• Updated on 3 Nov, 2026 by Simran
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CAT 2026 will be held on 29 November 2026 by IIM Indore. The response sheet and provisional answer key are expected in the first week of December 2026; last year, IIM Kozhikode released them on 4 December 2025, four days after the 30 November exam. Once you have your CAT response sheet, use the calculator below to work out your raw CAT score, section by section, out of 204. For the full exam guide, see CAT 2026 exam.
| CAT 2026 stage | Date / expected |
| CAT 2026 exam | 29 November 2026 |
| Response sheet and provisional answer key | Expected first week of December 2026 |
| Objection window | A few days after the answer key (8–10 December in 2025) |
| Final answer key | December 2026 (expected) |
| CAT 2026 result | First week of January 2027 (as per the CAT 2026 bulletin) |
- CAT Score Calculator 2026
- How to Calculate Your CAT Score Manually
- CAT Exam Pattern and Marks
- How to Use the CAT Response Sheet to Calculate Your Score
- Raw Score vs Scaled Score vs Percentile
- CAT 2025 Answer Key Timeline (For Reference)
- CAT Answer Key Objection Process
- Tips to Get an Accurate CAT Score Estimate
- Related CAT Pages
- FAQs on CAT Score Calculator 2026
CAT Score Calculator 2026
Enter the number of correct and wrong answers in each section from your response sheet. MCQ and TITA (non-MCQ) answers are counted separately, because a wrong TITA answer carries no penalty. The calculator follows the CAT 2025 pattern: 68 questions and 204 marks.
| Section | Correct MCQ | Wrong MCQ | Correct TITA | Score |
| VARC (22 MCQ, 2 TITA) | 0 | |||
| DILR (12 MCQ, 10 TITA) | 0 | |||
| QA (14 MCQ, 8 TITA) | 0 |
The calculator gives a raw score. IIMs convert raw scores into scaled scores and percentiles after normalisation across slots, so your official score may differ.
Next step: enter your raw score in the CAT percentile predictor to estimate your percentile, then check likely colleges in the CAT college predictor.
How to Calculate Your CAT Score Manually
CAT awards 3 marks for every correct answer and deducts 1 mark for every wrong MCQ answer. There is no negative marking for wrong TITA answers or unattempted questions. The formula is:
CAT score = (correct answers × 3) − (wrong MCQ answers × 1)
| Response type | Marks |
| Correct MCQ | +3 |
| Wrong MCQ | −1 |
| Correct TITA (non-MCQ) | +3 |
| Wrong TITA | 0 |
| Not attempted | 0 |
Worked example
| Section | Correct MCQ | Wrong MCQ | Correct TITA | Section score |
| VARC | 15 | 4 | 1 | (15 × 3) − 4 + (1 × 3) = 44 |
| DILR | 7 | 3 | 5 | (7 × 3) − 3 + (5 × 3) = 33 |
| QA | 9 | 4 | 4 | (9 × 3) − 4 + (4 × 3) = 35 |
| Total | 112 / 204 | |||
CAT Exam Pattern and Marks
The calculator uses the CAT 2025 section structure; see CAT exam pattern 2026 for full details. Each section has a fixed 40-minute time limit, and candidates cannot switch between sections. IIM Indore may change the number of questions for CAT 2026, so check your own response sheet before calculating.
| Section | Questions | MCQs | TITA | Maximum marks | Time |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 24 | 22 | 2 | 72 | 40 minutes |
| Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 22 | 12 | 10 | 66 | 40 minutes |
| Quantitative Ability (QA) | 22 | 14 | 8 | 66 | 40 minutes |
| Total | 68 | 48 | 20 | 204 | 120 minutes |
How to Use the CAT Response Sheet to Calculate Your Score
- Log in to iimcat.ac.in when the response sheet is released and download it for your slot.
- Download the provisional answer key for your slot.
- For each section, count your correct MCQs, wrong MCQs and correct TITA answers by comparing your responses with the key.
- Enter the counts in the calculator above, or apply the formula.
- Recalculate after the final answer key, since accepted objections can change a few answers.
The response sheet shows each question, the options, your recorded answer and the correct answer. For TITA questions, compare your typed answer exactly with the key. Download steps and slot-wise links are on the CAT response sheet page.
