For admission to the top IIMs, the minimum requirement is 99 percentile in CAT. Out of over 2 lakh aspirants every year, only a handful of candidates score 99+ percentile. In CAT 2023, the maximum number of 99.99 percentilers was 29. The number of 100 percentilers was 14. Why is it so?
Because, no matter how many questions you solve correctly in the CAT exam, your performance is directly affected by the number of aspirants who have solved more or less questions than you. Yes, in CAT, it's percentile that matters not the raw score. Many candidates perform well in the exam but get a percentile lower than what they had expected because percentiles are affected by even decimal points. Thus, comes the question "how many questions to attempt in CAT to score 99 percentile?".
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There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.Q: How much percentile is a good score in CAT exam?
The CAT (Common Admission Test) is a highly competitive entrance exam for admission to various management programs offered by top business schools in India. The percentile score in CAT exam is based on the relative performance of the test taker compared to all the other test takers.
The cutoff percentile for admission to top business schools varies from year to year and also depends on factors such as the number of candidates, difficulty level of the exam, and the number of available seats. In general, a percentile score of 90 or above is considered a good score and can help you secure admission to some of the top business schools in India. However, to increase your chances of admission to the top-tier business schools, a percentile score of 95 or above is preferred.
Q: What is sectional cutoff in CAT exam?
Sectional cut off in CAT exam refers to the section wise percentiles required by the candidate for making it to the Personal Interview round of the IIMs or other top MBA colleges. The sectional cut offs are lower than overall cut offs of any institute. To understand better, check the table below for sectional CAT cut offs for IIM Ahmedabad:
Category | VARC percentile | DILR percentile | QA percentile | Overall percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
General | 70 | 70 | 70 | 80 |
NC-OBC-Transgender | 65 | 65 | 65 | 75 |
SC | 60 | 60 | 60 | 70 |
ST | 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 |
PwD (General, NC-OBC-cum-transgender, SC) | 60 | 60 | 60 | 70 |
PwD (ST) | 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 |
For sectional cut offs of all IIMs, check this article – IIM shortlist and selection criteria
Q: Are CAT cut offs announced along with the CAT result?
CAT 2024 Analysis by Experts
| CAT Experts |
CAT 2024 Analysis Page Links |
|---|---|
| CAT 2024 analysis by CATKing |
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| CAT 2024 analysis by Career Launcher and T.I.M.E |
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| CAT 2024 analysis by IMS |
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For many aspirants, the CAT scoring and normalization process is confusing. 'What is the difference between CAT score and CAT percentile?', is a question every CAT aspirant asks. We will explain that later, but first we will address another question that is asked more often - How many questions to attempt in CAT to score 99 percentile? This question is extremely crucial for a good score in CAT exam and every aspirant must know the answer.
Why is it important to know how much CAT score will convert into 99 percentile? Because scoring 99 percentile in CAT is the only way you can get closer to an IIM or a top MBA college in India. The CAT cut off for admission to the top IIMs - IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode is often above 99 percentile for General category candidates. Other top B-Schools such as FMS Delhi University, SPJIMR, IMT, MDI, IIT-DoMS also have cut off range of 95-99 percentile for CAT. Thus, it is only prudent to know your target beforehand and make a CAT preparation strategy accordingly.
Also Read: CAT 2024 Checklist of Important Documents to Carry on Exam Day
Q: What is the CAT cut off for IIM Lucknow?
Q: What is the minimum percentile required for IIM Trichy?
IIM Trichy accepts minimum CAT percentile for shortlisting candidates for the Personal Interview round. For IIM Trichy MBA admission 2024, the estimated overall CAT cutoff for the General category students is 92 percentile. Candidates can refer to the table given below to check out the section-wise minimum CAT percentile required for various categories:
Category | PVRC | PDILR | PQA | Overall percentile rank (PT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
General | 70 | 70 | 70 | 92 |
NC-OBC | 45 | 45 | 45 | 74 |
EWS | 40 | 40 | 40 | 70 |
SC | 35 | 35 | 35 | 54 |
ST | 25 | 25 | 32.5 | 40 |
DAP | 25 | 25 | 32.5 | 40 |
Q: What is the CAT cut off for IIM Ahmedabad?
Q: What are the qualifying CAT cutoffs for all the IIMs?
Q: What is the CAT exam cutoff required to get admission to IIM Bangalore?
