What is a good CAT Score? How to achieve it in CAT Exam 2022

What is a good CAT Score? How to achieve it? Are you planning to take CAT exam 2022 to be held on November 27? You must know what is a good CAT score to get admission to a top B-School and how to achieve it? Also what it takes to get a good score in the CAT 2022. All your queries will be best answered here. Apart from 20 IIMs, all top B-schools accept CAT percentile to shortlist candidates for the next level of the selection process. The CAT exam is a top MBA entrance exam, and the competition is tough. All institutions accepting CAT scores release their individual cutoff list for 2022. In order to get admission in one of the leading B-schools, candidates must bag a good CAT score to clear the cutoff and also a good sectional percentile.
Candidates planning to appear for CAT 2022 are advised to attempt questions from all sections judiciously so they get also a good sectional percentile. A large number of students appear for CAT every year. In 2021, around 1.92 lakh students appeared for this MBA entrance test out of 2.30 lakhs eligible candidates who registered for the exam. In this article, we will be discussing what is a good CAT score and tips and strategies for how to achieve a good score in CAT.
It is important to understand that CAT being the top entrance exam is difficult to crack. A lot of hard work, consistency, right strategy to prepare are among what it takes to crack the CAT with an excellent score. However, those aspirants who do not get to clear the test can try their fate at other prestigious management entrance examinations conducted for admission to the top B-school in India.
What is a good CAT score?
The good CAT score will differ from institute to institute as each B-school has a different cut to shortlist candidates for selection rounds. Take for example IIMs, to get admission, a student should get a minimum 95 percentile compared to other B-schools like IIFT, IITs, FMS Delhi, SPJIMR that accept CAT scores below 95 percentile.
On the other hand, third-tier B-schools may accept candidates with a bit low good CAT scores in comparison to IIMs. Take a look at the breakdown of CAT percentile in the table below:
Overall CAT score | Minimum score in VARC | Minimum score in DI LR | Minimum score in QA | Overall percentile |
201 | 81 | 57 | 85 | 99.9 |
180 | 79 | 54 | 84 | 99 |
140 | 50 | 41 | 58 | 95 |
110-120 | 47 | 32 | 51 | 90 |
94-107 | 35 | 27 | 44 | 85 |
91 | 33 | 21 | 36 | 80 |
Quick Links:
- CAT 2022 Cutoff by TIME
- CAT 2022 Cutoff by IMS Learning
Good CAT score for all tier B-Schools
The good CAT score required to qualify for admission will vary from one institute to another. The B-schools accepting CAT scores can be divided into three tiers which are mentioned in the table below:
Tier wise CAT scores for B-schools
Tier | Minimum CAT score | Minimum Sectional Score |
Top tier | 200 | 80-85 |
Middle tier | 120 | 40-50 |
Low tier | 100 | 30-40 |
For candidates who do not get to qualify for any of the tiers above, B-schools accepting low CAT score is a good option to choose. Or They can also appear for other national level entrance exams like CMAT, XAT, SNAP, etc. which are reputed and accepted by many of the top B-schools.
Top MBA Entrance Exams
CAT 2022 | XAT 2023 | MAT 2022 |
CMAT 2023 | IIFT 2023 | SNAP 2022 |
TISSNET MBA 2023 | IBSAT 2022 | NMAT 2022 |
CAT 2022 Cutoff
Once the CAT 2022 result will be declared, B-schools accepting CAT score and IIMs will release their respective cutoff on the basis of CAT score. Candidates meeting the minimum cutoff criteria for the B-school will be shortlisted for the selection rounds as per the institutes they will apply for. The good CAT score to clear the CAT 2022 cutoff will be determined on various factors such as:
The difficulty level of the question paper
Number of test-takers
Seat availability
Reputation of Institute
Past year cutoff trends
Quick Links;
- CAT Participating Institutes 2022
- How Many Questions to Attempt in CAT 2022 to Get 99 Percentile
How to achieve a good CAT score?
To achieve a good CAT score one has to draw a study timetable and strategy to ace the examination. Some of the proven tips for CAT preparation include:
Time management
Time is key to succeeding in an exam like CAT, and time management, therefore, becomes an important for candidates looking to achieve a good score in CAT 2022. When you start preparing for the CAT 2022, you must have a proper time table wherein each section gets enough time to be covered completely. Candidates must know that the sectional time limit will be imposed. For each section students will be given 60 minutes, speed matters a lot while solving questions particularly from sections like QA and DI which are more time-consuming.
A timetable also helps candidates know which topic or section to prioritise first and modify their timetable as they assess their performance by giving mock tests or solving test papers.
Know CAT 2022 sectional time limit and number of questions
Section | Total Number of Questions | Duration for all Category | Duration for PwD Category |
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 26 Questions | 40 Minutes | 53 Minutes and 20 Seconds |
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 24 Questions | 40 Minutes | 53 Minutes and 20 Seconds |
Quantitative Ability (QA) | 26 Questions | 40 Minutes | 53 Minutes and 20 Seconds |
Total | 76 Questions | 120 Minutes | 159 Minutes and 60 Seconds |
Take frequent mock tests
To know how to manage their stress level and time during D-day, students must give the mock test of CAT 2022. Solving the CAT sample papers will help candidates to become familiar with the exam environment and most importantly can know the detailed exam pattern of CAT 2022. Also, mock tests will help students to become familiar with the strengths and weaknesses which will help to gauge the preparation level and achieve a good CAT score.
Appear for test series
Prior to taking any entrance test, it is important for students to appear for test series which act as stepping stones to success. With the advancement in technology, students can now appear for online test series with the help of e-learning websites that determine their score and preparation level. Giving such tests help understand the weak and strong areas and prepare further accordingly so students can achieve a good CAT score in order to get admission at one of the top B-schools.
Students can avail themselves of the opportunity of having web chatting sessions and taking help from experts for the test series designed by them. They give you assistance and tips to prepare for CAT 2022.
Know your strengths and weaknesses
By solving the CAT 2022 mock tests students must know their weaknesses and strengths in order to execute the strategy for preparation. This practice will inculcate strategic planning, positivity, lots of practice, self-guidance, and hard work. Students must know that there are no shortcuts to success. Once has to pay for it. One must work hard towards its weaknesses sincerely to ace this most coveted management entrance exam.
Maintain you cool
While preparing to get a good score in CAT 2022, it is important to keep your level of enthusiasm and positivity high to confront any kind of challenge or difficulty. While writing the exam, students must not only check their accuracy but also the level of anxiety. It is crucial to know how you can manage the stress level while solving the questions. Remember when you are writing an exam like CAT 2022, it is not completely about the number of questions you attempt but the quality and accuracy in order to get a good score.
Top Colleges in India offering MBA
Great Lakes Chennai | Great Lakes Gurgaon |
ICFAI Dehradun | IMT Ghaziabad |
UPES Dehradun | LPU Jalandhar |
SRM University Chennai | GD Goenka University, Gurgaon |
Chandigarh University | BML Munjal University, Gurgaon |
Manipal University (MAHE) | Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida |
IPE Hyderabad | IFIM Business School |