40 Marks in CAT: Where do you rank ? Check Historical Trends Here
Scoring 40 marks in the CAT exam most of the time gets you a percentile in the range of 70 and 80. The exact percentile may vary as it is based on key factors like slot difficulty, normalization, and overall all the candidate performances that year. Explore the estimated percentile ranges and top college admission opportunities in the article below.
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Getting 40 marks in CAT is a solid result for anyone aiming for a good business school. But your final percentile isn't based on your score alone—it also depends on how hard your exam slot was, how many people took the test, and how the scores are normalized. Over the last few years, a score around 39 or 40 marks has usually placed students somewhere between the 71.5 and 85 percentile though year 2023 recorded the percentile to reach around 92 - 93 for the 40 marks which makes it rare but a possible situation in CAT Exam. In this article, we analyze how 40 marks map to expected percentiles over time and highlight reputable management institutes candidates can target with this score.
To know about your college with the help of your percentile and complete profile you can check out MBA Profilizer
Also check, 50 Marks in CAT: What Percentile Is It? Check Year-Wise Trends Here
40 Marks in CAT: Score Range & Year Wise Percentile
Scoring in the range of 39 - 49 marks in CAT can get you a percentile in the range between 71.5 - 92 percentile where the lowest percentile for this range was recorded in CAT 2024. Check the detailed list below.
| Raw Score Range | CAT 2023 | CAT 2024 | CAT 2025 |
| 39 - 40 | 83.5 - 84.5 | 71.5 - 72.8 | 82 - 84 |
| 41 - 42 | 84.6 - 85.4 | 72.9 - 73.8 | 84 - 86 |
| 43 - 44 | 85.5 - 86.8 | 74.0 - 75.3 | 86 - 88 |
| 45 - 46 | 86.9 - 88.0 | 75.4 - 76.9 | 88 - 89 |
| 47 - 48 | 88.1 - 89.1 | 77.0 - 78.3 | 89 - 91 |
| 48 - 49 | 89.2 - 90.2 | 78.4 - 80.0 | 91 - 92 |
40 Marks in CAT: Year Wise Percentile Analysis
Scoring 40 marks in CAT gets you a percentile in the range of 75 - 85 majorly, though 2023 recorded the percentile to go as high as 96. Aspirants can check the detailed list below for thorough analysis.
| CAT Year | Approx. percentile for 40 Marks |
| 2025 | 85 %ile |
| 2024 | 83 - 85 %ile |
| 2023 | 95 - 96 %ile |
| 2022 | 91 - 93 %ile |
| 2021 | 76 - 79 %ile |
| 2020 | 75 - 78 %ile |
40 Marks in CAT: Available Options
Getting around 40 marks in CAT usually puts your score in the 70 to 80 percentile range, though it depends on various factors like how tough the paper was that year, number of candidates and mostly your slot paper. While this score might not get you into the top IIMs, you still have plenty of great options at well-known private business schools. With this score, you can apply to colleges like NIA Pune, BIMTECH Greater Noida, XIME Bangalore, SDMIMD Mysuru, and Jaipuria Institute of Management. You can also improve your chances by taking other entrance exams like XAT, CMAT, or MAT. Check the detailed list below.
| College Name | Programs Offered | Official Academic Tuition Fee (2 Years) |
| National Insurance Academy (NIA), Pune | PGDM | ₹12,00,000 |
| Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH), Greater Noida | PGDM | ₹14,00,000 – ₹16,50,000 |
| Xavier Institute of Management & Entrepreneurship (XIME), Bangalore | PGDM, PGDM (Business Analytics) | ₹12,90,000 |
| SDM Institute for Management Development (SDMIMD), Mysuru | PGDM | ₹14,10,000 |
| Jaipuria Institute of Management (Noida / Lucknow Campuses) | PGDM, PGDM (Marketing / Service Management) | ₹15,25,000 – ₹16,50,000 |
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Vikrant Kumar is a Senior Executive – Data & Research, specialising in data-driven content analysis and editorial research. He works with large datasets to identify trends, patterns, insights, and emerging developments across key subjects and converts these findings into clear, engaging, and informative content. His role combines data analysis with editorial storytelling, using tools and research methodologies to support fact-based articles, reports, rankings, and analytical content. He focuses on turning complex data into meaningful insights that can strengthen content quality and help readers understand important trends and developments.
