/ Reference
CAT score vs percentile,
for 2026.
The marks that earn each percentile, overall and by section, built from the normalised results of recent years. Read the table, then estimate your own score in the CAT percentile predictor.
The short answer
In recent years, about 85 marks out of 204 has earned the 99th percentile, about 62 the 95th, and about 52 the 90th. By section, the 99th percentile has taken roughly 40 in VARC, 28 in DILR and 30 in QA. These drift a little each year with slot normalisation.
Overall CAT score to percentile
This is the whole-paper mapping. Notice how tight the top is. Near the 99th percentile a handful of extra correct questions moves you more than the same effort lower down, because that is where everyone is bunched.
| Percentile | Approx. score | What it opens |
|---|---|---|
| 99.5 | 96 | Old IIM A, B and C shortlist territory |
| 99 | 85 | The classic top-IIM threshold |
| 98 | 73 | New IIMs and strong non-IIM calls |
| 95 | 62 | A good spread of MBA colleges in range |
| 90 | 52 | A solid score, many calls open up |
| 85 | 46 | Respectable, worth fixing one weak section |
| 80 | 40 | A real base to build on |
Sectional score to percentile
Your overall percentile is not the only number that matters. Most IIMs also set a sectional percentile bar, so a lopsided score can hold you back even with a good total. Here is the recent-year mapping for each section. The pattern is worth reading. VARC takes the most raw marks for a given percentile, DILR the fewest, because DILR usually runs the toughest and VARC the most scoring.
VARC
about 24 questions, out of ~72
| %ile | Marks |
|---|---|
| 99 | 40 |
| 95 | 30 |
| 90 | 24 |
| 85 | 20 |
| 80 | 18 |
DILR
about 22 questions, out of ~66
| %ile | Marks |
|---|---|
| 99 | 28 |
| 95 | 20 |
| 90 | 16 |
| 85 | 13 |
| 80 | 11 |
QA
about 22 questions, out of ~66
| %ile | Marks |
|---|---|
| 99 | 30 |
| 95 | 22 |
| 90 | 17 |
| 85 | 14 |
| 80 | 12 |
How to read this table
These figures are estimated from the normalised results of 2023 to 2025. They are well grounded, but they are not an official table, and no such table exists before results are declared. Two things are worth understanding before you aim by them.
First, the score for a given percentile moves every year with difficulty. In 2023 the paper was tough, so around 76 marks reached the 99th percentile. In 2024 it was easier, and the same percentile took closer to 90. That swing is normal, and it is the reason CAT normalises raw marks into a scaled score in the first place. Sectional figures move even more than the overall, so read the sectional table as rough direction and expect the exact numbers to move.
Second, percentile is a rank, not a pass mark. You are being placed against everyone else who sat the exam, which is why nobody can promise you an exact number in advance, and why the cheapest gains sit at the margin. The questions you got wrong for avoidable reasons, and the section you have been quietly avoiding, are worth more percentile than another pass over what you already know.
A table tells you where a score lands. It cannot tell you whether you are getting better. For that you watch your own mastery move, topic by topic, week over week.
Common questions
What CAT score gives 99 percentile in 2026?
Roughly 85 marks out of about 204 has mapped to the 99th percentile in recent years. By section that is about 40 in VARC, 28 in DILR and 30 in QA. The exact figure shifts each year with slot normalisation, so treat it as a close estimate, not a fixed target.
What marks do you need for 95 and 90 percentile?
About 62 marks has earned the 95th percentile and about 52 the 90th in recent years. Sectionally, 95 is near 30 VARC, 20 DILR, 22 QA, and 90 is near 24 VARC, 16 DILR, 17 QA.
Why do sections need different marks for the same percentile?
Because they are not equally hard. VARC has been the more scoring section lately, so it takes more raw marks to stand out. DILR usually runs toughest, so fewer marks reach the same percentile. Your percentile is a rank against everyone who sat that section, not a fixed pass mark.
Does the CAT score for a given percentile change every year?
Yes, and by a lot. In 2023 around 76 marks was enough for the 99th percentile because the paper was tough. In 2024 the paper was easier, so it took roughly 90 marks. That is exactly why the score is normalised and why nobody can promise an exact number in advance.
How is a CAT raw score turned into a percentile?
CAT runs in three slots on the same day, and no two slots are equally hard. Raw marks are normalised into a scaled score to make slots comparable, and your percentile is your rank against every test-taker. So the same raw score can land at slightly different percentiles across years and slots.
Is 85 marks enough to get into the IIMs?
It puts you at roughly the 99th percentile, which clears the shortlist bar at most IIMs. Calls also depend on sectional percentiles, your academic record and work experience, and the final admission weighs all of them. A balanced score across sections converts better than a lopsided one.