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Updated on 15th July, 2024 , 4 min read
In order to secure admission to a prestigious MBA program, it is crucial to achieve a favorable CMAT score. Certain institutions use CMAT scores as their admission cutoff criteria, while others employ CMAT percentiles. This article offers a comprehensive examination of the CMAT score versus percentile, helping you determine the score needed to attain your desired percentile in the CMAT examination.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) administers the CMAT examination, and its results are presented in three key formats: the total score, percentile score, and all India ranks. The CMAT score is determined by summing up the marks obtained by a candidate in each section of the CMAT question paper. In each section, candidates receive separate marks, which are then aggregated to compute the CMAT Total Score, with a maximum possible score of 400. To compute the CMAT exam score, candidates can adhere to the following guidelines:
The CMAT score is determined by assessing candidates' performance on each question. Here is the marking scheme for CMAT 2024:
CMAT sections | Number of questions | Marks allotted |
Quantitative Technique and Data Interpretation | 20 | 80 |
Logical Reasoning | 20 | 80 |
Language Comprehension | 20 | 80 |
General Awareness | 20 | 80 |
Innovation & Entrepreneurship | 20 | 80 |
Based on previous years' CMAT results, the list of expected percentiles for a specific range of scores obtained by candidates is provided below. This table will help candidates understand the relationship between CMAT percentile and score.
Following score normalization, the expected CMAT score range and percentile are shown below.
CMAT Score Range out of 400 Maximum Marks | CMAT Percentile Range after score normalization for both the shifts |
345-350 | 100 |
281-340 | 90-99.99 |
201-280 | 81-89 |
171-200 | 71-80 |
141-170 | 61-70 |
116-140 | 51-60 |
Below 116 | Below 51 |
Since the percentile and score data has not yet been made available, provided below is an analysis of CMAT rank compared to marks from the previous year for your reference:
CMAT Ranks | Range of CMAT Score |
1 to 100 | 350-318 |
100 to 1000 | 317-278 |
1001 to 5000 | 277-240 |
5000 and above | 239 and below |
A sample CMAT Score 2024 calculation is provided below:
Candidate | Questions Answered | Correct Answers | Wrong Answers | Marks for Correct Answers | Marks for Wrong Answers | CMAT Score |
AA | 100 | 75 | 25 | 75*4= 300 | 25*1= 25 | 300-25= 275 |
BB | 88 | 80 | 8 | 80*4= 320 | 8*1= 8 | 320-8= 312 |
This method can be used by any candidate to calculate his or her score. The candidate's sectional and overall score are listed on the CMAT 2024 Scorecard, which can be downloaded from the official website.
Read CMAT Accepting Colleges to know the participating colleges.
In the context of CMAT, the term "percentile" refers to a comparative score that indicates the percentage of candidates who have achieved a lower score than a specific candidate. In simpler terms, it is a method for classifying candidates based on their performance, revealing their position within the merit list.
The CMAT rank is determined by the candidate's overall score. However, there is a possibility that more than one candidate receives the same marks; in that case, the rank is assigned based on the following criteria:
In the event of a tie, the sectional scores are ranked in the order of preference.
Sections are prioritized in the following order:
Check out the table below to learn how to convert your CMAT raw score to a percentile. The table contains CMAT 2020 scores from 63,297 candidates who took the exam.
CMAT Total Marks | CMAT Score | CMAT Percentile |
400 | 347 | 100.00 |
400 | 342 | 99.9984201 |
400 | 340 | 99.9968403 |
400 | 338 | 99.9936806 |
400 | 335 | 99.9905209 |
400 | 330 | 99.9873612 |
400 | 329 | 99.9857813 |
400 | 328 | 99.9842015 |
400 | 327 | 99.9826216 |
400 | 325 | 99.9778820 |
400 | 324 | 99.9747223 |
400 | 323 | 99.9731425 |
400 | 322 | 99.9715626 |
400 | 321 | 99.9652432 |
400 | 319 | 99.9620835 |
The CMAT score is valid for one year. For example, a CMAT 2024score is only valid for admission to the academic sessions 2024-25. If you take the exam in a given academic year but do not receive admission, you must retake the CMAT in the following academic session.
A candidate should aim for 300+ marks in order to score 99+ percent on the CMAT.
No, a student's percentile is determined by their rank in comparison to other students. As a result, there is no fixed CMAT score that guarantees a specific percentile in CMAT.
According to a previous year CMAT score vs percentile analysis, you need to score above 320 to get a 99+ percentile in the CMAT exam.
The candidate will receive a -1 for each incorrect answer as defined by NTA. So, if you attempted 80 questions and 5 of them were incorrect, your score would be 75x4 - (5x1), or 295.
CMAT score is calculated as per the marking scheme – For each correct answer, four points are awarded. For each incorrect answer, one mark is deducted.
The CMAT score is valid for one year. The CMAT 2024 score is only valid for MBA admission in the academic year 2024-25. If you are unable to gain admission this year, you will be required to retake the CMAT exam in the following years.