What is a Good Score/Percentile in CAT 2025? - Check Here

A good score/percentile in CAT 2025 is subjective, but 90 to 95 percentile is ideal for CAT 2025. To get admission to top IIM colleges, students must score between 98-100 percentile. For admission to leading B-schools, students must aim at 95-97 percentile in CAT 2025.

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Predict your Percentile

If you are looking for an answer to “what is a good score/percentile in CAT 2025”, then you have come to the right place. A good score in CAT 2025 is subjective. If you belong to the General/NC-OBC category and want to get admission to some of the top IIMs in India, then you must score at least 98 to 100 percentile in the CAT examination 2025 . To get admission to IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and IIM Calcutta, a score between 99 to 100 percentile is ideal. Under the list of CAT 97 percentile colleges, IIM Lucknow and IIM Kozhikode are considered to be the best MBA colleges.

Also Read :

Good CAT 2025 Score for Tier-I, II & III B-Schools

Each institute will have a different minimum CAT score requirement to be eligible for admission. Other business schools that accept CAT scores are listed in the table below:

Tier

Minimum CAT score

Minimum Sectional Score

Tier I

200

80-85

Tier II

120

40-50

Tier III

100

30-40

What Does a Good CAT Score Mean?

If you wish to understand what it means to acheive a good CAT 2025 score, check the table below:

Category

Key Insights

Definition of a Good CAT 2025 Score/Percentile

• A “good” percentile depends on the target college.
• A 97 percentile is generally strong and can secure calls from top IIMs like IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, etc.
• Students should set a clear target percentile to plan an effective preparation strategy.

College-Wise CAT Score Expectations

• Top IIMs (BLACKIS): Require 99+ percentile for competitive chances.
• Other IIMs: Typically require 95–98 percentile.
• Non-IIM top B-schools (IIFT, IITs, FMS Delhi, SPJIMR): Often need 95+ percentile.
• Tier-3 colleges: Accept lower percentiles, offering more flexibility.
• Cutoffs vary significantly from institute to institute.

Why Percentile Targets Vary

• Cutoffs depend on seat availability, number of applicants, and college reputation.
• IIMs collectively offer around 5,000 seats, whereas nearly 2,00,000 candidates take CAT every year.
• To be among the top 5,000 students, candidates must generally score 97.5+ percentile.

Good Percentile for IIM Admissions

• To get into top IIMs (BLACKIS) → 99+ percentile is ideal.
• To get into newer IIMs (IIM Jammu, IIM Amritsar, etc.) → Possible with 90–94 percentile.
• Even with 99 percentile, admission isn’t guaranteed because work experience, academics, diversity & PI performance also matter.

IIMs vs Top Private Colleges

• Some students prefer top private institutes (ISB Hyderabad, XLRI Jamshedpur, SIBM Pune) over new IIMs due to:
– Stronger alumni networks
– Better infrastructure
– Established placements
• As new IIMs grow, their required CAT percentiles may rise.

Importance of Percentile-Wise Analysis

• Students should study CAT percentile-wise college lists to set realistic goals.
• Helps create a personalised preparation plan aligned with desired colleges.

How Many Questions to Attempt for 99+ Percentile in CAT 2025?

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To achieve a 99+ percentile in CAT 2025, it's advisable to attempt around 41 questions with an accuracy rate of 85-90%. Below is a breakdown of the number of questions required to attain a 99+ percentile, 95+ percentile, and 90+ percentile in each section of the CAT 2025 exam.

CAT Percentile

Questions to Attempt in VARC

Questions to Attempt in DILR

Questions to Attempt in QA

Total Questions to Attempt

99+

14-15

10-11

13-15

40-41

95-999

13-14

9-10

12-13

35-39

90-95

11-12

7-8

11-12

29-34

85+

9-10

6-7

9-11

24-28

Also Read : List of Non-IIM MBA Colleges to Apply to Before and After CAT 2025 Exam

CAT 2025 Score vs Percentile

To understand what is good CAT percentile score is, you must first know the CAT score vs percentile calculation. Check out the table below to know more:

Percentile

Score-VARC

Score-DILR

Score-QA

Overall Score

99.5%ile

44

35

40

101

99%ile

34

26

36

96

98%ile

32

28

30

90

95%ile

32

20

29

81

90%ile

29

17

26

72

85%ile

24

15

20

59

80%ile

20

12

15

47

Therefore, a good score in CAT can be different for each candidate. However, since the CAT is being taken for admission to IIMs, we should take a look at what is a good CAT score for gaining admission to IIMs.

