CAT Normalization Process: CAT Score Calculation, Composite Score Formula & Process

In India, one of the most popular MBA entry tests is the Common Admission Test (CAT). More than 2 lakh people register for this national management entrance test each year. The number is almost 2.31 lakhs this year. As a result, the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) that administer the CAT must make sure that it is administered in a fair manner and that no candidate receives an unfair advantage or disadvantage during the test. One such process used by IIMs is the CAT Normalization Process.

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Read in Detail: CAT Score Vs Percentile Analysis

What is the CAT Normalisation?

CAT  Normalization is a process which is followed by the Indian Institutes of Management to ensure fairness in the scoring process. Since the CAT Exam is conducted in multiple slots and the question paper for each slot is different in terms of both questions and difficulty, some students get an easier paper while some get a tough one. So to ensure that there is no discrimination in the scoring process of CAT, the CAT Normalization process is used. Under this, the scores are evaluated on a level playing field, irrespective of the difficulty level of the exam and the exam slot.

In simple terms, it is the process of adjusting scores to the same level for all the applicants and takes into consideration, various factors like the difficulty level of the exam, individual candidate abilities, and variations in the number of questions attempted. These scaled scores are then converted into CAT percentiles, based on which the candidates are selected or shortlisted for further CAT admission rounds at IIMs.

In this process, there are 3 terms that the candidates must understand - scaled score, composite score, and percentile score, must be understood by the candidates before they can comprehend the CAT Normalization Process. The normalized score of a candidate is calculated using the following formula:

Normalized score = (Percentile rank/100) x Maximum marks for the section

For example, if a candidate scored in the 90th percentile in a particular section and the maximum marks for that section are 100, the normalized score for that section would be:

Normalized score = (90/100) x 100 = 90

What is the scaled score in CAT?

Calculating the scores for each exam segment is referred to as the "scaled score" in the CAT. It is a statistical process that modifies the findings of two or more different assessment forms so that the results may be compared, and it is based on the idea of the CAT Normalization Process. Candidates who will be taking the forthcoming test need to carefully review and prepare the CAT Syllabus. It will enable students to prepare thoroughly for the CAT for all of the chapters and topics.

What is the CAT Composite Score?

Simply put, the CAT Composite score is the total of the normalized scores of all the 3 CAT sections. This is the score that the candidates often see on their scorecards, and this is then used for CAT percentile calculation, which is the basis for selecting candidates for further admission rounds. The formula to calculate the CAT composite score is given below.

CAT Composite Score = Normalized score (QA) + Normalized score (VARC) + Normalized score (DILR)

Also Read: CAT Total Marks

What is a Percentile Score?

The result of turning test results into percentile ratings based on the applicants' relative performance is the CAT Percentile. The CAT percentile displays the percentage of test takers who scored the same or lower than you. The CAT Exam includes percentile calculation, much like many competitive exams. The ability to follow their aspiration of enrolling in top management colleges depends on achieving a high percentile.

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IIMs hold the Common Admission Test (CAT), a national-level MBA entrance exam, to select applicants for MBA admissions to top business schools including IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Indore, FMS Delhi, XIMB, and IIM Bangalore. This year, the CAT will take place throughout three slots, with the authority managing the question papers for all three sessions. This is because the difficulty level of the CAT Question Papers could vary. The CAT Normalization Process is used to evaluate each candidate's performance on a single scale. By doing this, the examination authority ensures that each applicant is judged fairly. The CAT 2024 exam will be conducted in three shifts, and the normalization process will be applied to ensure fairness across all shifts. The process involves two steps:

• Normalization across different test forms: In the first step, the scores of candidates will be normalized across different test forms to adjust for location and scale differences in score distributions.
• Normalization across different sections: After normalizing the scores across test forms, the scores will be further normalized across different sections (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Ability).

The normalized scores obtained through this process will be converted into percentiles for shortlisting purposes. The scaled scores for each section and the total score, along with the corresponding percentiles, are then published in the CAT result.

Impact of Normalization on CAT Scores

The CAT Normalization process has a significant impact on the CAT scores. It ensures fairness in the process and ensures that the candidates are scored equally and rightfully regardless of the difficulty level of the exam.

However, due to this process, the candidates who might have high scores may end up with a lower score. This is because the normalization process adjusts the scores of the candidates based on the performance level of all the candidates across the slots.

However, even after this potential impact, candidates who have performed well in the exam should not worry about their scores, as they have already cleared the CAT exam. The normalization process is just an essential step in ensuring fairness and equity in the evaluation process.

How CAT exam score will be normalized and the composite score calculated?

The CAT composite score of each candidate will be arrived at by calculating their points based on some parameters. These include:

• CAT 2024 score (scaled)
• Class 12 marks
• Class 10 marks
• Graduation score
• Work Experience
• Diversity (Gender)
• Diversity (Academic)

Take a look at how these composite scores are calculated for shortlisting for WAT-PI, as issued by IIM Lucknow.

