CAT_Normalization_Process_Work\" >How Does the CAT Normalization Process Work?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/cat-score-vs-percentile-info\/#CAT_Score_vs_Percentile_Section-Wise_Analysis\" >CAT Score vs Percentile: Section-Wise Analysis<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/cat-score-vs-percentile-info\/#CAT_Score_vs_Percentile_for_VARC\" >CAT Score vs Percentile for VARC<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/cat-score-vs-percentile-info\/#CAT_Score_vs_Percentile_for_DILR\" >CAT Score vs Percentile for DILR<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/cat-score-vs-percentile-info\/#CAT_Score_vs_Percentile_for_QA\" >CAT Score vs Percentile for QA<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/cat-score-vs-percentile-info\/#How_Many_Marks_Needed_for_9950ile_in_CAT_Exam\" >How Many Marks Needed for 99.50%ile in CAT Exam?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/cat-score-vs-percentile-info\/#How_Many_Marks_Needed_for_99ile_in_CAT_Exam\" >How Many Marks Needed for 99%ile in CAT Exam?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/cat-score-vs-percentile-info\/#How_Many_Marks_Needed_for_95ile_in_CAT_Exam\" >How Many Marks Needed for 95%ile in CAT Exam?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/cat-score-vs-percentile-info\/#How_Many_Marks_Needed_For_90ile_in_CAT_Exam\" >How Many Marks Needed For 90%ile in CAT Exam?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/cat-score-vs-percentile-info\/#Frequently_Asked_Questions_CAT_Score_vs_Percentile\" >Frequently Asked Questions: CAT Score vs Percentile<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-the-difference-between-cat-score-vs-percentile\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_Difference_Between_CAT_Score_vs_Percentile\"><\/span><strong>What is the Difference Between CAT Score vs Percentile?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>CAT Score (Raw\/Scaled)<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>CAT Percentile&nbsp;<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>The actual definition of the CAT score are the marks which you obtained in the CAT exam based on your answers. Every candidate will be eligible to get +3 marks for a correct response and -1 for an incorrect response.<\/td><td>Basically, CAT percentile is denoted as the relative performance of an individual candidate in comparison to all the other candidates who appeared for the CAT exam.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Also, considered as Raw Scores which highlights every candidate&#8217;s individual performance<\/td><td>Fair information about your relative rank. Through this information, you will also get to see the CAT percentile of the other test-takers who obtained a score less or equal to you.&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>If the difficulty level in the CAT exam is high, your performance will significantly drop even if you have delivered an exceptional performance.<\/td><td>Even if the CAT exam was tough, you can still score a high CAT percentile with a low score.&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>It doesn&#8217;t play any important role in the shortlisting process of top B-Schools. Instead, CAT scaled scores are utilised for calculating the composite score.&nbsp;<\/td><td>B-schools uses CAT percentile to conduct a pre-screening session&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>If we discuss the CAT score vs Percentile key differences then the major point is also about maximum limit. In the CAT Raw\/scaled score category, it&#8217;s certainly capped at the overall marks of the question paper.<\/td><td>Practically, the CAT percentile is capped at 99.99%.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Basically, your CAT raw scores will remain hidden. Candidates will get to see only their scaled score on the final scorecard of the CAT exam.<\/td><td>Here, relevant CAT percentiles from VARC, QA and DILR will be equally visible. Besides this, it also displays your overall CAT percentile.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>The stability level of the CAT (Raw\/Scaled) score fluctuates according to the difficulty level of the CAT exam. This happens until it undergoes a standard normalization process.<\/td><td>All the top MBA colleges in India use it as their stable benchmark as it helps in normalization of a candidate\u2019s performance amongst all the three slots.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-cat-score-vs-percentile-2026-expected\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"CAT_Score_vs_Percentile_2026_Expected\"><\/span><strong>CAT Score vs Percentile 2026 (Expected)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>CAT Percentile<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Expected Overall Score (2026)<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99.90%ile<\/td><td>105 \u2013 115<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99.50%ile<\/td><td>90 \u2013 100<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99%ile<\/td><td>85 \u2013 90<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>98%ile<\/td><td>65 \u2013 85<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>95%ile<\/td><td>60 \u2013 65<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>90%ile<\/td><td>50 \u2013 55<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-cat-score-vs-percentile-2025\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"CAT_Score_vs_Percentile_2025\"><\/span><strong>CAT Score vs Percentile 