In 2022, the CMAT exam rules were changed. The scorecard did not show a percentile result for the first time and instead showed raw scores and the all-India student rank. The method of scoring for the CMAT exam has also been altered now. This caused a lot of chaos among students who were applying for their Master of Business Administration degrees that year.
So, if you have completed your CMAT registration and want to know more about the scoring, you have come to the right spot! Here’s all you need to know about the CMAT score and the earlier percentile method of scoring so that you are better informed going forward.
CMAT score vs. Percentile: how does CMAT score differ from percentile scoring?
The Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) is a national-level entrance exam for admission to management programs offered by colleges in India. The score in CMAT is a numerical representation of the candidate’s performance in the exam, while the percentile indicates the percentage of candidates who have scored lower than a particular candidate.
For example, if a candidate scores a CMAT percentile of 90, it means that 90% of the candidates have scored lower than that candidate. The higher the percentile, the better the candidate has performed in the exam relative to others.
Therefore, the conclusion of the CMAT percentile vs. score debate is that the score is an absolute representation of a candidate’s performance, while the percentile is a relative representation of that performance.
How to convert the CMAT raw score into percentile?
Everyone wants to understand what is their score vs percentile in CMAT. To convert a CMAT score to percentile, you can use the following formula:
Percentile = (Number of candidates appearing for the test with scores less than or equal to your score / Total number of candidates appearing for the test) * 100
Note: CMAT score is just a raw score and the percentile reflects the relative performance of a candidate compared to all other candidates appearing for the test.
How has the scoring rule for CMAT exams changed?
The Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) scoring rule is based on the number of correct answers marked by the candidate. The revised scoring rule awards 4 marks for each correct answer and deducts 1 mark for each incorrect answer.
Based on this scoring rule, the total score of a candidate is calculated by multiplying the number of correct answers by 4 and then subtracting the number of incorrect answers. The maximum score that can be obtained in the CMAT exam is 400 marks.
It’s important to note that the revised scoring rule applies to the CMAT exams conducted after September 2021. Prior to that, the scoring rule was different, awarding 1 mark for each correct answer and deducting 0.25 marks for each incorrect answer.
Here are some important things to remember:
The CMAT test paper is 3 hours long and comprises 5 mandatory components.
There are 20 questions in each of the five sections of the test. The
100 questions will be included in the three-hour exam.
All are multiple-choice questions of the objective variety.
The difficulty of the question ranges from easy to moderate.
Each right response receives a +4 Mark.
Each incorrect response receives a negative point of -1.
Within the time allotted for the CMAT exam, candidates are permitted to attempt any question from any area.
The calculation of the percentile and merit score takes into account each segment.
The CMAT scorecard shows the actual out of 400, the sectional score, and the percentiles for each part and exam.
How has this affected the intake of students in MBA colleges?
One of the outcomes of the score vs percentile CMAT drama has been that MBA institutes have had to alter the way they look at student scores. MBA institutes in India that accept the Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) score have the discretion to decide the cut-off based on raw score, rank, or both.
A cut-off based on raw score refers to a minimum score that a candidate must score in the CMAT exam to be eligible for admission to an MBA course. For example, an institute may set a cut-off of 200 marks out of 400.
A cut-off based on rank refers to a minimum percentile that a candidate must score in the CMAT exam to be eligible for admission. For example, an institute may set a cut-off of 90th percentile, which means that the candidate must score higher than 90% of the other candidates.
Institutes may also use both raw score and rank as criteria for determining the cut-off. For example, they may set a minimum raw score of 200 marks and a minimum percentile of 90th to be eligible for admission.
It’s important to note that each institute may have its own criteria for determining the cut-off and it’s best to check the admission criteria of each institute before applying.
What is a good score in CMAT?
A good score in the Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) depends on several factors such as the number of candidates appearing for the exam, the difficulty level of the exam, and the cut-off set by the institutes accepting the scores.
Typically, a score in the range of 200-300 is considered good in CMAT. However, the actual cut-off and the range of good scores may vary from year to year and institute to institute. To determine a good score, it’s recommended to check the cut-off and other admission criteria set by the institutes you’re interested in.
Conclusion
Now that you understand how the CMAT scoring structure has changed, you will be better prepared for your results. This will also help you to understand cut-off scores and the process followed by different colleges for student intake.
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