What is the CAT Normalization Process: How is the CAT 2024 Score Calculated; Composite Score Formula

The Common Admission Test, for all of its worth, is nothing but an examination for the aspirant candidate for an MBA offered by all the Indian Institutes of Management. Such a test may be conducted over multiple sessions in a year, which may bring about varying difficulty levels in one session versus another. Hence, for a fair and equitable assessment of scores, a proper normalization process is called for. The article deals with normalization for CAT, how the score for CAT 2024 is going to be calculated, and the composite score formula applied to the admissions of many business schools, including the ones above.

What is the CAT Normalization Process?

The statistical idea of normalization in the CAT is to adjust scores obtained from different test sessions, considering the differences within question difficulties. Its main idea is to level the playing field among all the candidates so that no one is left at an unfair advantage due to the particular set of questions she or he faces during an exam session. Normalization thus performs two major steps:

Score differences due to scales: This adjusts for differences in the score distributions across different question papers. Though IIMs intend to keep such difficulty at or around similar levels, discrepancies will come up. The process also adjusts scores because of such scale differences for a true reflection of performance relative to others.

Sectional Normalization: After all the adjustments for the scores due to different question papers, there is the normalization of scores within different sections of the test. That way, each candidate is dealt with equitably across all sections of the test.

Ultimately, this process is intended to have the scores of candidates represent them fairly concerning their ability, with no attention paid to when one sat for the test or which version of the exam he or she was administered.

How is the CAT 2024 Score Calculated?

The calculation of a candidate's CAT score begins with determining their raw score, based on the number of correct and incorrect answers according to the marking scheme (+3 for correct answers and -1 for incorrect ones). The raw score can be calculated using the formula:

This is as easy as finding the raw score of the candidate that is created based on the marking scheme followed by how many questions are correct and wrongly answered. The procedure for  finding the raw score is as follows in the formula:

1. Raw Score Calculation

• Correct Answer: +3 marks
• Incorrect Answer: -1 mark
• Formula: Raw Score=(3×Number of Correct Answers)−(1×Number of Incorrect Answers) ext{Raw Score} = (3 imes ext{Number of Correct Answers}) - (1 imes ext{Number of Incorrect Answers})Raw Score=(3×Number of Correct Answers)−(1×Number of Incorrect Answers) 
• For example, if you have 20 correct answers and 5 incorrect answers, the raw score would be: Raw Score=(3×20)−(1×5)=60−5=55 ext{Raw Score} = (3 imes 20) - (1 imes 5) = 60 - 5 = 55Raw Score=(3×20)−(1×5)=60−5=55

2. Normalization Process

• The raw scores are normalized to account for the varying difficulty levels across different test sessions. The normalization process uses statistical methods to adjust the raw scores.
• This process involves calculating the mean and standard deviation of raw scores for each test session to ensure fairness.

3. Scaled Score Calculation

After normalization, the scaled score for each section (DILR, VARC, QA) is calculated. The formula is:

S=G+(R−GiM0.1−Gi)×(M0.1−G)S = G + left( frac{R - G_i}{M_{0.1} - G_i} ight) imes (M_{0.1} - G)S=G+(M0.1?−Gi?R−Gi??)×(M0.1?−G)

Where:

• S is the scaled score for the section.
• R is your raw score.
• G is a constant derived from the mean and standard deviation of raw scores.
• G_i is the individual session mean of raw scores.
• M_{0.1} is the mean raw score of the top 0.1% of candidates in that session.

The scaled score accounts for differences in the test’s difficulty across different slots.

4. Total Scaled Score

The total scaled score is the sum of the scaled scores from all three sections:

Total Scaled Score=SDILR+SVARC+SQA ext{Total Scaled Score} = S_{ ext{DILR}} + S_{ ext{VARC}} + S_{ ext{QA}}Total Scaled Score=SDILR?+SVARC?+SQA?

This combined score gives a holistic picture of the candidate’s performance.