2025<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the CAT 2025 exam, the overall percentile at 99.90% is 111.4, where VARC covers 53 marks, DILR covers 38 marks and QA covers 37 marks. If you need to know the respective overall and sectional percentile score at 99.50%ile, 99%ile, 98%ile, 95%ile and 90%ile, candidates should refer the table specified below for a clear reference of CAT score vs percentile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Percentile<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>VARC<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>DILR<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>QA<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Overall<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99.90%ile<\/td><td>53<\/td><td>38<\/td><td>37<\/td><td>111.4<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99.50%ile<\/td><td>48<\/td><td>33<\/td><td>31<\/td><td>93<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99%ile<\/td><td>44<\/td><td>30<\/td><td>27<\/td><td>84.8<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>98%ile<\/td><td>39<\/td><td>26<\/td><td>25<\/td><td>73<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>95%ile<\/td><td>33<\/td><td>22<\/td><td>19<\/td><td>62.3<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>90%ile<\/td><td>26<\/td><td>17<\/td><td>15<\/td><td>51.5<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-cat-score-vs-percentile-2024\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"CAT_Score_vs_Percentile_2024\"><\/span><strong>CAT Score vs Percentile 2024<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The overall percentile required in CAT 2024 at 99.90%ile is 127, which is slightly higher in comparison to the CAT 2023 exam, where a candidate is required a 101.43 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/cat-score-vs-percentile-trend\/\">CAT score vs percentile<\/a> at 99.90%ile. Simultaneously, have a look on other percentiles as well across the sections in the table specified below .<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Percentile<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>VARC<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>DILR<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>QA<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Overall<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99.90%ile<\/td><td>55<\/td><td>50<\/td><td>45<\/td><td>127<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99.50%ile<\/td><td>44<\/td><td>41<\/td><td>37<\/td><td>103<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99%ile<\/td><td>41<\/td><td>38<\/td><td>33<\/td><td>95<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>98%ile<\/td><td>36<\/td><td>34<\/td><td>27<\/td><td>79<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>95%ile<\/td><td>30<\/td><td>27<\/td><td>22<\/td><td>70<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>90%ile<\/td><td>24<\/td><td>22<\/td><td>17<\/td><td>58<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-cat-score-vs-percentile-2023\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"CAT_Score_vs_Percentile_2023\"><\/span><strong>CAT Score vs Percentile 2023<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Top B-schools in India accept candidates at maximum CAT marks vs percentile due to intensive competition for MBA\/PGDM seats. In the CAT 2023 exam, candidates required an overall 84.29 marks for 99.50%ile, 76.02 marks for 99%ile and more, which you will have a look on a table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Percentile<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>VARC<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>DILR<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>QA<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Overall<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99.90%ile<\/td><td>51<\/td><td>37<\/td><td>38<\/td><td>101.43<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99.50%ile<\/td><td>44<\/td><td>30<\/td><td>32<\/td><td>84.29<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99%ile<\/td><td>40<\/td><td>27<\/td><td>28<\/td><td>76.02<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>98%ile<\/td><td>35<\/td><td>24<\/td><td>25<\/td><td>66.68<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>95%ile<\/td><td>29<\/td><td>19<\/td><td>19<\/td><td>54.86<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>90%ile<\/td><td>23<\/td><td>16<\/td><td>13<\/td><td>45.16<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-cat-score-vs-percentile-2022\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"CAT_Score_vs_Percentile_2022\"><\/span><strong>CAT Score vs Percentile 2022<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In CAT 2022 examination, candidates who score 110 overall marks with 52 in VARC, 46 in DILR and 43 in QA can made it to 99.90%ile, 99.50%ile at 95 marks and respectively other CAT 2022 score vs percentile is specified in the table given below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Percentile<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>VARC<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>DILR<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>QA<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Overall<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99.90%ile<\/td><td>52<\/td><td>46<\/td><td>43<\/td><td>110<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99.50%ile<\/td><td>45<\/td><td>38<\/td><td>35<\/td><td>95<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99%ile<\/td><td>41<\/td><td>33<\/td><td>30<\/td><td>84<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>98%ile<\/td><td>35<\/td><td>28<\/td><td>27<\/td><td>72<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>95%ile<\/td><td>29<\/td><td>23<\/td><td>22<\/td><td>60<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>90%ile<\/td><td>24<\/td><td>20<\/td><td>17<\/td><td>49<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-cat-score-vs-percentile-2021\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"CAT_Score_vs_Percentile_2021\"><\/span><strong>CAT