Raw Score vs Scaled Score vs Percentile
The score you calculate is a raw score. It is not the score on your CAT scorecard. CAT is held in three slots with different papers, so the IIMs normalise scores across slots and convert them into scaled scores for each section and overall. Your percentile is then based on your scaled score relative to all candidates. Shortlisting by IIMs and other B-schools uses percentiles (overall and sectional), along with other criteria such as academics and work experience.
| Score type | What it is | Where you get it |
| Raw score | Marks from the response sheet and answer key | Your own calculation |
| Scaled score | Raw score adjusted for slot difficulty through normalisation | CAT scorecard |
| Percentile | Your standing against all candidates, based on scaled scores | CAT scorecard |
For how scaled scores are worked out across the three slots, and previous years' marks against percentile, see CAT marks vs percentile.
Why there is no reliable score-vs-percentile table: the IIMs do not publish a conversion from raw scores to percentiles, and the relationship changes every year with paper difficulty and the number of candidates. Tables published before the result are predictions, not official figures.
CAT 2025 Answer Key Timeline (For Reference)
| Event | CAT 2025 |
| Exam | 30 November 2025 |
| Response sheet and provisional answer key | 4 December 2025 |
| Objection window | 8–10 December 2025 |
| Objection fee | ₹1,500 per objection (raised from ₹1,200) |
| Final answer key | 17 December 2025 |
CAT response sheet release in previous years
| Year | Exam date | Response sheet release |
| CAT 2025 | 30 November 2025 | 4 December 2025 |
| CAT 2024 | 24 November 2024 | 3 December 2024 |
| CAT 2022 | 27 November 2022 | 1 December 2022 |
| CAT 2021 | 28 November 2021 | 8 December 2021 |
| CAT 2020 | 29 November 2020 | 8 December 2020 |
The response sheet has usually come four to ten days after the exam, which points to the first week of December 2026 for CAT 2026.
CAT Answer Key Objection Process
After the provisional key is released, the IIM opens a short window to challenge answers online. In CAT 2025, the fee was ₹1,500 per objection, refunded if the objection is accepted. Accepted objections are reflected in the final answer key, which is used for the result.
- Log in to iimcat.ac.in during the objection window.
- Select the question and slot you wish to challenge.
- Give your reasoning and supporting reference.
- Pay the objection fee online.
- Submit before the window closes.
Tips to Get an Accurate CAT Score Estimate
- Count TITA answers separately; a wrong TITA answer does not reduce your score.
- Check every TITA response character by character against the key.
- Use the answer key for your own slot only; each slot has a different paper.
- Recalculate with the final answer key.
- Treat any percentile estimate before the result as a guide, because normalisation can move your score.
Related CAT Pages
- CAT 2026 exam
- CAT response sheet
- CAT marks vs percentile
- CAT percentile predictor
- CAT college predictor
- CAT result 2026
- CAT cutoff 2026
- CAT exam pattern 2026
- CAT mock test 2026
- How many days are left for CAT 2026?
FAQs on CAT Score Calculator 2026
How do I calculate my CAT score?
Multiply your total correct answers by 3 and subtract 1 for each wrong MCQ answer. Wrong TITA answers and unattempted questions carry no marks.
What is the CAT marking scheme?
Each correct answer carries 3 marks. A wrong MCQ answer costs 1 mark, while a wrong TITA answer and unattempted questions carry no penalty.
What is the maximum score in CAT?
Under the CAT 2025 pattern of 68 questions, the maximum raw score is 204: 72 in VARC and 66 each in DILR and QA.
Is there negative marking for TITA questions in CAT?
No. Only wrong MCQ answers carry negative marking of 1 mark. Wrong TITA answers carry no penalty.
When will the CAT 2026 response sheet be released?
It is expected in the first week of December 2026. In 2025, the response sheet came out on 4 December, four days after the exam.
When will the CAT 2026 result be declared?
As per the CAT 2026 information bulletin, the result is expected in the first week of January 2027 on iimcat.ac.in.
Is my calculated CAT score the same as my scorecard score?
No. You calculate a raw score. The scorecard shows scaled scores, after normalisation across slots, and percentiles.
How is the CAT percentile calculated?
The IIMs normalise raw scores across slots into scaled scores, and the percentile reflects your scaled score's standing among all candidates.
Is there an official CAT score vs percentile table?
No. The IIMs do not publish a raw score to percentile conversion. Tables released before the result are predictions and vary by source.
What was the CAT 2025 answer key objection fee?
₹1,500 per objection, raised from ₹1,200, refunded if the objection was accepted.
What is a good CAT score?
It depends on the year's paper and the percentile your target colleges require. Because percentiles are relative, the same raw score can map to different percentiles in different years.
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