CUET UG Marks Vs Percentile

Confused about CUET UG Marks and Percentile? Don’t worry, we are here to help! Understanding the difference between these two important entities of the CUET UG – a national-level entrance test for admission into various degree programs in India’s top central universities – for the evaluation of candidates based on two unique scales. So, let’s break down the concepts related to CUET marks and percentile in detail, how they’re calculated, and why they are important for securing admission to your desired university. 

1.0What are the CUET UG Marks? 

In the CUET UG Exam, your marks represent the raw score or the total score you achieve based on the correct answers you mark in the exam. The total marks in CUET that can be scored depend upon your stream and course selection. For example, for B.A.(Hons) English, the CUET total marks can be 1000, while for Bachelor of Management Studies, this score is 750. The marking scheme for CUET UG is as follows: 

1. Positive Marking: Each question in CUET will carry a positive marking of 5. 
2. Negative Marking: There will be a negative marking of –1 mark so be cautious while answering any questions.
3. No marks are awarded or deducted for an unattempted question.  

Are The CUET Marks Enough?

The direct answer to this question is “not always”. While CUET marks are an important indicator of your performance, they only offer part of the picture. For University admissions, another factor, “Percentile”, comes into play, which is also based on your CUET marks. 

2.0What is the Percentile in CUET UG? 

Percentile in the CUET UG exam is a numerical measure that tells you how well you have performed in comparison to other candidates. Unlike the CUET UG Marks, which are the raw scores you get based on the correct answers attempted by you in the exam, Percentile gives a more integrated view of your performance and is important to know where you stand in a large pool of competitors. 

It's not only about how many questions you got right but also how you rank relative to the other test-takers. In simple words, the percentile tells you the percentage of candidates scoring lower or higher than you. For example, if your CUET percentile is 90, it means that you have scored better than around 90% of the candidates who took the exam, and only 10% of candidates scored higher than you.

Why is the Percentile Important for Evaluation? 

1. Admission to Universities: Nowadays many universities rely more on the percentile scored by the candidate in comparison to the raw marks of the CUET. Universities use these percentiles as the threshold for admission into the course.
2. Assessing Relative Performance: In competitive exams like the CUET, the percentile can be a better tool for assessing how well you perform in the pool of thousands of aspirants taking the same test. 
3. Fairer Evaluation: Percentile helps in fair comparison, especially in the condition when the exam is conducted in multiple shifts like in the CUET, where the exam difficulty can vary across shifts. Imagine the exam was difficult, but you scored well in comparison to others, so your percentile can still be high. 
4. Competitive Edge: A higher percentile gives you an edge in the admissions process, especially for sought-after programs or prestigious universities where the competition is very high. A higher percentile means that you performed well across all sections, which gives you a better chance of getting a seat.

3.0CUET Marks Vs Percentile – the Key Differences

4.0How to Calculate Percentile in CUET UG 2025

Now that you know the basics of marks and percentile and the key differences between these entities the next you might be wondering: How is the percentile calculated? The CUET percentile is calculated with a simple formula: 

$\text{Percentile}=\frac{Numberofcandidateswhoscoredequalorlowerthanyou}{TotalnumberofCandidates}\times 100$

This Percentile formula gives the Rank of the Candidate which is the position you hold based on your marks in comparison to other candidates.

For example, if you get a percentile of 90, it simply means that you have performed better than 90% of all candidates who have appeared for the examination. Higher percentiles have more chances to be admitted to your preferred university or program.

The expected range of percentile (based on previous year trends) for each subject in CUET this year can be: