100 Percentile in CAT Exam, What Does it Mean?
100 percentile in CAT exam helps candidates get shortlisted to top IIMs and other MBA colleges in India. However, only 9-10 out of lakhs of test takers succeeded in reaching 100 percentile in CAT. Explore what it means to score 100 percentile in CAT exam.
Shivani Kumari4 Sept, 2024
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100 Percentile in CAT Exam: Scoring 100 percentile in the CAT exam is a dream for every test taker. Various top MBA colleges in India prioritise candidates who score a perfect 100 percentile in the CAT exam . However, it requires candidates to follow a thorough CAT preparation and mark almost every question accurately in the exam to achieve 100 percentile.
CAT percentile is a measure of how a candidate’s performance compares to other test takers. For example, a 99.99 percentile indicates that the candidate has done better than 99.99% of their peers. Therefore, achieving the 100 percentile in the CAT exam reflects that a candidate has outperformed every other test taker. CAT conducting IIM normalises candidates' raw scores and then converts them into percentiles. This process ensures a fair scoring system as the CAT difficulty level varies across different slots. CAT 2024 results will be announced in the third week of December. After the release of CAT results, IIM Calcutta will publish the details of the candidates who secure 100 percentile.Calculation of 100 Percentile in CAT Exam
The CAT percentile is a scaled score that reflects a candidate's performance compared to other candidates. To compute the CAT percentile, IIMs use a specific formula. For this, IIMs start with calculating each candidate's raw scores. These raw scores are normalised across different exam slots to avoid any bias and ensure consistency. The normalised scores of candidates are then converted into percentiles using the following formula: P = (R/N) × 100 Where:- P = Percentile score
- R = The rank of the candidate based on their scaled score. This is similar to the number of test-takers scoring below them.
- N = Total number of candidates who appeared in all sessions of the CAT exam.
Score Required for a 100 Percentile in CAT Exam
Securing a 100 percentile in CAT places a candidate among the top performers nationwide. The percentile scores hold significant value for aspirants aiming for top-tier MBA institutes. To achieve this percentile it is necessary for candidates to score between 140 to 180 marks. The table below presents a breakdown of the CAT percentile vs scores across different sections:| CAT Score vs Percentile | ||||
| VARC Score | QA Score | DILR Score | Overall Score | CAT Percentile |
| 48 | 48 | 36 | 106 | 99.9 |
| 44 | 32 | 32 | 89 | 99.5 |
| 40 | 28 | 28 | 80 | 99 |
| 36 | 24 | 25 | 71 | 98 |
| 30 | 19 | 19 | 57 | 95 |
| 25 | 15 | 16 | 49 | 90 |
| 21 | 12 | 13 | 40 | 85 |
| 19 | 10 | 11 | 36 | 80 |
| 17 | 9 | 10 | 31 | 75 |
| 15 | 8 | 9 | 29 | 70 |
Admission Prospects for Candidates Achieving 100 Percentile in CAT
Scoring a 100 percentile in the CAT exam strengthens candidates’ chances of getting shortlisted at almost every B-school in India. Particularly top IIMs like IIM Bangalore, IIM Ahmedabad, and IIM Calcutta set their CAT cut-off at 99-100 percentile. For General category candidates, this percentile typically meets the highest cut-offs for PI round shortlisting. CAT 100 percentilers with a strong academic record and remarkable performance in WAT and PI rounds have a high chance of securing final admission offers in top IIMs. Besides IIMs, the leading B-schools across the country prioritise candidates with exceptional rank and profile.How Many Candidates Achieve 100 Percentile in CAT?
Each year only 9 and 11 candidates achieve the perfect 100 percentile in the CAT exam. Most of these 100 percentile achievers tend to be from engineering backgrounds. The following table presents the details of past years’ CAT 100 percentile scorers:| CAT 100 Percentilers in Past years | |||
| Year | Total 100 Percentilers | Engineering Background | Non-Engineering Background |
| CAT 2023 | 14 | 11 | 0 |
| CAT 2022 | 11 | 10 | 1 |
| CAT 2021 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| CAT 2020 | 9 | 8 | 1 |
| CAT 2019 | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| CAT 2018 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
Expected CAT 2024 Cut-Offs for Top B-Schools
Each CAt accepting B-school sets its individual CAT cut-off score . The table below presents the expected CAT 2024 cut-offs for IIMs and other leading MBA colleges:| CAT 2024 Cut-off (Expected) | |
| B-Schools | Expected CAT Cut-Offs (Percentile) |
| IIM Bangalore | 99-100 |
| IIM Ahmedabad | 99-100 |
| IIM Calcutta | 99 |
| FMS Delhi | 98-99 |
| IIM Indore | 97-98 |
| IIM Lucknow | 97-98 |
| IIM Kozhikode | 97-98 |
| MDI Gurgaon | 97-99 |
| JBIMS Mumbai | 96 |
| IIM Nagpur | 95-96 |
| IIM Amritsar | 95-96 |
| IIM Sambalpur | 95-96 |
| SPJIMR Mumbai | 95-99 |
| IIFT Delhi | 95-99 |
| IMT Ghaziabad | 95-97 |
| IIM Raipur | 94-95 |
| IIM Trichy | 94-95 |
| IIM Kashipur | 94-95 |
| IIM Ranchi | 94-95 |
| IIM Mumbai | 94 |
| IIM Rohtak | 92-94 |
| IIM Vizag | 92-94 |
| IIM Bodhgaya | 92-94 |
| IIM Udaipur | 92-94 |
| XIM Bhubaneswar | 91 |
| IIM Sirmaur | 90 |
| IIM Shillong | 90 |
| IMI New Delhi | 90 |
| IIM Jammu | 90 |
| K J Somaiya Mumbai | 86 |
| FORE New Delhi | 85 |
| GIM Goa | 85 |
| IRMA Anand | 80 |
| MICA Ahmedabad | 80 |
| IFMR Chennai | 80 |
| TAPMI Manipal | 80 |
| XIME Bangalore | 70 |
| LIBA Chennai | 70 |
100 Percentile in CAT Exam FAQs
How much percentile is 100 marks in CAT?
Candidates who achieve a 100 overall score in CAT are able to secure a 99.99 percentile.
What does 100% percentile mean?
100 percentile in CAT means that the candidate performed better than all other test takers.
Which IIM has the lowest cutoff?
IIm Sirmaur, IIM Jammu, and IIM Shillong are expected to have the lowest CAT cutoff in 2024.
Is 99% percentile good or bad?
99 percentile is a good score as it helps candidates get shortlisted for top MBA colleges.
When will CAT 2024 percentile be released?
The CAT 2024 percentile will be released along with the result in the third week of December.
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