Have you ever questioned how rare is a 100%ile in the CAT 2025 exam while preparing for the exam? The Common Admission Test (CAT) is widely considered one of the most difficult and top MBA entrance exams in India . Achieving a perfect 100 percentile is the ultimate desire for many, but it is extremely difficult. Out of over 2 lakh test takers annually, only approximately 9 to 11 applicants manage to score this rare score of 100 percentile. The majority of applicants start preparing for the CAT to get into one of the top business schools in India. But is it to score a 100% ile in the upcoming CAT 2025 exam? Let’s take a closer look.
Also Read: How to Approach CAT 2025 Question Paper?
What Does 100 Percentile in CAT 2025 Mean?
Scoring 100%ile in the CAT exam surely is not easy, but scoring it puts one in a situation where one can select any of the top MBA universities in India – both IIMs as well as some of the other leading institutes.
What is scoring 100 percentile in CAT 2025 mean? In simple words, it states that your performance is better than that of every other test taker in the exam. In short, your score describes how you performed against all the candidates who took the test. For instance, if one scores 99.99 percentile, then that person has outperformed 99.99% of people who attend the CAT exam.
How Many Candidates Get a 100 Percentile in CAT?
Every year, a small number of applicants pass the CAT exam with a perfect score of 100 percentile. On average 9 to 11 candidates a year, get a rare 100% ile in CAT exam. Here's a breakdown of recent trends:
CAT Exam | No. of Students with 100 Percentile | Students from Engineering (E) and Non-Engineering (NE) Background |
|---|---|---|
| CAT 2024 | 14 | 13 (E) + 1 (NE) |
CAT 2023 | 14 | 11 (E) + 2 (NE) |
CAT 2022 | 11 | 10 (E) + 1 (NE) |
CAT 2021 | 9 | 9 (E) |
CAT 2020 | 9 | 8 (E) + 1 (NE) |
CAT 2019 | 10 | 10 (E) |
CAT 2018 | 11 | 11 (E) |
The state-wise number of candidates with a 100 percentile over the last 4 years have been provided in the table below.
| Year | Number of Candidates with a 100 Percentile | Gender | State-wise Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAT 2024 | 14 |
Female - 1
Male - 13 |
|
| CAT 2023 | 14 | All Male |
|
| CAT 2022 | 11 | All Male |
|
| CAT 2021 | 9 | All Male |
|
CAT Toppers' Scores Other than 100 Percentile Over the Years
The scores obtained by toppers other than the 100 percentile in CAT 2024, 2023, 2022 & 2021 have been provided below.
CAT 2024
| CAT Toppers Scores | Number of Candidates |
Gender and
Discipline | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 99.99 percentile | 29 |
|
|
| 99.98 percentile | 30 |
|
|
CAT 2023
CAT Percentile | Number of Candidates | Gender | State-wise Number |
|---|---|---|---|
99.99 | 29 |
|
|
99.98 | 29 | All Male |
|
CAT 2022
CAT Percentile | Number of Candidates | Stream | Gender | State-wise Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
99.99 | 22 |
|
|
|
99.98 | 22 |
|
|
|
CAT 2021
CAT Percentile | Number of Candidates | Stream | Gender | State-wise Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
99.99 | 19 |
| All Male |
|
99.98 | 19 |
|
|
|
How to Calculate CAT 2025 Percentile?
The formula adopted for determining the CAT percentile of each candidate is as follows and is used on the candidate's raw score from the exam. Scores resulting from each session of the CAT exam are normalized that is adjusted to a common scale in order to ensure fairness. The scores, after normalization, are converted into percentiles by the use of the following formula:
P = (R/N) × 100
Where:
- P = Percentile score
- R = The rank of the candidate based on their scaled CAT score, or the number of candidates who scored lower than them.
- N = The total number of candidates who appeared in the CAT exam across all sessions.
Let's consider an example where 1,000 applicants take the CAT exam. A candidate's percentile would be determined as follows: 999/1000 × 100 = 99.9 if the candidate receives a scaled score of 196 out of 198 available points, and the other 999 candidates receive a score lower than 196. This indicates that the applicant is in the top 0.1% of test takers.
Also Read:
Scoring a 100% ile in the CAT 2025 exam is a rare achievement. Those who get this percentile, along with a good academic profile and performance in the WAT-PI rounds, get a higher probability of being considered for final admission. This rank does not restrict candidates to the best IIMs alone; it opens up any B-school to them. A candidate with such an excellent ranking and profile often leaves B-schools fighting for that student.
Stay updated with CollegeDekho for more information about the CAT 2025 exam! If you have any questions or doubts, reach out to us through the Q&A Zone .
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FAQs
On average, 9 to 11 students per year pass the CAT exam with a perfect and a rare score of 100 percentile. More than 20 students usually achieve a score higher than the 99 percentile. This trend has been consistent based on data from recent years.
Achieving a 100 percentile in the CAT 2025 exam requires an understanding of the normalisation process, which enables you to understand how your raw score will be transformed into a scaled number. With this information, even if your raw score is not the best, you can plan your exam prep to optimise your scaled scores.
While mock exams are helpful in preparing for the CAT 2025 exam, a 100 percentile cannot be assured by them. They help in identifying one's strengths, weaknesses, time management skills, and exam-day strategies. To improve scores and raise the likelihood of hitting a high percentile, regular practice and analysis of mock tests are essential.
The following important tips will help test takers who are aiming for a 100 percentile in the CAT 2025 exam:
- Gain a solid foundation by fully understanding the fundamental ideas.
- Take mock tests frequently to assess your preparation and make improvements.
- Pay close attention to accuracy and track the right answers you get on each test.
- Learn about the CAT normalisation procedure so that you can answer each question appropriately.
- Create efficient time management techniques to make sure you can finish every segment on time.
The answer to this question is simply NO! Candidates with a rare 100% ile in CAT 2025 exam will be unable to apply to foreign universities because the CAT exam score is not accepted globally. CAT is a national-level management entrance exam that is solely approved by Indian MBA colleges.
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