How Many Questions to Attempt for 90 Percentile in CAT 2025

Questions to Attempt for 90 Percentile: Getting a 90 percentile in CAT can be said to be pretty much an achievable goal and it is amazing news that you don't have to "solve the entire paper" to get to that point. If you get to know how many questions should be attempted in each section, what precision to keep, and which errors to steer clear of, then it is very much possible for you to gradually but surely pass this checkpoint and be admitted to good Tier-1 or Tier-2 business schools.

This blog will reveal the targets for Questions to Attempt for 90 Percentile in CAT that are backed by data using the trends from CAT 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, together with a hands-on forecast for CAT 2025. Moreover, you will uncover CAT Section-Wise Attempts for 90 Percentile, the CAT Score vs Percentile for 90 band, the Accuracy Required for 90 Percentile, a straight forward Strategy to Get 90 Percentile in CAT, along with common Mistakes to Avoid in CAT so that you can smartly plan your attempts instead of just guessing on the exam day.

Questions to Attempt for 90 Percentile in CAT

Across CAT 2021–2024, the raw score needed for 90 percentile has hovered around the 44–58 range, with higher score requirements in easier papers like 2024. Using the +3/–1 marking scheme, this typically corresponds to 15–18 net correct questions overall (after accounting for negatives), which usually comes from about 35–40 meaningful attempts with solid accuracy.​

A practical thumb rule for Questions to Attempt for 90 Percentile in CAT is:

• Overall target attempts: 33–36 questions.
• Target net correct (after negatives): 22–26 questions.
• Accuracy: 75–85%.

Also Read, CAT Score Needed for 99, 98 & 95 Percentile, Check Now

CAT Score vs Percentile for 90 Percentile

Cracku’s CAT Score vs Percentile data shows the overall raw marks needed for different years.​

Overall CAT Score vs Percentile for 90 (Recent Years)

Because scaled vs raw can vary slightly by slot, treat these as bands, not exact CAT cut-offs For 2025, a safe planning band for CAT Score vs Percentile for 90 is around 45–55 marks, adjusting up or down depending on perceived paper difficulty.​

Also Read, CAT Answer Key 2025

CAT 2025 Section-wise Attempts for 90 percentile

Section‑wise score vs percentile trends show that 90 sectional percentile usually needs a modest score in each section, not very high.​ Assuming a 68 question pattern like 2025, a reasonable CAT Section-Wise Attempts for 90 Percentile target is:

• VARC (24 questions):
  • Attempts: 13–16 serious attempts.
  • Target correct: 9–11.
  • Raw marks band: 25–28.
• DILR (22 questions):
  • Attempts: 9-10 (1.5–2 full sets).
  • Target correct: 8-9.
  • Raw marks band: 20-23.
• QA (22 questions):
  • Attempts: 10-12.
  • Target correct: 8–9.
  • Raw marks band: 22–25.

These numbers align with section‑wise score vs percentile tables where 90 sectional percentile generally sits at a moderate raw score, not too far below the overall 90 percentile requirement.​

Also Read, CAT Response Sheet 2025

Accuracy Needed for 90 Percentile in CAT 2025

Because negative marking is harsh, the Accuracy Needed for 90 Percentile in CAT is usually higher than students expect.​

• Ideal accuracy band: 75–85% overall.
• Section‑wise:
  • VARC: 70–80%.
  • DILR: 80–90% (fewer but more certain attempts).
  • QA: 80-85%.

For example, if you attempt 35 questions with 80% accuracy, you get about 28 correct and 7 wrong → score = (28×3)–7×1=84-7=77, which is comfortably well above typical 90 percentile bands in recent years. Even with 70% accuracy on these attempts, you usually reach close to 60 marks and cross the 90 percentile cut‑off if the paper is not exceptionally easy.​

Also Read, CAT Revision Strategy 2025, Revision Videos, Study Materials

Predicted CAT 2025 Pattern and Attempts

Recent patterns (2021–2024) show: three sections, 2‑hour pattern, question count around 66–68, and stable difficulty with small year‑to‑year shifts. Cracku’s 2025 Score vs Percentile analysis suggests the score for a given percentile moves but stays broadly in the same bands as 2022–2024, driven by difficulty and test‑taker pool.​

Reasonable CAT 2025 targets:

• Pattern assumption: ~66–70 questions, 40 minutes per section.
• Safe overall raw score for 90%ile: 45–55 marks.
• Safe overall attempts: 35–40 with 75–80% accuracy.
• Sectional attempts:
  • VARC: 13–16 attempts.
  • DILR: 8–10 attempts (1.5-2 sets).
  • QA: 10–12 attempts.

These targets factor in that CAT 2024 had 204 marks and needed around higher 50s - mid 60s for 90 percentile, while 2022–2023 needed mid‑40s to early‑50s on a 66‑question pattern depending on difficulty.​

Strategy to Get 90 Percentile in CAT

A focused Strategy to Get 90 Percentile in CAT should emphasize consistent mocks, controlled attempts, and accuracy over blind maximization of attempts.​

Key strategic pillars:

• Fix a realistic attempt cap in mocks (e.g., 32-35) and train yourself to skip low‑probability questions quickly.
• Build 2–3 strong DILR sets and 2–3 high‑accuracy question types in QA (arithmetic + algebra) as your scoring backbone.
• For VARC, prioritize high‑accuracy RC passages and avoid speculative VA attempts; even 9–11 correct can be enough for decent sectional percentile.​
• Use tools like Cracku’s CAT score calculator after each mock to map your raw score to projected percentile and refine your attempt vs accuracy balance.​

Also Read, CAT Exam Analysis 2025, Last 5 Years Slot-wise Details

Mistakes to avoid for 90 percentile in CAT

Cracku’s analyses of CAT previous year papers highlight common traps that pull students down from the 90 band despite adequate knowledge.​

Top Mistakes to Avoid for 90 Percentile in CAT:

Chasing too many attempts: Forcing 45–50 attempts with 50–60% accuracy usually leads to heavy negative marking and pulls the score below 90‑percentile bands.​

Ignoring sectionals: Even if your overall score is near 90 percentile, a very weak section (e.g., DILR or VARC crash) can block calls from many institutes.​

Not having a set‑selection strategy in DILR: Randomly starting with the first set instead of scouting all sets wastes precious time and kills accuracy.​

Over‑attempting VARC VA questions: Low‑probability inference/para‑jumbles done with guesswork can wipe out RC gains due to negatives.​

No mock‑wise tracking: Not analysing attempt count, accuracy, and score vs percentile trend with tools like Cracku’s predictor leads to repeating the same mistakes.​

Questions to attempt for the 90 percentile in CAT: Conclusion

Getting to the 90 percentile in CAT is not so much a question of pure talent but rather of being methodical in attempts, accuracy, and a controlled approach. If you have an overall objective of about 32-35 serious attempts, 75-85% accuracy, and even performance in each section, you will find yourself consistently being placed in the 90 percentile range, even if the exam is a bit tougher or easier than you expected.

Utilize the CAT Score vs Percentile for the 90% data and CAT Section-Wise Attempts for 90 Percentile ranges as your firm numerical guidelines during mocks and develop your plan instead of walking after random high attempt counts. If you are careful not to get into common mistakes—like trying to attempt too many low-probability questions, completely ignoring one of your weak sections, or not performing a thorough analysis after taking them and correcting them, then you will not only have a good chance of passing the CAT with a score of at least 90 percentile but of going even higher as your preparations progress.