5. Percentile Calculation

The final percentile is calculated based on your total scaled score in comparison to the total number of candidates:

P=(N−rN)×100P = left( frac{N - r}{N} ight) imes 100P=(NN−r?)×100

Where:

• P is your percentile.
• N is the total number of candidates.
• r is your rank based on the total scaled score.

The percentile indicates your relative position in comparison to all other candidates. For instance, if you are in the 90th percentile, it means you have performed better than 90% of the candidates.

6. Final Scorecard

• The final scorecard will display:
  • Sectional scaled scores for DILR, VARC, and QA.
  • Your overall percentile.
• It will not display raw scores or the individual ranks.

also read CAT Score vs Percentile 2024: How to Calculate Your Percentile Using Marks

                 How to Manage Time Effectively Across Sections in the CAT Exam 2024

Summary of Steps:

1. Calculate Raw Score: Based on correct and incorrect answers.
2. Normalization: Adjust for test difficulty variations.
3. Scaled Score Calculation: Using the raw score, mean, and standard deviation values.
4. Total Scaled Score: Add up the scaled scores for each section.
5. Percentile Calculation: Based on your rank compared to other candidates.
6. Final Scorecard: Displays sectional scaled scores and overall percentile.

This systemized method assures candidates receive a fair and equitable assessment across sessions of the test.

Composite Score Calculation

Apart from the CAT score itself, business schools also use a composite score for finalizing their judgments. This composite score takes into account many parameters beyond the CAT scores, thus giving a 360-degree view of a candidate's qualification. Factors that are commonly considered to arrive at the composite score: 

• Class 10th Marks
• Class 12th Marks
• Percentage/Grade in Graduation
• Work Experience
• Academic background
• Gender Diversity

Although the formula of composite scores varies according to institution, the final criterion is reflected in an aggregation of diverse data to provide an all-inclusive assessment of applicants.

Admission Insights for Specific Institutions

Many business schools use CAT scores while making admission. To give a few ideas about how a couple of institutions incorporate CAT scores and what else they would consider, details are given below :

• Alliance School of Business: Alliance Ascent College: Shaukat Ali

Associate Dean-Admission

• IFIM Institutions: IFIM Institutions advocates the holistic view of overall academic excellence coupled with the performance in CAT exams, along with other parameters such as work experience, diversity, and many other factors.
• Global Institute of Business Studies (GIBS): Discusses academic credentials and extracurricular activities.
• IBMR Business School: Focus is on the whole profiles which, to a large extent, conclude with work experience.
• MS Ramaiah Institute of Management (MSRIM): Explores the candidates by the parameters of academic scores and personal interviews
• International School of Management Excellence (ISME): Personality assessment has been introduced along with traditional measurements
• Sapthagiri NPS University | School of Management Studies: verifies the overall percentage along with CAT scores.
• Brindavan College of Management Studies: The institute considers CAT scores coupled with personal interviews.
• Don Bosco Institute of Management Studies: The institute is giving importance to diversity and all-rounded academic achievements.
• ISBR Business School: Work experience is given significant importance besides academic records.
• SB Group of Institutions: The institute gives importance to an amalgamation of excellence in academics and personal attributes.
• Sindhi Institute of Management: The institute gives importance to comprehensive evaluations comprising CAT scores.
• Acharya Bangalore B-School: Considers both academic metrics and personal interviews.
• AIMS & R: It focuses more on the experience that one has had with regard to work, besides academic qualifications.
• Maharaja Agrasen Business School (MABS): It values both CAT performance and candidate profiles.

Each institution has its unique approach to evaluating candidates, often blending quantitative metrics like test scores with qualitative assessments such as interviews and personal statements.

Conclusion

This normalization of scores ensures fairness in comparison among candidates from different sessions. The statistical process tries to adjust the raw scores to make the ground level also equally balanced for assessment. Moreover, knowledge of composite scores will help the candidates see the broader criteria applied by other business schools when admissions are in process. As the candidates are ready for CAT 2024, they will have to be aware of these procedures as it will become an effective tool for strategic preparation and application planning.

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