Score vs Percentile 2021<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The CAT 2021 exam covers 117 marks at 99.90%ile, 107 marks at 99.50%ile and respectively other CAT score vs percentile is specified in the table given below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Percentile<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>VARC<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>DILR<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>QA<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Overall<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99.90%ile<\/td><td>56<\/td><td>42<\/td><td>49<\/td><td>117<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99.50%ile<\/td><td>49<\/td><td>36<\/td><td>41<\/td><td>107<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99%ile<\/td><td>45<\/td><td>33<\/td><td>34<\/td><td>97<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>98%ile<\/td><td>40<\/td><td>30<\/td><td>28<\/td><td>84<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>95%ile<\/td><td>34<\/td><td>24<\/td><td>23<\/td><td>72<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>90%ile<\/td><td>28<\/td><td>20<\/td><td>18<\/td><td>60<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Does_the_CAT_Normalization_Process_Work\"><\/span><strong>How Does the CAT Normalization Process Work?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If there&#8217;s a discussion about CAT Score vs Percentile then how can we forget the normalization procedure which is the most important component to shortlist the deserving candidates for the upcoming rounds. Below is the step-by-step description about the process which notable MBA colleges in India follow every year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Calculation of the Raw Score: <\/strong>Following the CAT marking scheme, the raw score of the candidate is calculated by the MBA colleges of India. All the candidates who attempt right questions get +3 marks whereas -1 is given for all the incorrect questions. There is 0 marking for the incorrect or unanswered TITA questions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Slot-Wise Calculations: <\/strong>The CAT exam happens in 3 different slots and every year the complexity level varies in every slot. In this stage, the mean and standard deviation of all the candidates raw scores are computed separately for every section in every slot.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Score Scaling Procedure: <\/strong>In this particular stage, the score of every test-taker is scaled with the help of a mathematical formula.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>CAT Percentile Computation: <\/strong>Once the standard normalization is completed, then the candidates are ranked according to their overall performance. This percentile demonstrates the total percentage of all the candidates who scored nearly equal or below your CAT score. As a result, every candidate understands their relative place amongst all the other CAT exam takers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-cat-score-vs-percentile-section-wise-analysis\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"CAT_Score_vs_Percentile_Section-Wise_Analysis\"><\/span><strong>CAT Score vs Percentile: Section-Wise Analysis<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This section helps you to understand the section-wise analysis of CAT score vs percentile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-cat-score-vs-percentile-for-varc\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"CAT_Score_vs_Percentile_for_VARC\"><\/span><strong>CAT Score vs Percentile for VARC<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Percentile<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>2025<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>2024<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>2023<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>2022<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>2021<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99.90%ile<\/td><td>53<\/td><td>55<\/td><td>51<\/td><td>52<\/td><td>56<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99.50%ile<\/td><td>48<\/td><td>44<\/td><td>44<\/td><td>45<\/td><td>49<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99%ile<\/td><td>44<\/td><td>41<\/td><td>40<\/td><td>41<\/td><td>45<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>98%ile<\/td><td>39<\/td><td>36<\/td><td>35<\/td><td>35<\/td><td>40<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>95%ile<\/td><td>33<\/td><td>30<\/td><td>29<\/td><td>29<\/td><td>34<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>90%ile<\/td><td>26<\/td><td>24<\/td><td>23<\/td><td>24<\/td><td>28<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-cat-score-vs-percentile-for-dilr\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"CAT_Score_vs_Percentile_for_DILR\"><\/span><strong>CAT Score vs Percentile for