Anisha has done MBA in Marketing from NMIMS And Executive Management(PMNO) from Harvard Business School. She has been instrumental in growing CATKing Digital with her experience with Marico and Henkel in the past.
CAT Score Vs Percentile: IIM Lucknow released the CAT answer key and candidates’ response sheet online. Many candidates who appear for the CAT exam search for CAT Score Vs percentile and the steps to calculate their percentile using the CAT percentile predictor.
The CAT score vs percentile is a comparison between the sectional and overall CAT score against specific percentile. For admission to prominent IIMs, candidates typically need to score above the 95 percentile in the CAT exam. However, the CAT cut-off generally varies among different Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).
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What is the CAT Score?
CAT is an annual computer-based test conducted by IIMs for MBA and other management program admissions in India. The CAT exam will be held in three sessions, and the normalization process will be applied to the scores. After normalization, the scores are called scaled scores in CAT. The percentile of candidates is then calculated based on these scaled scores.
In simple terms, the scaled score in CAT is the total marks obtained by a candidate after the normalization process in all three sections: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Ability. It helps standardize the scores across different sessions and ensures fair evaluation.
How To Calculate CAT Score?
This helps to simplify the process of calculating CAT expected marks versus percentile and the scaled CAT score and percentile calculation. Before understanding how much a CAT score is needed for the 99th percentile, let’s grasp the key elements of converting your CAT score to a percentile score.
To calculate the CAT score, follow these steps:
- Add three marks for each correct answer.
- Deduct one mark for each wrong or incorrect answer.
- No negative markings for unanswered questions and non-MCQs.
- Calculate the total score (sectional-wise) by summing the marks for answered questions.
CAT Score Vs Percentile- What is CAT Percentile
The CAT percentile represents the percentage of candidates who scored equal to or below a specific candidate in the exam. For example, a CAT percentile of 99 means the candidate performed better than 99% of all the test takers that year. If someone scores above 90 percentile, they are among the top 10% of students that year.
To illustrate, if 1,000 people took the exam and you secured the highest rank, it means 999 candidates scored below you. So your CAT percentile will be calculated as 999/1000*100= 99.9.
In essence, the CAT percentile doesn’t directly measure a candidate’s actual performance in the CAT exam but rather compares their performance to that of all other test takers.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – CAT Score Vs Percentile
Q1. What is the difference between CAT score and percentile?
The CAT score is the total marks a candidate obtains after applying the normalization process across all three sections. The percentile, on the other hand, shows how a candidate’s performance compares with other candidates, representing the percentage of test-takers who scored below them.
Q2. How is the CAT score calculated?
Each correct answer earns 3 marks, while each wrong answer leads to a deduction of 1 mark. Unanswered or non-MCQ questions do not receive negative marking. The total sectional scores are added to get the final CAT score.
Q3. How is the CAT percentile calculated?
The percentile is calculated by comparing your scaled score with all candidates’ scores. For instance, a 99 percentile means you performed better than 99% of the candidates in that year’s exam.
Q4. What is a good CAT score to get into top IIMs?
Candidates typically need to score above 95 percentile to meet the cutoffs for prominent IIMs like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and IIM Calcutta. However, cutoffs may vary depending on the institute and category.
Q5. Does the CAT percentile reflect the actual number of marks obtained?
No, the percentile shows how you performed relative to others and not the exact number of marks. It’s a statistical measure used to rank candidates and standardize scores across sessions.
Q6. What is the role of normalization in CAT scoring?
Since the CAT exam is conducted in multiple sessions, normalization adjusts for any difficulty variations between sessions. The final scaled scores after normalization are used to calculate the percentile.
Q7. How can I predict my CAT percentile?
You can use tools like the CAT percentile predictor by entering your sectional and overall scores. These tools compare your score with past data to give you an estimated percentile.
Q8. Why is it important to know your expected CAT percentile?
Understanding your expected percentile helps you assess your chances of making it to different IIMs and other top business schools. It also helps you strategize your preparation and focus on areas requiring improvement.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What is the difference between CAT score and percentile?
The CAT score is the total marks a candidate obtains after applying the normalization process across all three sections. The percentile, on the other hand, shows how a candidate’s performance compares with other candidates, representing the percentage of test-takers who scored below them.
Q2. How is the CAT score calculated?
Each correct answer earns 3 marks, while each wrong answer leads to a deduction of 1 mark. Unanswered or non-MCQ questions do not receive negative marking. The total sectional scores are added to get the final CAT score.
Q3. How is the CAT percentile calculated?
The percentile is calculated by comparing your scaled score with all candidates’ scores. For instance, a 99 percentile means you performed better than 99% of the candidates in that year’s exam.
Q4. What is a good CAT score to get into top IIMs?
Candidates typically need to score above 95 percentile to meet the cutoffs for prominent IIMs like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and IIM Calcutta. However, cutoffs may vary depending on the institute and category.
Q5. Does the CAT percentile reflect the actual number of marks obtained?
No, the percentile shows how you performed relative to others and not the exact number of marks. It’s a statistical measure used to rank candidates and standardize scores across sessions.
Q6. What is the role of normalization in CAT scoring?
Since the CAT exam is conducted in multiple sessions, normalization adjusts for any difficulty variations between sessions. The final scaled scores after normalization are used to calculate the percentile.
Q7. How can I predict my CAT percentile?
You can use tools like the CAT percentile predictor by entering your sectional and overall scores. These tools compare your score with past data to give you an estimated percentile.
Q8. Why is it important to know your expected CAT percentile?
Understanding your expected percentile helps you assess your chances of making it to different IIMs and other top business schools. It also helps you strategize your preparation and focus on areas requiring improvement.
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