The CAT cut offs for IIM Bangalore hovers between 97-100 percentile. The qualifying CAT cut off required for being eligible for IIM Bangalore's Written Ability test (What) and Personal Interview PI is 85 percentile for General category students, whereas for SC candidates, it is 70 percentile. For ST candidates, it is 65 percentile and for PwD candidates it is 60 percentile. Given below are the sectional and overall qualifying CAT cut offs for IIM Bangalore.
- General category: 80 VARC 75 DILR 75 Quantitative Aptitude 85 (Overall)
- NC-OBC category: 75 VARC 65 DILR 65 Quantitative Aptitude 75 (Overall)
- EWS category: 70 VARC 65 DILR 65 Quantitative Aptitude 75 (Overall)
- SC category: 65 VARC 60 DILR 60 Quantitative Aptitude 70 (Overall)
- ST category: 55 VARC 55 DILR 55 Quantitative Aptitude 65 (Overall)
- PwD category: 50 VARC 50 DILR 50 Quantitative Aptitude 60 (Overall)
How many questions to attempt in CAT 2024 to score 99 percentile?
This is a tricky. There is no accurate number of questions that you can attempt in CAT to score 99 percentile, but yes, you must aim for attempting 2/3 of the total questions in every section accurately. Even though there are less chances of number of questions chaning in CAT 2024, you should be prepared for every situation. So, to be able to score 99 percentile, you need to do more than just attempting a certain number of questions. Let's understand further.
CAT percentile is influenced by three things:
- CAT exam pattern and marking scheme
- Accuracy in solving the CAT questions
- CAT normalization process
Let’s look at them one by one to answer the question - How many questions to attempt in CAT 2024 to score 99 percentile?
CAT Marking Scheme 2024
During the CAT exam preparation 2024, candidates must focus on the strategy of targetting a particular score range in the exam from the very beginning. So check out previous years' CAT cut offs for admission to your preferred colleges. Given below is the CAT marking scheme.
- Three marks are awarded for each correct attempt and one mark is deducted for every wrong answer in CAT. However, there is no penalty on leaving questions unanswered.
- Non-MCQs don't have negative marking, but they are often lengthy or tricky.
- The key here is to attempt only those questions which you are 100 per cent sure of answering correctly as only 100 per cent accuracy will earn you full marks. A slight miss and you may lose the score. Experts suggest, that there is no need to attempt all the questions in the CAT 2024 question paper.
- The CAT paper pattern is never the same. CAT has seen changes in the number of questions, topic wise weightage in the last two years. So, there is no sure shot formula of scoring 100 or 99 percentile. It is all about how accurately you solve a question and in the least time taken.
But the question, "How many questions to attempt in CAT to score 99 percentile?", remains.
Experts suggest, to aim 99 percentile, one should attempt at least 75 per cent questions accurately. Since sectional percentile and overall percentile hold individual significance in IIM admissions, it is important to maintain good accuracy in each section of the CAT exam.
CAT 2024: Number of Good Attempts for 99 Percentile
Take a look at the table below indicating number of good attempts against the total number of questions in CAT exam paper.
| CAT Exam Sections |
Total questions |
Good Attempts |
|---|---|---|
| 24 |
18 |
|
| 20 |
13 |
|
| 22 |
16 |
|
| Total |
66 |
47 |
How to Score 99 Percentile in CAT: Focus on Time Management and Accuracy
Scoring 99 percentile requires more than merely knowing all topics. The total time duration of CAT is 120 minutes with 40-minute sectional time limit for each section, thus you need to be quick and accurate in solving the questions. Focus more on time management during the last phase of CAT preparation. Additionally, you will have to ensure zero-error performance in the exam. How can you achieve zero-error performance? The only way to achieve that is by choosing the questions wisely. You must target a score of 104 (CAT raw score) to be able to enter the 99 percentile bracket.
| CAT Section | Number of Questions | Time Allotted |
|---|---|---|
| VARC | 24 | 40 minutes |
| DILR | 20 | 40 minutes |
| QA | 22 | 40 minutes |
CAT Score vs Percentile
Here's a table indicating percentile ranges corresponding to sectional and overall raw CAT scores (based on CAT 2023) to help you make a strategy to target the percentile range in CAT 2024.
