40 Marks in CAT VARC 2025 means how much percentile expected?

Sohini Bhattacharya

Updated On: January 09, 2026 12:21 PM

Students can expect the raw cutoff percentile for 40 marks in CAT VARC 2025 to be 98. It is highly competitive and also considered a very good score in the entrance test. Students can get into IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Indore, and others with the mentioned score for MBA admission. 
Expected Cutoff Percentile 40 Marks in CAT VARC 2025

The expected raw cutoff percentile for 40 marks in CAT VARC 2025 is around 98. A student scoring the 98th percentile in the VARC sectional cutoff will have a very good chance of getting MBA admission across the mid-tier IIMs. Those who belong to the reserved categories also stand a chance to secure admission into the top-tier IIMs, with a score of 98th percentile in CAT VARC 2025. Moreover, 40 marks in the sectional cutoff in CAT is considered highly competitive, and students with an overall percentile of 97 and above will definitely get shortlisted for the WAT-PI round of selection.

Some of the IIMs offering admission to students with this score are Calcutta, Indore, Rohtak and Lucknow. The final shortlisting of students for MBA admission will be done based on the composite score, which will be determined by combining the weight of the student’s Class 10th and 12th scores, CAT score, WAT score, PI score, Bachelor’s degree performance, work experience, and gender diversity. Therefore, the higher the percentile, the better the chances of securing admission into the premier business schools for an MBA.

Expected Percentile for 40 Marks in CAT VARC 2025

To get an idea of the expected CAT VARC cutoff percentile for the specified marks, students can refer to the data provided here:

CAT VARC Marks 2025

Expected CAT Percentile

49.1+ marks

99.4 percentile

48+ marks

99.3 percentile

47+ marks

99.2 percentile

47.6+ marks

99.26 percentile

46.2+ marks

99.1 percentile

45.3+ marks

99 percentile

42.5+ marks

98.5 percentile

40.9+ marks

98.21 percentile

40.2+ marks

98 percentile

Also Read:

CAT 2025 Safe Target Percentile for IIM Ahmedabad

CAT 2025 Safe Target Percentile for IIM Bangalore

CAT 2025 Safe Target Percentile for IIM Kozhikode

IIM MBA Shortlisting Chances with 40 Marks in CAT VARC 2025

Students may refer to the detailed table provided here to get an idea of the admission chances across all the IIMs with the mentioned expected percentile:

Name of the Institute

Chances for Admission with 40 Marks in CAT VARC

Expected CAT 2025 Cutoff Percentile for Admission

IIM Ahmedabad

Low

99+ Percentile

IIM Bangalore

Low

99+ Percentile

IIM Calcutta

Good

98+ Percentile

IIM Lucknow

Good

98+ Percentile

IIM Indore

Good

98+ Percentile

IIM Kozhikode

Good

96+ Percentile

IIM Shillong

Good

96+ Percentile

IIm Rohtak

Good

97+ Percentile

IIM Raipur

Good

96+ Percentile

IIM Ranchi

Good

96+ Percentile

IIM Trichy

Good

96+ Percentile

IIM Kashipur

Good

96+ Percentile

IIM Bodh Gaya

Good

94+ Percentile

IIM Amritsar

Good

94+ Percentile

IIM Jammu

Good

94+ Percentile

IIM Nagpur

Good

94+ Percentile

IIM Sambalpur

Good

94+ Percentile

IIM Sirmaur

Good

94+ Percentile

IIM Vizag

Good

94+ Percentile

So, 40 marks in CAT VARC 2025 is considered a very good score for MBA admission across all the IIMs, except for the Tier-1 institutes. However, students may still get a chance to seek MBA admission at IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore based on factors like gender diversity, work experience, and a non-engineering background. Apart from the IIMs, a 98th percentile score in CAT VARC 2025 will also allow students to apply for MBA admission at other premier business schools in the country. Some examples of the same include FMS, SPJIMR, and MDI. It is important to mention that students who secure 40 marks in CAT VARC 2025 and an overall percentile of 98+ will be placed in the top 7-8% among all the test-takers.

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