Your mock result says 62 marks and 95 percentile. Your friend in another mock series scored 70 and got 93 percentile. The numbers stop making sense around this point, and you start wondering what a "good score" even means.
A CAT percentile only tells you how many test-takers scored below you. The marks that earn a given percentile move every year and even between the three slots on the same day. So instead of hunting for one magic number, you need a range for each percentile and a mock target that keeps you safely above it. The tables below give you both.
Quick answer: In CAT 2025, about 83 to 91 raw marks out of 204 got you the 99th percentile, depending on the slot. Around 65 to 70 marks gave about 95 percentile, and about 51 to 53 marks gave 90 percentile. These are institute estimates. Aim for 95+ marks in mocks if you want a safe 99.
CAT 2025 score vs percentile, slot by slot
CAT runs in three slots, and each slot has a different paper. A tougher slot needs fewer marks for the same percentile. That's why the table shows three columns.
| Percentile | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 99 | 90 to 91 | 83 to 85 | 87 to 88 |
| 98 | 81 | 75 | 77 |
| 95 | 70 | 65 | 66 |
| 90 | 53 | 51 | 52 |
| 85 | 45 | 41 | 43 |
| 80 | 40 | 37 | 37 |
Raw marks before normalisation. The 99th percentile row combines two estimates: Crack CAT in 60 Days (90, 83, 87) and IMS India's CAT 2025 analysis (91, 85, 88). Other rows from the playbook's compiled data.
Slot 2 was a little tougher, so its numbers sit lower. Notice that no slot is "lucky". A student in Slot 2 with 84 marks and a student in Slot 1 with 90 marks ended up close to each other.
Raw score, scaled score and percentile: what each one means
You will see three different numbers on CAT result day. Mixing them up causes most of the confusion online.
- Raw score. Your marks from the answer key: 3 for each correct answer, minus 1 for each wrong MCQ. Wrong TITA answers cost nothing.
- Scaled score. The IIMs adjust raw scores across the three slots so that a harder paper doesn't punish you. This adjusted number is your scaled score.
- Percentile. Your rank against every other candidate, built from the scaled scores. 99 percentile means 99 percent of test-takers scored below you.
For CAT 2025, institutes compiled the scaled score at each percentile. A scaled score of about 85 matched 99 percentile, about 62 matched 95, and about 52 matched 90 (Cracku's CAT 2025 table). So raw and scaled scores land in a similar range, but they are not the same number.
To work out your raw score from a mock or the official answer key, use this formula:
Raw score = (3 × correct answers) − (wrong MCQ answers)
How many questions do you need to solve for 99 percentile?
Percentiles feel abstract. Correct answers feel real. The table converts one into the other, assuming all your wrong answers are MCQs.
| Attempts | Right | Wrong | Score | Rough percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 32 | 4 | 92 | 99+ |
| 32 | 29 | 3 | 84 | 98 to 99 |
| 28 | 25 | 3 | 72 | About 96 |
| 22 | 19 | 3 | 54 | About 90 |
| 18 | 15 | 3 | 42 | About 85 |
Source: Crack CAT in 60 Days, based on CAT 2025 data.
Look at the third row. Twenty-eight attempts with three mistakes puts you near 96 percentile. That is 28 out of 68 questions. You can leave 40 questions untouched and still clear most IIM cutoffs. Accuracy beats volume in CAT, and this table is the proof.
Section-wise marks for 99 percentile
CAT gives you a percentile in each section too, and most IIMs set a minimum for each one. A 99 overall with a weak DILR percentile can still cost you a call.
| Section | CAT 2024 (99%ile) | CAT 2025 (99%ile) |
|---|---|---|
| VARC | About 40 | About 39 to 42 |
| DILR | About 38 | About 27 to 34 |
| QA | About 33 | About 28 to 33 |
| Overall | About 95 | About 83 to 91 |
Sources: Careers360 (2024), IMS India and Crack CAT in 60 Days (2025). Raw marks, estimates.
DILR dropped sharply in 2025 because the sets were harder. The lesson for you: the marks for a given percentile change with the paper, so build a margin into your mock targets.
One way to reach 99 percentile in each section, based on CAT 2025:
| Section | Right | Wrong | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| VARC | 15 | 2 | 43 |
| DILR | 11 | 1 | 32 |
| QA | 11 | 2 | 31 |
That is 37 correct answers across 68 questions.
