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What is a Good CAT Score 2024? Check out Top Universities to Enroll

Good CAT score ranges between 90-99 percentile. Check out different determining factors of CAT score and a good CAT score for IIM and non-IIM colleges.
authorImageShivani Kumari18 Apr, 2024
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What is Good CAT Score 2024

Good CAT Score: Candidates preparing for the CAT exam seek to know what constitutes a good CAT score. CAT is primarily conducted to shortlist candidates for admission to the 20 IIMs. However, other non-IIM colleges also consider CAT scores for MBA admissions.

A good CAT score for top B-school typically falls within the range of 198 to 180. These raw scores are then converted into CAT percentiles to determine the final results. However, what constitutes a commendable CAT score can vary for different institutes. This happens because every college sets its separate CAT cut off score to shortlist candidates.

What is CAT Score?

CAT score refers to the outcome of a candidate's performance in the entrance exam. The CAT exam comprises three sections: VARC, DILR, and QA. Across all the sections, candidates got 66 questions, totalling 193 marks. Candidates receive +3 marks for each correct answer, -1 is deducted for every inaccurate response, and 0 is given for unattempted questions. Depending on this marking scheme, candidates receive their total raw score in the CAT exam. The CAT score is calculated using the formula provided below: CAT Score = (No. of Correct Answers) 3 - No. of Incorrect Answers

Factors Influencing CAT 2024 Cut Off

After conducting the CAT exam, candidates receive their scorecard online. Further, each institute establishes its separate cut off score for the admission process. The CAT cut off is influenced by multiple factors beyond just individual performance. These include the following:
  • The challenge level of the exam.
  • No. of candidates attempting the CAT exam.
  • Previous years' cut offs.
  • Availability of seats in specific colleges.

good cat score

Section-Wise Good CAT Score

Scoring 80+ percentile in CAT can help candidates get admission to top B-Schools such as IBS Hyderabad, IIT Delhi, NIT Trichy, Lal Bahadur Institute of Management, etc. For candidates achieving 70 percentile in CAT, admission prospects are more likely at B-schools like JIMS, XIME Bangalore, and IILM Institute of Higher Education, Delhi. The table below presents section-wise good attempts and accuracy rate for securing a good score in the CAT exam:
Section Target Questions Accuracy Required
Verbal and Reading Comprehension 28-30 80%
Quantitative Ability Around 32 90%
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning 24-26 90%
By referring to the following information, candidates can determine what is considered as an excellent, good, average, and bad percentile in the CAT exam:
Category CAT Percentile Score
Excellent 90-99
Good 80-89
Average 70-79
Bad Below 60

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What Constitutes a Strong CAT Score in 2024?

A strong CAT score in 2024 is crucial for securing admission to top-tier management colleges. The table below presents the range of both overall scores and sectional scores, which constitute a good CAT score:
Overall Score DILR VARC QA
198 60 72 60
161 - 164 51 70 67
140 41 50 58
148 46 64 52
126 40 57 43
110 - 120 32 47 51
95 - 98 28 43 28
85 25 38 24

Good CAT Score for IIM Admission

A CAT score of 99+ percentile is considered excellent for securing admission into top IIMs such as IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore. Achieving a 99 percentile assists candidates in getting admission to IIM Calcutta. However, there are many IIMs that accept CAT scores as low as 90 percentile. The table below presents the average CAT cut off scores for various IIMs:

IIMs Expected Cut off
IIM Bangalore 99+
IIM Ahmedabad 99+
IIM Calcutta 99
IIM Lucknow 97-98
IIM Kozhikode 97-98
IIM Indore 97-98
IIM Nagpur 95-96
IIM Amritsar 95-96
IIM Sambalpur 95-96
IIM Kashipur 94-95
IIM Raipur 94-95
IIM Tiruchirappalli 94-95
IIM Ranchi 94-95
IIM Udaipur 92-94
IIM Visakhapatnam 92-94
IIM Bodh Gaya 92-94
IIM Jammu 90
IIM Sirmaur 90
IIM Shillong 90
IIM Rohtak 90-92

Good CAT Score for Non-IIMs

Non-IIM institutions in India also consider CAT scores for selecting candidates for their MBA programs. The table below provides the non-IIM colleges along with their respective CAT cut off percentile:
Non-IIM College CAT Cut Off Percentile
Goa Institute of Management , Goa 90
MDI, Gurgaon 98
FMS, Delhi 98-99
Department of Management Studies – Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi 98.04
National Institute of Industrial Engineering, Mumbai 97
Manipal Management Development Institute, Manipal, Karnataka 97
Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management, Mumbai, Maharashtra 97.5
IMT, Ghaziabad 95-97
IIT Kharagpur, Kharagapur 95
JBIMS, Mumbai 95
IMI, New Delhi 90
SPJIMR, Mumbai 95-99
National Institute of Technology, Trichy 90
XIM, Bhubaneshwar 91
Lal Bahadur Shastri Inst. of Management, Delhi 87
FORE, New Delhi 85
IBS, Hyderabad 85
IRMA, Anand 80
S.P. Jain Inst. of Management and Research, Mumbai 85
K. J. Somaiya Inst. of Management Studies and Research, Mumbai 90
Amity Business School, Mumbai 85
Welingkar Inst. of Management Development & Research, Bengaluru 85
International Management Institute, Delhi 85
Bharathidasan Institute of Management, Trichy 85
IMNU, Ahmedabad 80.04
MICA, Ahmedabad 80
TAPMI, Manipal 80
IFMR, Chennai 80
TAPMI, Karnataka 80
Birla Inst. of Management Technology, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh 75
LIBA, Chennai 70
Xavier Inst. of Management & Entrepreneurship, Bangalore 70
AIMS Institutes, New Delhi 60
IILM Institute for Higher Education, Delhi 60
Institute of Management Technology, Nagpur 50
Fortune Institute of International Business, Delhi 50
Achieve your target of entering the top IIMs with a good CAT score. Join PW CAT Online Coaching that offers expert guidance with comprehensive doubt clarification, weekly evaluations, and performance analysis for targeted improvement.

Good CAT Score FAQs

Good CAT Score FAQs

What is a good CAT score for colleges?

A good college score varies for different colleges. Nonetheless, most B-schools accept candidates with a 90+ percentile in the CAT exam.

Which college is best after CAT exam?

The top priority of all the candidates who qualify for CAT is IIM. However, there are multiple other renowned management colleges like MDI, JBIMS, IMT Ghaziabad, GIM, etc, where candidates can seek admission.

What is the CAT percentile required for top MBA colleges?

The CAT percentile required for MBA colleges ranges between 90-99 percentile.

Which subject is toughest in CAT?

Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation are the toughest sections in the CAT exam.

Which IIM has highest cutoff?

IIM Ahmedabad has the highest cut off. Candidates need 99+ percentile for admission to IIM Ahmedabad.
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