| CAT Percentile |
VARC Score |
DILR Score |
QA Score |
Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99.5 %ile |
45 |
33 |
48 |
104 |
| 99 %ile |
41 |
29 |
42 |
97 |
| 98 %ile |
37 |
26 |
37 |
86 |
| 95%ile |
32 |
21 |
28 |
72 |
| 90%ile |
27 |
17 |
23 |
59 |
| 85%ile |
23 |
15 |
19 |
52 |
| 80%ile |
21 |
13 |
16 |
44 |
How to Increase Speed and Accuracy in CAT Exam? Key Tips
While preparing for the CAT exam, one must plan and prepare the exam day strategy for best results. Besides the CAT exam day tips provided by the experts and past toppers, an aspirant must focus on the following:
Practice CAT questions: Solve a sample question and time yourself, check accuracy and time taken to solve it. Solve the question again. Check accuracy and time taken again. Time taken to solve a question in the second attempt will be less than the first time. Try, try and try again, until you achieve 100 per cent accuracy in the given time.
Sectional time limit: CAT exam has sectional time-limit for each section. Every section of CAT 2024 exam will be of 40 minutes. The arrangement is such that once 40 minutes are over, the screen will jump to the next section of the exam. Now this can prove to be a big hurdle if you don't have good speed in solving questions accurately. Do not spend too much time on a question. The moment you feel you are getting stuck, leave the question and move to next because there is no option to go back to questions left incomplete.
Categorize questions: Identify questions as easy, medium and difficult. Start with easy ones. If at any point of time you feel stuck or unsure of the question, leave it and move on. Don’t attempt a question even if you have even one percent doubt.
Also Read: Expert Tips on How To Prepare for CAT Exam 2024
No guess work: Some people may advise you to go by the instinct or guess the answer if you can’t solve it. Never do that. Remember there is negative marking for wrong answer; not for no answer.
Speed reading in RC: Do not speed-read the RC passages in CAT. Unlike other MBA entrance exams, CAT RC passages are inference based and it is crucial to understand the passage deeply for hidden meanings and references. Don't do reverse reading either. It will only make you read the passage repeatedly to find the right answer thereby wasting time. Do not do anything that is time consuming or which will make you read the questions again and again.
Also Read: Types of Reading Comprehension Questions in CAT
| Free VARC Questions with Answers for Practice | Free DILR Questions with Answers for Practice | Free Quantitative Aptitude Questions with Answers for Practice |
CAT Scaled Score and Normalization Process
- Since the CAT 2024 exam will be conducted in three sessions, the difficulty level of CAT question paper of all the sessions will vary a bit. To ensure there that is no disparity in comparison of performances, candidates' scores are scaled on a common plane through CAT normalization process.
- CAT follows GATE exam’s formula of normalization process, where the normalization is based on the assumption that distribution of abilities of candidates is the same across all the sessions. It takes into account all the variations in the difficulty levels of the CAT question papers across different sessions.
- The CAT percentile is referred to as the total percentage of candidates who scored less than or equal to a particular candidate. For example, if a candidate’s CAT percentile is 90, it means he/she performed better than 90 per cent of the total candidates in CAT exam that year.
CAT normalisation formula:
CAT normalisation formula
CAT Mock Tests
Take free CAT mock tests below, improve speed and accuracy. Also analyse your strength and weakness by comparing your answers with official key.
