CAT Percentile Calculator (India)

Enter your CAT exam scores section-by-section — VARC, DILR, and Quant questions attempted and correct — along with your slot, gender, and category to get an estimated CAT percentile. You'll see your scaled score, overall percentile, and section-wise percentile breakdown to help you target the right IIMs and top B-schools for MBA admissions in India.

Select the slot in which you appeared for CAT 2025

Total questions attempted in Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

Number of correct answers in VARC

Total questions attempted in Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning

Number of correct answers in DILR

Total questions attempted in Quantitative Ability

Number of correct answers in Quantitative Ability

Results

Estimated Overall Percentile

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Estimated Scaled Score

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VARC Percentile

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DILR Percentile

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Quant Percentile

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Target B-School Tier

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Section-wise Percentile Breakdown

Results Table

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CAT Percentile?

CAT percentile indicates your relative performance among all test-takers. If you score in the 95th percentile, it means you outperformed 95% of candidates who appeared for the exam. It is not the same as your percentage score — it is a rank-based metric used by IIMs and top B-schools to shortlist candidates for WAT/GD-PI rounds.

How is the CAT Percentile calculated?

CAT percentile is calculated using the formula: Percentile = ((Total candidates – Your Rank) / Total candidates) × 100. Since CAT is conducted in multiple slots, raw scores are normalized using an equating process to ensure fairness across slots. The official scaled scores are then used to determine percentiles.

How does this CAT Percentile Calculator work?

Enter the number of questions you attempted and answered correctly in each section — VARC, DILR, and Quant. The calculator estimates your raw score (applying +3 for correct MCQs and –1 for wrong MCQs, with no penalty for TITA questions), scales it based on historical normalization patterns, and maps it to an approximate percentile using reference data from past CAT exams.

Does my CAT slot affect my percentile?

Your slot does not directly affect your final percentile because IIM uses a data normalization (equating) process to adjust for difficulty differences across Slot 1, Slot 2, and Slot 3. This ensures that candidates from harder slots are not disadvantaged. This calculator accounts for slot-based difficulty adjustments in its estimation.

What CAT percentile do I need for IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, or Calcutta?

The top IIMs (IIM A, B, C) typically require an overall percentile of 99+ with strong section-wise percentiles (usually 90+ in each section). IIM Lucknow, Kozhikode, and Indore generally consider candidates at 95–98 percentile. New IIMs and other top B-schools like NITIE, SPJIMR, and MDI may accept 90–95 percentile. Category-based relaxations apply for SC, ST, OBC-NC, and EWS candidates.

What is the difference between CAT score and CAT percentile?

The CAT score is the scaled marks you receive out of a total (typically around 198 marks for 66 questions). The CAT percentile is derived from your rank among all candidates and shows how you performed relative to others. A score of 120 may translate to different percentiles in different years depending on the overall difficulty level and number of candidates.

Are there section-wise cutoffs in CAT for IIM admissions?

Yes, most IIMs and top B-schools apply both overall and section-wise percentile cutoffs. Candidates must meet the minimum threshold in each of the three sections — VARC, DILR, and Quant — in addition to the overall cutoff. Failing to meet even one section cutoff can result in rejection regardless of a high overall percentile.

How many candidates appear for CAT each year?

CAT typically sees around 2.5 to 3.5 lakh (250,000–350,000) registered candidates each year, with approximately 2 to 3 lakh candidates actually appearing for the exam. The number has been growing steadily, making competition increasingly intense. The exact count affects percentile calculations since percentile is a relative measure.

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