What percentile do you need for which colleges?
Calls depend on your academics, work experience, category and gender as well as your CAT percentile, so treat these bands as a rough map for a general-category candidate with an average profile.
| Percentile band | Colleges where calls are realistic |
|---|---|
| 99+ | IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta · FMS Delhi · JBIMS (all-India seats) |
| 97 to 99 | IIM Lucknow, Kozhikode, Indore, Mumbai · MDI · IIFT · SJMSOM IIT Bombay |
| 94 to 97 | IIM Shillong, Udaipur, Trichy, Raipur, Ranchi · SPJIMR |
| 90 to 94 | IIM Rohtak, Kashipur, Nagpur, Visakhapatnam · IMT · MICA |
| 85 to 90 | IIM Jammu, Sirmaur, Sambalpur, Amritsar · TAPMI · GIM |
| 80 to 85 | BIMTECH · LIBA · IMI Kolkata · K J Somaiya |
Source: Crack CAT in 60 Days. Each college changes its criteria every year, so read its admission policy PDF before you decide where to apply.
Most IIMs also expect roughly 70 to 85 percentile in each section. If one section is weak, a high overall percentile may not be enough.
What mock score should you target?
Mock series are usually tougher than CAT, and their percentiles come from a smaller, more serious group of students. So you can't copy a CAT 99 score into a mock and call it your target.
A simple approach that works:
- Track your raw marks, not your mock percentile. Percentiles in mocks shift with the series.
- Aim for 95+ raw marks in the last ten mocks if you want a safe 99. Aim for 75+ for a safe 95.
- Set a sectional floor. No section should fall below about 22 to 25 marks in your last five mocks.
- Watch the trend. Average your last five mocks. One great or terrible mock means very little.
The CAT mock test strategy guide shows how to analyse each mock so the trend keeps moving up.
Does the score for 99 percentile change every year?
Yes. When the paper is tougher, everyone scores less, and fewer marks earn the same percentile. CAT 2024 needed about 95 marks for a 99. CAT 2025 needed about 83 to 91. For CAT 2026, a reasonable estimate is 85 to 95 marks for 99 percentile, but nobody knows until the paper is out.
| Percentile | Expected CAT 2026 range |
|---|---|
| 99 | 85 to 95 |
| 98 | 76 to 84 |
| 95 | 64 to 72 |
| 90 | 50 to 57 |
| 85 | 41 to 47 |
| 80 | 36 to 42 |
Source: Crack CAT in 60 Days, projected from the last two years. Treat these as planning numbers, not predictions.
Frequently asked questions
How many marks are needed for 99 percentile in CAT?
In CAT 2025, about 83 to 91 raw marks out of 204 earned the 99th percentile, depending on the slot. In CAT 2024 the figure was about 95. The number changes every year with paper difficulty, so aim higher in mocks.
Is 70 marks a good score in CAT?
Yes. In CAT 2025, around 65 to 70 raw marks put you near the 95th percentile, which brings calls from many IIMs and other top colleges. Your final calls still depend on sectional percentiles and your profile.
Does CAT normalise scores across slots?
Yes. The IIMs convert raw marks from each slot into scaled scores, so students in a harder slot are not at a disadvantage. Percentiles are then calculated on the scaled scores of all candidates together.
Do wrong TITA answers have negative marking in CAT?
No. Only wrong MCQ answers lose 1 mark. A wrong TITA answer scores zero, so attempt a TITA question whenever you have a reasonable answer.
What is a safe sectional percentile for IIM calls?
Most IIMs set sectional minimums somewhere between about 70 and 85 percentile. The exact cutoffs vary by IIM and category. Check each IIM's admission policy for the current year.
Sources
- Marking scheme and pattern: iimcat.ac.in (official)
- CAT 2025 slot-wise and sectional estimates: IMS India CAT 2025 score vs percentile analysis; Careers360; Cracku CAT 2025 scaled score table
- CAT 2024 sectional estimates: Careers360
- Attempt tables, college bands and CAT 2026 projections: Crack CAT in 60 Days by The 99 Percentiler
Related reading: How to prepare for CAT in 60 days · CAT DILR set selection · CAT vs XAT · Free MBA exam calendar 2026–27 · How to crack 99+ percentile in CAT
The CAT playbook has the full percentile tables, the college shortlisting weights and a mock tracker you can print.