| CAT_Mock_Test_1 | CAT_Mock_Test_1_Solutions |
| CAT_Mock_Test_2 | CAT_Mock_Test_2_Solutions |
CAT Preparation Tips
CAT exam is one of the toughest MBA entrance exams and requires months of preparation. Shiksha has a series of CAT preparation articles candidates can refer to improve their performance in the exam. Check some CAT 2024 preparation articles below:
| CAT Preparation 2024 |
|
|---|---|
| CAT Preparation Plan for Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning |
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| CAT Preparation: Your love for reading can get you the desired result |
|
CAT Topper Interviews
Shiksha reached out to previous year's toppers of CAT exam to know their preparation strategy. Check out the interviews of CAT 2023 and 2022 toppers below:
| CAT Toppers |
CAT Topper Interviews |
|---|---|
| Kartik Bhageria CAT 2023, 99.99 percentile |
"I began my CAT preparation around July 2023. Being an engineering student, I did not spend a lot of time learning new concepts in the Quant and DILR sections. I spent most of my time giving mocks to practice and try to increase my attempted questions with better accuracy in each attempt." Read Kartik's full interview |
| Riddhi Dugar CAT 2023, 99.91 percentile |
"My overall strategy was to finish the entire syllabus a few months before the CAT. From July, I focused entirely on taking mock tests and sectional tests to maximise my score and have a strategy for D-Day. I completed around 70 mocks from July until the CAT exam day." Read Riddhi's full interview |
| Rounak Tikmani CAT 2023, 99.90 percentile |
I started my preparation properly in May 2023. My preparation strategy was simple build your foundations by having conceptual clarity in the basics of each section. Then It was just mocks every day. I gave around 110 mocks and made sure I spent enough time analyzing them properly. Taking a mock is not as important as analyzing the mocks and improving on your mistakes. Read Rounak's full interview |
| Nisakar Kumar CAT 2023, 99.83 percentile |
"Quant emerged as my strength, whereas DILR presented a challenge. To address my weakness in DILR, I invested considerable time in understanding the question types and engaged in extensive practice until they became more intuitive. Simultaneously, I dedicated time to revising and practising Quant to maintain a solid grasp. I considered myself decent in VARC." Read Nisakar's full interview |
| Risshi Agrawal CAT 2022, 99.99 percentile |
"Mocks play a crucial role while preparing for CAT. It helps you determine the strategy which suits you the best." Read Risshi’s full interview |
| Parul Arora CAT 2022, 99.93 percentile |
"I started preparing for CAT in April. My preparation strategy for CAT was to clear my basic concepts in all topics and then maximum practice." Read Parul’s full interview |
| Aditya Singh CAT 2022, 99.90 percentile |
"For my first attempt I attended offline coaching classes, post which I only took the online test series. This year I took the test series from two of the most renowned coaching institutes. Coaching really helps a lot." Read Aditya’s full interview |
| Atish Naskar CAT 2022, 99.81 percentile |
"I started my CAT preparation back in January 2022. I set a daily target for all 3 sections that included daily 3-4 RCs daily 3-4 LRDI sets 20-30 QA questions or some QA concept understanding. The last 2-3 Months gave mocks and analyzed them properly." Read Atish’s full interview |
| Tushar Sarkar CAT 2022, 99.80 percentile |
"My serious preparation started in the month of June 2022. My overall strategy had three parts: Diagnosing my problems, guiding policy for improving and actions." Read Tushar’s full interview |
FAQs on CAT Preparation for 99 Percentile
Q: Who is conducting CAT 2024 exam?
A: CAT 2024 conducting institute is IIM Calcutta. The exam will be conducted on November 24 in three shifts at various exam centres in computer based test mode. IIM Calcutta is conducting the CAT after a gap of six years
Q: Will there be any change in CAT exam pattern this year?
A: No change is expected CAT exam pattern. The test will be of 2 hours. Total number of questions will be 66 divided between VARC, DILR and Quantitative Aptitude. The VARC section will have 24 question, DILR will have 20 questions and Quantitative Aptitude will have 22 questions.
Every question will carry 3 marks and there will be negative marking of -1. The sectional time limit is 40 minutes per section.
Q: Is it easy to score 99 percentile in CAT?
A: It is not easy to score 99 percentile in CAT. One has to dedicate at least six months to prepare for the exam. The key to scoring 99 percentile is rigorous CAT mock test practice, because this exam is a game of speed and accuracy. Dedication, discipline and hard work are required to crack CAT exam with high percentile. So, prepare for it like your life depends on it.
Q: Is it easy to score well in Quants but tough to score well in VARC?
A: CAT is a tough exam. All the three sections of CAT are usually of high difficulty level. However, many candidates find QA questions easier to solve as they are formula and calculation based, whereas VARC has RC passages which are inference based and related parajumble questions could be confusing.
Q: Which section of CAT usually has tricky questions?
A: In CAT, one or two Reading Comprehension or Logical Reasoning questions are usually tricky. In case, you find a question tricky and time taking, skip the question to avoid negative marking.
Q: How many questions should I attempt to score 99 percentile?
A: To score 99 percentile candidates must attempt the following number of questions:
- VARC: 18 questions
- DILR: 13 questions
- QA: 17 questions
Q: What is the sequence of CAT question paper? Can I choose the order of sections for solving question?