DILR<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Percentile<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>2025<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>2024<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>2023<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>2022<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>2021<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99.90%ile<\/td><td>38<\/td><td>50<\/td><td>37<\/td><td>46<\/td><td>42<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99.50%ile<\/td><td>33<\/td><td>41<\/td><td>30<\/td><td>38<\/td><td>36<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99%ile<\/td><td>30<\/td><td>38<\/td><td>27<\/td><td>33<\/td><td>33<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>98%ile<\/td><td>26<\/td><td>34<\/td><td>24<\/td><td>28<\/td><td>30<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>95%ile<\/td><td>22<\/td><td>27<\/td><td>19<\/td><td>23<\/td><td>24<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>90%ile<\/td><td>17<\/td><td>22<\/td><td>16<\/td><td>20<\/td><td>20<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-cat-score-vs-percentile-for-qa\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"CAT_Score_vs_Percentile_for_QA\"><\/span><strong>CAT Score vs Percentile for QA<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Percentile<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>2025<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>2024<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>2023<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>2022<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>2021<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99.90%ile<\/td><td>37<\/td><td>45<\/td><td>38<\/td><td>43<\/td><td>49<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99.50%ile<\/td><td>31<\/td><td>37<\/td><td>32<\/td><td>35<\/td><td>41<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>99%ile<\/td><td>27<\/td><td>33<\/td><td>28<\/td><td>30<\/td><td>34<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>98%ile<\/td><td>25<\/td><td>27<\/td><td>25<\/td><td>27<\/td><td>28<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>95%ile<\/td><td>19<\/td><td>22<\/td><td>19<\/td><td>22<\/td><td>23<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>90%ile<\/td><td>15<\/td><td>17<\/td><td>13<\/td><td>17<\/td><td>18<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-many-marks-needed-for-99-50-ile-in-cat-exam\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Many_Marks_Needed_for_9950ile_in_CAT_Exam\"><\/span><strong>How Many Marks Needed for 99.50%ile in CAT Exam?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td>CAT Exam Year<\/td><td>VARC<\/td><td>DILR<\/td><td>QA<\/td><td>Overall<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>CAT 2025<\/td><td>48<\/td><td>33<\/td><td>31<\/td><td>93<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>CAT 2024<\/td><td>44<\/td><td>41<\/td><td>37<\/td><td>103<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>CAT 2023<\/td><td>44<\/td><td>30<\/td><td>32<\/td><td>84.29<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>CAT 2022<\/td><td>45<\/td><td>38<\/td><td>35<\/td><td>95<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>CAT 2021<\/td><td>49<\/td><td>36<\/td><td>41<\/td><td>107<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-many-marks-needed-for-99-ile-in-cat-exam\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Many_Marks_Needed_for_99ile_in_CAT_Exam\"><\/span><strong>How Many Marks Needed for 99%ile in CAT Exam?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>99%ile is the good percentile to get calls from several top B-schools, and to target this percentile, you need the respective score bracket which is mentioned in the table given below based on the last 5 years\u2019 CAT score vs percentile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td>CAT Exam Year<\/td><td>VARC<\/td><td>DILR<\/td><td>QA<\/td><td>Overall<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>CAT 2025<\/td><td>44<\/td><td>30<\/td><td>27<\/td><td>84.8<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>CAT 2024<\/td><td>41<\/td><td>38<\/td><td>33<\/td><td>95<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>CAT 2023<\/td><td>40<\/td><td>27<\/td><td>28<\/td><td>76.02<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>CAT 2022<\/td><td>41<\/td><td>33<\/td><td>30<\/td><td>84<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>CAT 2021<\/td><td>45<\/td><td>33<\/td><td>34<\/td><td>97<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-many-marks-needed-for-95-ile-in-cat-exam\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Many_Marks_Needed_for_95ile_in_CAT_Exam\"><\/span><strong>How Many Marks Needed for 95%ile in CAT Exam?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>CAT Exam Year<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>VARC<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>DILR<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>QA<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Overall<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>CAT 2025<\/td><td>33<\/td><td>22<\/td><td>19<\/td><td>62.3<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>CAT 2024<\/td><td>30<\/td><td>27<\/td><td>22<\/td><td>70<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>CAT 2023<\/td><td>29<\/td><td>19<\/td><td>19<\/td><td>54.86<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>CAT 2022<\/td><td>29<\/td><td>23<\/td><td>22<\/td><td>60<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>CAT 2021<\/td><td>34<\/td><td>24<\/td><td>23<\/td><td>72<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-many-marks-needed-for-90-ile-in-cat-exam\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Many_Marks_Needed_For_90ile_in_CAT_Exam\"><\/span><strong>How Many Marks Needed For 90%ile in CAT Exam?