CUET Percentile Calculation: The Common University Entrance Test (CUET UG) is an important exam for students who want to get admission to top universities in India. If you are appearing for the CUET UG exam, it’s important to understand how your raw scores are converted into percentiles.
Percentiles show how you performed compared to other candidates. For example, a percentile of 90 means you scored better than 90% of the candidates who appeared for the exam. This conversion process ensures fairness, as it takes into account differences in exam difficulty and question papers across different shifts.
Understanding how percentiles are calculated helps students assess their position and plan for college admissions. The percentile score plays a crucial role in securing a seat at the desired university by showing how a candidate performs compared to others. Candidates can check detailed information on how the CUET percentile is calculated and more below.
CUET Percentile 2025
CUET percentile is a ranking method used by Top universities in India to compare a candidate’s performance in a particular CUET Exam Shift. Unlike raw scores, which show actual marks, the percentile reflects a candidate’s position relative to other candidates. A 100 percentile means the candidate scored higher than all others in that shift, while a 50 percentile means the candidate performed better than half of the test-takers.
Percentiles are essential because CUET is held in multiple sessions with different difficulty levels. Most Universities use percentile scores instead of raw marks to ensure equal admission opportunities for all candidates. This method helps create a uniform ranking system that makes admissions more transparent and fair.
How is CUET Percentile Calculated? Official Method by NTA
After the CUET exam, students receive their answer sheets a few days later. They can calculate their raw score from the answer sheet, but may not know how to calculate their CUET percentile. The CUET percentile calculation for 2025 follows a standardized normalization process to ensure fairness across different exam shifts. The official method for converting CUET raw scores into percentiles involves the following steps:
Step 1: Total Candidates in a Shift (N):
Students must Identify the total number of candidates who appeared in a specific shift of the CUET exam. It is a very important step for the calculation of the CUET Percentile.
Step2: Sorting Raw Scores
After identifying the total number of candidates appearing for the CUET exam, the next step would be to arrange all candidates in decreasing order based on their raw marks.
Step 3: Determine Candidates Below a Score (m)
In step 3, students need to count the candidates who scored equal to or below their raw marks (T) for each candidate.
Step 4: Calculate the Percentile Score (P)
Use the formula for the calculation of the CUET Percentile in 2025:
P = (m ÷ N) × 100
Factors Affecting CUET Percentile in 2025
CUET percentile is affected by several factors beyond just the marks obtained in the exam. Since the CUET exam is conducted in multiple shifts, the ranking can vary based on different conditions. Students should understand these factors to better understand their final result.
- Number of Students in a Shift: CUET percentile is calculated based on how many students appear in a specific shift. A higher number of students means tougher competition, which can impact overall rankings.
- Difficulty Level of the Exam: Some CUET shifts may have harder questions than others. Even though NTA normalizes scores for fairness, differences in difficulty can still affect percentile calculations.
- Raw Marks Scored: A student’s percentile is determined by how many candidates scored equal to or below their raw marks. Higher marks improve the chances of getting a better percentile.
- Normalization Process: Since the exam is held in different shifts, NTA adjusts scores using a normalization process to ensure a fair comparison among students.
- Total CUET 2025 Registrations: More applicants increase the competition, which can affect percentile calculations and raise the cutoff scores for university admissions.
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CUET Percentile Calculation FAQs
A CUET score of 400 is considered average. It may be enough for some universities and courses, but for admission to top colleges and competitive programs, students should aim for 600 or higher.
The 99th percentile means a student has scored better than 99% of test-takers. Based on previous trends, scoring 225+ marks out of 250 in a subject is usually required to reach this percentile.
Students scoring between 70-79 marks in a subject usually fall in the 80-83 percentile range. However, this can vary depending on the difficulty level and number of test-takers.
For admission to top universities, a safe score is 700+ out of 800, which usually falls in the 95+ percentile. A score of 650+ is also strong, while scores between 400-650 can be sufficient for some universities.