CAT 2026 is out of 204 marks: 68 questions with 3 marks each. VARC carries 72 marks, while DILR and QA carry 66 marks each.
Your raw score is converted to a scaled score and then to a percentile, which is what IIMs and other B-schools use for shortlisting.
Section-wise marks
Marking scheme
| Question type | Correct | Wrong | Unattempted |
|---|---|---|---|
| MCQ | +3 | -1 | 0 |
| TITA (type in the answer) | +3 | 0 (no penalty) | 0 |
How your score is calculated
Raw score = 3 x correct answers - 1 x wrong MCQ answers. TITA questions have no negative marking.
| Example | Correct | Wrong MCQ | Raw score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Careful attempt | 30 | 4 | 86 |
| Steady attempt | 36 | 9 | 99 |
| Strong attempt | 48 | 6 | 138 |
Marks vs percentile
| Expected scaled score | Expected percentile | What it can mean |
|---|---|---|
| 170 and above | 99.5 - 100 | IIM A, B, C shortlist likely |
| 155 - 170 | 99 - 99.5 | IIM A, B, C possible with strong academics |
| 135 - 155 | 97 - 99 | IIM L, K, I, M shortlist possible |
| 115 - 135 | 93 - 97 | Newer IIMs likely |
| 95 - 115 | 85 - 93 | Newer IIMs and top non-IIM B-schools |
| 75 - 95 | 75 - 85 | B-schools with 75-85 percentile cutoffs |
| Below 75 | Below 75 | Non-IIM B-schools with lower cutoffs |
CAT publishes no fixed marks-to-percentile chart. These are indicative ranges from recent years; the real mapping depends on paper difficulty and how everyone performs. Sectional percentiles matter too.
CAT 2026 Total Marks FAQs
What is the maximum score in CAT 2026?+
204 marks (68 questions x 3 marks).
Is there a negative mark for TITA?+
No. Only MCQ answers carry a penalty of 1 mark.
More on CAT 2026
Source & Disclaimer
Official source: iimcat.ac.in
Information on this page is compiled from the official CAT notification at iimcat.ac.in and trends from earlier cycles. Dates marked Expected are estimates, not official announcements. Please confirm all details on the official website.