CAT Result Trends (2017-2025): How Scores Have Changed Over the Years

CAT Result Trends (2017-2025): The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a percentile-based examination, where a candidate’s performance is evaluated relative to the entire test-taking population. Over the years, CAT results have shown noticeable variation in terms of raw scores required to achieve key percentiles. These variations are driven by changes in exam pattern, difficulty level, number of questions, and slot-wise normalization.

In this blog, we analyse CAT result trends from 2017 to 2025 using post-exam analyses, score-percentile data, and observed patterns from previous CAT examinations.

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CAT Past Year Result Trends: Result Declaration Timeline (2017-2024)

Before analysing score and percentile trends, it is useful to look at when CAT results were officially declared in previous years. Historically, while CAT is conducted in late November, the result declaration has followed a fairly consistent timeline with minor year-to-year variations.

CAT Result Declaration Dates (Past Years)

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Understanding CAT Results: Marks vs Percentile

CAT does not follow a fixed score benchmark. Instead, a candidate’s performance is evaluated on a relative scale. 

• Raw scores depend on factors such as the difficulty level of the paper, number of questions, and marking scheme in a particular year.
• Percentiles indicate a candidate’s relative standing among all test-takers and show how many candidates have been outperformed. 
• Since CAT is conducted in multiple slots, slot-wise normalization is applied to ensure fairness across different exam sessions.

As a result, the same raw score can translate into different percentiles across years, making percentiles a more reliable measure of performance than marks alone.

Also Check: CAT Raw Score vs Scaled Score | CAT Normalization Process

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CAT Exam Pattern Changes (2017-2025)

To correctly interpret score trends, it is important to first understand how the CAT exam pattern has evolved.

Insight: Since the total marks and number of questions have changed over the years, raw scores from different CAT years are not directly comparable. Percentiles provide a more consistent benchmark.

Also Check: CAT Exam Pattern 2026

CAT Score vs Percentile Trends (2017-2025)

Based on post-CAT analyses, the table below highlights approximate overall raw scores required for key percentiles over the years.

Overall CAT Result Trend

*CAT 2025 reported as moderate tough compared to CAT 2024, CAT 2025 scores are indicative ranges based on post-exam analyses and normalization trends. 

Also Read: CAT Score vs Percentile

Year-wise Analysis of CAT Result Trends

CAT 2017-2019: Pre-Pandemic Pattern

• Longer exam with more questions: From 2017 to 2019, the exam duration was 180 minutes (3 hours) with a total of 100 questions. This is in contrast to the post-2020 pattern, which has a 120-minute duration and fewer questions (around 66-68).
• Higher raw scores required for top percentiles: With a total of 300 marks possible (compared to 198-204 marks in later years), the raw scores needed for high percentiles were indeed higher during this period.
• Speed and accuracy both played a crucial role: The longer exam duration and higher number of questions meant that candidates needed strong stamina, speed, and accuracy to manage the entire paper effectively.
• Percentile gaps were wider at the top: Percentile gaps at the top were relatively wider compared to the post-2020 format, as the higher number of questions allowed greater score differentiation.

CAT 2020: Transition Year

• First CAT conducted in a 2-hour format: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the exam duration was reduced from 3 hours (180 minutes) to 2 hours (120 minutes), a format that has largely continued since.
• Reduced number of questions led to lower raw score benchmarks: The total number of questions was reduced from 100 to 76 (with total marks reduced from 300 to 228). Consequently, the raw scores required to achieve top percentiles dropped significantly compared to previous years.
• Tighter competition at higher percentiles: The compressed score range led to intense competition at higher percentiles, where small differences in raw scores resulted in noticeable percentile shifts.