A: The sequence of CAT question paper is - Section 1: VARC, Section 2: DILR and Section 3: Quantitative Aptitude. Candidates have to solve the question paper in the same sequence. They cannot switch from one section to another.
Q: What is the sectional break-up of CAT question paper?
A: VARC sections has 24 questions, QA has 22 questions and DILR section has 20 questions. Each question carries three marks for correct answer and negative marking of minus one for wrong answer.
Q: How much time is allotted for each section of CAT?
A: Till 2019, each section of CAT was allotted sixty minutes but in 2020, the exam pattern was revised. Now, candidates get 40 minutes to solve each section of CAT. The PwD category candidates get 53 minutes for each section.
Q: Is the CAT question paper of slot 1 different from slot 2 and slot 3?
A: The CAT question paper is common for all three slots in terms of structure, marking scheme and types of questions. However, the questions are unique to each slot of the exam. The difficulty level also varies marginally.
Q: How many mock tests should I practice to score 99 percentile?
A: Past years’ CAT toppers and experts suggest that one should practice at least 30-35 full length mock tests to score 99 percentile. Candidates should start practicing CAT mock tests in the last two-three months of the exam.
Q: What is the best way to tackle DILR questions?
A: Since there are no formulae to solve DILR questions, the best option you have to ace it is by practicing a variety of sample questions. Solve each question at least thrice to gain complete control over all the possible puzzles, series and patterns.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
GIBS Bangalore offers a PGDM program, often considered equivalent to an MBA. It's designed to be industry-focused, with an emphasis on practical learning and entrepreneurial skills. The curriculum includes case studies, industry projects, and a focus on developing soft skills alongside core manageme
G
Contributor-Level 9
Answered Yesterday
LEAD college og management ofers admissions based on entrance and merit. The institute offers courses such as MBA AND MCA for duration 2 year full timemode.
Candidates must have minimum marks of 50% in graduation from a recognised university or college. Apart from this, candidates must obtained vali
A
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 2 days ago
Hi Sanjana,
MDI Gurgaon primarily accepts CAT scores for admission to its PGDM programs. For Indian students, a valid CAT score is required. However, for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Foreign Nationals, and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), a GMAT score is accepted.
The last date to apply for the PGDM,
A
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 2 days ago
Dear Sayandip,
Achieving a 60 percentile in the CAT exam may not meet the typical cutoff requirements for admission to the KIIT School of Management (KSOM). Based on available information, KSOM generally considers candidates with higher CAT percentiles for admission.
Typical Cutoff Percentiles for KS
A
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 2 days ago
Yes, Mangalmay Institute of Management and Technology accepts the CAT exam for admission to MBA and MBA+. Further, the college accepts other entrance exam for admission to MBA, such as MAT, XAT, CAT, CMAT Additionally, the college has some basic eligibility criteria that differ from course to course
D
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 2 days ago
No, CAT score is not required to secure MBA admission at The Neotia University. The university provides merit-based admissions to eligible applicants. Candidates who fulfil the course-specific eligibility criteria can visit the university's official website to apply. They must upload all the require
H
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
Manipal University offers admission to several MBA courses via its affiliated college called TAPMI Manipal. The institute accepts several national-level entrance exams, such as CAT/ XAT/ CMAT, and NMAT, for admission to the MBA/PGDM courses. During the TAPMI Manipal MBA cutoff 2023, the CAT cutoff p
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
Yes, freshers can apply for the MBA program at the National Institute of Financial Management (NIFM). For admission, NIFM considers scores from various entrance exams, including CAT, CMAT, XAT, MAT, and GMAT.
With a CAT percentile of 76.41, you have a good chance of securing admission at NIFM, as th
A
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 6 days ago
Yes, Mody University of Science and Technology accepts the CAT exam for admission to MBA. Further, university also accepts various other entrance exam for admission, such as XAT/NMAT/CMAT/MAT/ATMA/GMAT. Additionally, the university has some basic eligibility criteria that differ from course to cours
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 6 days ago
With 85 percentile in CAT, it is quite difficult to get MBA at IIT Bombay among General AI category. IIT Bombay offers admission to MBA course on the basis of CAT scores. The IIT Bombay CAT Cutoff 2024 is yet to be released for MBA admissions. However, the cutoff percentile in past few years to get
S
Contributor-Level 9
Mba? And is CAT is mandatory and I know about fee and when admission is going?