Top MBA Colleges Accepting Good CAT 2025 Percentile

Given below are a few of the top IIMs and other MBA colleges that will shortlist you for the final selection round of the MBA admissions in 2025 based on your CAT percentile/score:

IIMs & Other Top B-Schools

Expected CAT 2025 Cut Off Percentile

IIM Ahmedabad

99-100

IIM Bangalore

99-100

IIM Calcutta

99

IIM Lucknow

97+

IIM Mumbai

97+

IIM Kozhikode

97 to 98

IIM Amritsar

95+

IIM Sambalpur

95+

IIM Trichy

94+

IIM Ranchi

94+

IIM Kashipur

94+

IIM Vizag

92+

IIM Bodhgaya

92+

IIM Shillong

90+

IIM Sirmaur

95+

IIM Rohtak

95+

SPJIMR, Mumbai

90-95

JBIMS Mumbai

95-97

XIM-Xavier University Bhubaneswar

90-93

Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) New Delhi

97-98

Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon

94-95

Institute of Management Technology (IMT) Ghaziabad

90-92

Department of Management Studies (IIT Delhi) New Delhi

90-93

How to Get a Good Score in CAT 2025?

Putting in targeted practice and study hours every day is the key to getting a good score in the CAT. You have to adopt new strategies and work on increasing your speed and accuracy as well. If you are aiming to be among the top achievers, you should put in calculated efforts for the same. Given below are some CAT preparation guides created by our experts that you should check out.

For any further queries on what is a good score/percentile in CAT 2025, feel free to reach out to us in our Q&A Zone . Check our CAT 2025 College Predictor and CAT 2025 Percentile Predictor to get an idea of your estimated CAT scores. You can even fill out our Common Application Form (CAF) to get guidance from our team of college counsellors!

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FAQs

How hard is it to score 99.9 percentile in CAT 2025?

It is very hard to score 99.9 percentile in CAT since it is one of the toughest and most challenging exams in India. Achieving a 99 percentile or higher on the CAT is difficult and demands a solid preparation strategy, a lot of effort, and commitment. To do well on this exam, students must strike a balance between speed and precision. One must devote at least 6-8 months to exam preparation.

Is 80 percentile in CAT considered good for top MBA colleges in India?

Yes, 80 percentile in CAT is considered good for top MBA colleges in India. Some IIMs and other prestigious MBA/PGDM institutions in India are among them. However, if you aim to get into IIM-BLACKI or colleges like FMS or SPJIMR, then you'll need to score above the 95 percentile.

Can I get admission to IITs if I score a good CAT percentile/score?

Yes, a student can get admission to IITs if they score a good CAT percentile/score. Applicants would need a CAT score over 98 percentile for IIT Delhi and Bombay, 95+ percentile for IIT Madras & Kanpur, 90+ percentile for IIT Kharagpur, and 80% percentile for ISM Dhanbad based on the gradual analysis of the previous CAT cut-off.

What is the difference between the raw score and the scaled score in CAT?

The actual score a candidate receives on the CAT exam is known as the CAT raw score. After that, a normalisation method transforms the raw score into a scaled score. For example, IIMs calculate the scores after normalising the raw scores for each CAT exam slot. This calculation depends on the number of test takers across the CAT exam slots. As a result, normalisation is used to determine the percentile score to compare all candidates on the same scale.

What parameters are used to calculate the CAT score and percentile?

The following are the parameters used to calculate the CAT score and CAT percentile: Class 10th scores Class 12th scores CAT Marks (scaled) Working experience  Diversity (gender and academic) Marks in the qualifying examination for graduation, etc.

How to achieve a good CAT percentile/score?

To achieve a good CAT percentile/score, a candidate needs to develop an effective study plan, progressive practice, take regular mock tests, etc. You must have a solid timetable when you begin your CAT preparation so that each component has adequate time to be covered entirely. Students will have 60 minutes for each section, thus efficiency is key while answering questions, especially in time-consuming sections like DI and QA.

Is 60 percentile score in CAT considered good?

A 60 percentile score in CAT is considered satisfactory as it can get you admission into tier 2 and tier 3 colleges in India. A CAT score of 90+ percentile is thought to be satisfactory for admission to the IIMs and top MBA schools.

Which colleges accept the 70 percentile in CAT?

Some of the reputed colleges accepting the 70 percentile in CAT are: Universal Business School, Mumbai SRIRAM Group of Institutions, Greater Noida MATS University, Raipur Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar Jaipur National University (JNU), Jaipur ICFAI University, Mizoram IBS Business School, Pune IBS Business School, Ahmedabad Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon GNA University, Phagwara GITAM School of Business Birla Institute of Management Technology, Greater Noida Asia-Pacific Institute of Management (AIM, Delhi) Amity University, Noida Amity University, Mumbai Amity University, Jaipur Amity Business School, Noida, etc.

Is it easy to get 85 percentile in CAT?

Yes, it is easy to get 85 percentile in CAT only if the student has done enough preparation and has all the exam basics cleared. A student who receives an 85 percentile score has performed better than 85% of the students who took the CAT exam. Students who scored at or above the 85th percentile on the entrance exam are likely among the top 15% to 20% of all applicants. 

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