CAT 2021-2022: Pattern Stabilisation

• Exam structure stabilised at 66 questions: In 2021, the total number of questions was reduced from 76 (in 2020) to 66 (24-VARC, 20-DILR, 22-QA), and this pattern was maintained for the CAT 2022 exam. The total marks were 198.
• Raw score required for 99 percentile ranged between mid-80s to high-90s: In 2021, the score for 99 percentile was around 98 marks. In 2022, which was a slightly tougher year, it was around 84 marks. This fits the range you specified.
• Balanced performance across sections became increasingly important: With fewer questions overall and a fixed sectional time limit of 40 minutes per section, having a balanced strategy and meeting sectional cutoffs became crucial for top percentiles. Consistently good performance across all three sections was key to success.

CAT 2023: Higher Difficulty Level

• One of the tougher CAT papers in recent years: CAT 2023 was widely perceived as tougher compared to recent years, particularly in certain sections and slots. 
• Lower raw scores fetched higher percentiles: Because the paper was tougher, a lower raw score was needed to achieve a high percentile. For instance, an overall score of around 76-77 marks secured a 99 percentile in CAT 2023, whereas in the slightly less difficult CAT 2022, approximately 84 marks were needed for the same percentile.
• Score compression observed at the top percentiles: Due to the high difficulty, the scores were compressed at the top end. Small differences in raw scores (even a few marks) could lead to significant variations in percentile rank, making the competition very tight among top-performing candidates.

CAT 2024-2025: Normalisation Impact

• Noticeable slot-wise difficulty variation: Both CAT 2024 and CAT 2025 showed noticeable slot-wise variations in difficulty, particularly in the DILR and QA sections. 
• Higher raw scores compared to 2023: As compared to CAT 2023, higher raw scores were required to achieve similar percentiles in CAT 2024 and CAT 2025.
• Percentile outcomes heavily influenced by normalization: Due to the slot-wise variations in difficulty, the normalization process played a critical role in ensuring fairness across all candidates. Normalization adjusts raw scores to account for differences, meaning a raw score in a tougher slot might be scaled up, while the same raw score in an easier slot might be scaled down to determine the final percentile.

How Aspirants Should Use Past CAT Result Trends

• Understand that CAT score is primarily a shortlisting criterion. Past admission trends show that CAT percentiles are used mainly to shortlist candidates, while final selection depends on second-stage components.
• A lower-than-expected CAT result does not end admission chances. Many candidates convert IIM and other top B-school calls each year by performing well in the Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) despite having moderate CAT scores.
• Second-stage performance plays a decisive role in final selection. Trends indicate that institutes give significant weightage to PI, WAT, academic profile, and work experience while preparing final merit lists.
• Focus on percentile targets rather than fixed raw scores, as CAT is a relative exam and score benchmarks change every year.
• Prepare for varying difficulty levels, since the overall toughness of the paper and slot-wise differences can significantly impact results.
• Aim for balanced sectional performance, as clearing sectional cut-offs is essential along with achieving a high overall percentile.
• Use past CAT result trends as reference points, not absolute targets, to set realistic preparation and performance expectations.

Conclusion

The analysis of CAT result trends from 2017 to 2025 clearly shows that CAT is a dynamic and competitive examination. Changes in exam structure, difficulty levels, and normalization processes have led to significant variation in raw score benchmarks over the years. However, percentiles continue to remain the most reliable indicator of performance.

For aspirants, understanding these trends helps in setting realistic expectations and approaching CAT preparation with a data-driven strategy.

Read More: CAT Result Live Update

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Do CAT scores remain the same every year for a given percentile?
A: No. CAT scores required for a particular percentile change every year depending on factors such as exam difficulty, number of questions, and overall candidate performance.

Q: Why is percentile considered more important than raw marks in CAT?
A: CAT is a percentile-based exam where performance is measured relative to other test-takers. Percentiles provide a more accurate assessment than raw scores.

Q: Can past CAT result trends predict future score cut-offs?
A:  Past trends help in understanding score patterns and performance expectations, but they cannot predict exact cut-offs, as CAT difficulty varies each year.

Q: How does normalization affect CAT results?
A: Normalization adjusts raw scores across different exam slots to account for variations in difficulty, ensuring fairness in percentile calculation.