What is the CAT Normalisation Process?

The CAT normalization process will typically involve two steps - Calculation of Raw scores and then normalization of CAT raw scores. Each of these steps has been explained in detail below.

You can also read: What after the CAT Result?

Calculation of CAT Raw Scores

CAT raw score is nothing, but the actual and raw score that the candidates think they will get. To determine the CAT Raw scores, the candidates first should be aware of the three basic things listed below. To know their raw scores, candidates will utilize the CAT answer key (final).

1. CAT Marking Scheme (+3, -1)

2. Number of Correct Answers

3. Number of Incorrect Answers

Formula to Calculate Raw   Scores

Once the above printers have been taken into consideration and the candidates have gathered the information, the following formula will be used to determine the CAT score.

Raw Score = 3 x (No. of Correct Answers) - 1 x (No. of Incorrect Answers)

For example: Let us assume that a candidate has 33 correct answers and 33 incorrect answers. So using the formula given above, the raw score of the candidate will be:

3 x (33) - 1 x (33) = 99 - 33 = 66 out of 198

Now, once the raw scores have been determined, the normalization procedure may be used to obtain the candidate's CAT-scaled score. The scaled scores of a candidate are included in the CAT scorecard that is made public following the announcement of CAT Results. The CAT scaled scores are also used to compute the percentile for the CAT, whether it be overall or section-wise.

It is preferable to break the procedure down into many phases and comprehend each variable that is utilized in the calculation in order to more readily comprehend the normalization of CAT scores. 

Calculation of CAT Scaled Score / CAT Normalization

Let us now start by understanding the processes for calculating the CAT scaled score. These procedures are used section-by-section, meaning that while computing scaled scores, only one section's raw values are taken into account at a time. This typically means that the scaled scores will be calculated for each section, and each slot individually.

Steps to Calculate the CAT Scaled Score

Step 1: The mean (Average) and standard deviation (SD) of the candidates' raw scores from the first shift are calculated and added.

Step 2: For applicants who appeared in the second shift, the mean and standard deviation of their raw scores are calculated and added.

Step 3: For applicants who appeared in the third shift, the mean and standard deviation of their raw scores are calculated and added.

Step 4: For applicants who appeared in all three shifts, the mean and standard deviation of their raw scores are calculated and added.

Step 5: The top 0.1% of applicants who appeared in the first shift have their raw scores averaged out.

Step 6:  The top 0.1% of applicants who appeared in the second shift have their raw scores averaged out.

Step 7: The top 0.1% of applicants who appeared in the third shift have their raw scores averaged out.

Step 8: The top 0.1% of applicants who appeared in the both sections have their raw scores averaged out.

Step 9: The scaled score of a candidate is calculated using the formula below. Please keep in mind that the calculation provided is for a candidate who appeared for the first shift.

To determine a candidate's scaled score for the other two shifts, the relevant variables in this formula must be adjusted appropriately. Here, R stands for the candidate's raw score, from which the scaled score is being derived.

CAT Percentile Calculation

A CAT percentile displays the proportion of applicants who scored lower than you on the CAT exam. It is crucial to understand two factors before attempting to determine the CAT percentile:

1. Your CAT score (R)
2. Total number of applicants that participated in the CAT (N)

The CAT overall and sectional percentile scores for a candidate are calculated using the process described below. The percentile score calculating process is illustrated using the QA section as an example.

Step 1: The total number of applicants (N) for the CAT is considered. The morning, afternoon, and evening sessions are included.

Step 2: Based on the computed scores received in the QA portion, a rank (r) is allocated to each applicant who took the CAT exam. When two or more applicants receive equal scaled scores in the QA section, identical rankings are provided to all of them.

Consider the scenario where the top two applicants in the QA portion each received the same scaled score. In this instance, a rank of 1 is given to both applicants. Additionally, a rank of 3 is given to the candidate(s) who received the second-highest scaled score in the QA section, and so on.

Step 3: In the QA portion, the candidate's percentile score (P) is determined by combining their rank (r). The general formula is given below:

CAT Normalization Process - Advantages

The CAT normalization process offers several advantages which have been listed below for easy understanding.

• Fairness and equity: The process ensures that all candidates are evaluated on a level playing field, regardless of the difficulty level or testing conditions of their particular exam slot.
• Accurate assessment: By adjusting the scores based on various factors, the normalization process ensures that the final scores accurately reflect each candidate’s performance relative to their peers.
• Transparency: The normalization process is an established practice that is widely used in various entrance exams. It ensures transparency in the evaluation process and builds trust among candidates.
• Comparability: The normalized scores and percentiles allow for a fair comparison of a candidate’s performance with that of other candidates, both within the same shift and across different shifts.