CAT Score Vs Percentile

Every CAT aspirant is curious to learn about the rationale behind CAT scores and percentiles. CAT percentile is understood as a number indicating your position relative to rest of the test-takers. But how are these scores computed? And what is the corresponding CAT percentile?

In this article, we shed light on the relevance and importance of CAT scores, percentile, and the related criteria.

CAT 2021 had a total of 66 questions. The various sections were Quantitative Ability (22), Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (24), and Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation (20). Since the number of questions in CAT 2021 were less than the previous patterns, the candidates got a higher percentile corresponding to the low scores. Nevertheless, the difficulty level of exam remained more or less the same. The final CAT score is the compilation of the marks attained in individual sections.

The term ‘percentile’ is a number where a certain percentage of scores fall below that number. Let us understand it further by taking an example. If a student gets 85 percentile, then it means that 85% of the students who appeared in the CAT exam have scored less than him. Moreover, students securing 85 percentile or above suggests that they are in the top 15 percent of the total number of students who sat for the entrance exam.

To help you understand the equivalence between approx. CAT score and CAT percentile, our experts have collated the following table:

Note: The above table displays score range as the three slots of CAT exam differ slightly in the score-percentile equivalence.

In 2021, CAT was conducted in three sessions. The CAT exam was conducted on November 28 with the morning session (8:30 AM – 10:30 AM) and afternoon session (12:30 PM - 2:30 PM) and evening Session (4:30 PM – 6:30 PM). Keeping in mind that the students should be assessed fairly in their performances across different test sessions, a process of normalization is followed. According to the official conducting body of CAT –“The Normalization process shall adjust for location and scale differences of score distributions across different forms. After normalization across different forms, the scores shall be further normalized across different sections.” Finally, when you have calculated your CAT percentile, it will help you in predicting the calls that you would be receiving from the reputed B-schools. The expected CAT score will further bring you closer to achieving your aim of getting admission in the B-school. Moreover, it will motivate you to start revising general knowledge topics for the second phase of CAT exam, i.e. Group discussion, personal interview and WAT.