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>CAT Exam Year<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>VARC<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>DILR<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>QA<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Overall<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>CAT 2025<\/td><td>26<\/td><td>17<\/td><td>15<\/td><td>51.5<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>CAT 2024<\/td><td>24<\/td><td>22<\/td><td>17<\/td><td>58<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>CAT 2023<\/td><td>23<\/td><td>16<\/td><td>13<\/td><td>45.16<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>CAT 2022<\/td><td>24<\/td><td>20<\/td><td>17<\/td><td>49<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>CAT 2021<\/td><td>28<\/td><td>20<\/td><td>18<\/td><td>60<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-frequently-asked-questions-cat-score-vs-percentile\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_Asked_Questions_CAT_Score_vs_Percentile\"><\/span><strong>Frequently Asked Questions: CAT Score vs Percentile<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1792757321412\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Why does the CAT percentile differ every year?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">In the CAT score vs Percentile calculations, the CAT percentile changes every year due to several factors. It varies according to the complexity level of the exam, total number of candidates and difficulty level across Slot 1, Slot 2 and Slot 3.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1792757387264\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>How much is the major difference between CAT score vs Percentile?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">CAT score is actually the marks which a candidate obtains in the CAT exam following the +3 and -1 marking scheme. Meanwhile, the CAT Percentile showcases your relative position amongst all the other test-takers from the CAT exam.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1792757411733\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What should be my CAT score for 90%ile?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">If you&#8217;re aiming to obtain approximately 90% in the CAT exam, then you must target to score at least 50-55 marks. However, ensure that you make the maximum number of correct attempts with no negative marks in the CAT question paper.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1792757424111\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What is meant by a CAT scaled score?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Upon modifying the CAT Raw, scaled score is obtained for the CAT exam. All the questions in every slot will come along with different complexity levels. All the IIMs and other top B-schools use such techniques for standard normalization.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1792757440028\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What score do you need to aim for in full-length CAT mocks?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Don&#8217;t run behind a specific CAT percentile instead be consistent and develop a strong command on time-management and accuracy. If you wish to achieve 99%ile+ then be particular about balancing across different sections by choosing the right questions.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-layout-1 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-shadow\" style=\"margin-bottom:30px\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-vivid-red-background-color has-background wp-element-button\" style=\"border-radius:43px\">CAT 2026 Toppers Batch<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-86-1024x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-83044\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-86-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-86-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-86-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-86-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-86-420x420.png 420w, https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-86-696x696.png 696w, https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-86-1068x1068.png 1068w, https:\/\/www.iquanta.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-86.png 1254w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The CAT Score vs Percentile is a constant topic for discussion. Now that the CAT 2026 exam will reportedly take place on 29th November 2026, interested candidates must be keen about knowing the difference between it. Previous candidates might know everything about it but if you&#8217;re appearing for the first-time then you must know the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":560,"featured_media":83136,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[443],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v21.4 (Yoast SEO v21.9.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>CAT Score vs Percentile: How Many Marks Do You Need for 90, 95, 99 &amp; 99.5 Percentile? - iQuanta<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Understand the prominent differences between CAT Score vs Percentile. 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