CUET Normalisation Explained: How NTA Converts Raw Marks to Percentiles

Overview: CUET normalisation helps make scores fair when exams are held in many shifts. It changes raw marks into percentiles so all students are compared equally. This system is important because universities use these scores to prepare merit lists and decide admissions after the CUET UG exam.

Every year, many students give the CUET UG exam in different shifts. This can make one paper harder or easier than another. To be fair, the National Testing Agency uses CUET normalisation so all scores fit one scale. This helps when colleges compare students from different days.

If you are preparing for CUET, understanding how normalisation affects the CUET score helps you plan your time. In this blog, we’ll cover the CUET normalisation process, the CUET normalisation formula, and CUET normalisation marks. It includes a simple example and practical tips for CUET preparation.

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What is CUET Normalisation?

CUET normalisation is a process that converts raw scores from different shifts into a single scale. The idea is to make scores comparable, even if one shift was easier or harder.

NTA uses a percentile-based equi-percentile method to do this. This step ensures that students from all shifts have an equal chance when universities use the CUET normalisation score for admissions.

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Why NTA Normalises CUET Scores?

CUET exams happen in many shifts over days. One shift can be easy with high marks. Another shift can be hard with low marks. This is not fair. A smart kid in a hard shift might get less marks than a kid in an easy shift. NTA fixes this with normalisation.

Here's how it works:

• First, NTA looks at the marks in your shift only. They find your rank. Did you beat 90 out of 100 students? That's your spot. Next, they check the same spot in all shifts. What mark beats 90 students in shift 1? What about shift 2? They take the average mark for that spot.
• Now, everyone with the same rank gets the same fair score. No one wins just from luck of an easy paper. CUET participating universities and colleges use this fair NTA score for seats and cutoffs. It keeps things equal for all students.

Think of it like a race. If one track is uphill and one is flat, NTA makes a fair finish line score.

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How NTA Uses CUET Normalisation Method?

NTA uses the equi-percentile method to make CUET scores fair across shifts. This math trick turns raw marks into one equal scale. Here are the four simple official steps:

Step 1: Find Highest Score in Your Shift

Formula:

Percentile = 100 × (Number of candidates with score ≤ yours) ÷ Total in shift

Example: 100 students in a shift. You score higher than 90? Percentile = 90. Top student always gets higher.

Step 2: Do This for All Shifts

Repeat for every shift/subject. Small shifts join big ones. Now NTA has percentiles from all students.

Step 3: Arrange & Match Percentiles

Sort all percentiles.

For 90th percentile:

What raw score matches 90 in Shift 1? Shift 2? This maps them on one scale.

Step 4: Interpolate & Average for Final Score

Use linear interpolation between scores to fill gaps. Average these = your NTA normalised mark.

Example: 90th percentile = 130 (Shift 1), 135 (Shift 2) → Final: 132

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How to Calculate Normalised Score in CUET 2026

Imagine two shifts. In Shift A the top raw mark is 140, and in Shift B the top raw mark is 150. If your raw score in Shift B is 120, first find your percentile in Shift B using the raw marks of all candidates in that shift. Then use the mapped percentile table to find the equivalent normalised marks. The CUET normalisation score you get after mapping shows where you stand among all test takers.

Worked Numeric Walk-through

• Suppose Shift 1 top = 140, Shift 2 top = 150.
• Candidate X has raw 120 in Shift 2.
• The percentile for X in Shift 2 is calculated by ranking.

If X is at the 90th percentile in Shift 2, the normalised mark for the 90th percentile might be set by NTA based on all shifts.

The NTA approach uses equi-percentile equating so that a given percentile translates to the same normalised mark across shifts. This produces fair CUET normalisation marks for merit lists.

Effect on Cutoffs, Merit Lists & Tie-breaking

CUET normalised marks are used to set university cutoffs and ranks. Because normalisation is percentile-based, small differences can change rank order near cutoffs.

Tie-breaking rules may use subject-wise normalised marks, performance in certain subjects, or other rules set by the university. If normalisation affecting CUET score is a concern, check the university’s admission policy and how it reads NTA percentiles.

Common Misconceptions About CUET Normalisation 2026

Many students think normalisation will always increase their raw marks. That is not true. Normalisation redistributes scores based on percentiles; some students may see higher normalised marks, and some may see lower ones compared to raw marks, depending on shift difficulty.

A percentile is not same as percentage. Also, NTA does not change the marking scheme when it normalises; it only maps raw marks to a common percentile scale.

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Practical Preparation Advice for Students

1. Use CUET sample papers and CUET previous year question papers to build speed and accuracy.
2. Give regular CUET mock tests to check your pace and weak topics.
3. Focus on important concepts, not marks alone; normalised ranks depend on relative performance.
4. Keep one eye on the CUET 2026 marking scheme and how marks are awarded in each subject.

Additional Practical Tips

• Keep a weekly log to track test practice and improvement.
• Write down raw score from each session and note time spent per section.
• Record one percentile or estimated rank for each test and list frequent mistakes.
• After two weeks, you will see clear patterns — topics to fix and topics to keep.

Use CUET previous year question papers for realistic practice. Take one full CUET mock test each week under real-time limits and then fix errors. This steady habit beats last-minute cramming and helps you handle real exam timing.

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Key Takeaways

CUET normalisation helps keep scores fair when the exam is held in different shifts. It changes raw marks into percentiles so everyone is compared on the same scale. To boost your CUET score, practice with previous year papers and mock test series. Stay calm, study regularly, and work on small mistakes each week. This will help you feel more confident and less stressed on result day.

• Practicing CUET mock tests will show how normalisation affecting CUET score and can change the rank. Take a timed CUET mock test weekly and note percentile trends to plan improvements.

• Join Supergrads CUET Coaching for live classes, practice sets, and doubt clearing. It helps with routine and guided improvement. daily.

Note: CUET normalisation and CUET normalisation rules apply per subject in sessions.