It is common to hear terms like percentage, percentile, rank, scorecard, etc., with respect to various competitive examinations. Although these terms are not difficult, in the case of percentage and percentile many students get confused. Some students are unable to understand the slight difference which troubles them at the time (race against time phrase meaning) of the result announcement. If you are appearing for JEE Main 2025, NEET 2025, or other such competitive exams, then the below information will be beneficial to you for future reference.
Percentage
A percentage is defined as the value indicating the 100th part of anything. Usually, the percentage value students come across is in the context of numbers. It is the mathematical figure that is calculated or written out of 100. To make it more simple in a mathematical term it is the ratio of two numbers where the denominator is 100. The symbol used for percentage is %.
Example
Suppose Raj scored 390 marks in Physics, Chemistry, and Maths. The total Paper was 600 marks. So, the percentage he secured will be 390 divided by 600 and multiplied by 100. The result will be 65% in the exam.
Percentile
When a student finds a percentile in their scorecard, they get confused about whether they have scored that many marks or not. But percentile is not how much you scored, but it is the number that indicates the number of students who secured the same marks or less than you. Hence, it is the collective evaluation of your performance and other’s as well.
Example
Now let’s take (take with a grain of salt idiom synonym) the same example where a student secured 65% in the exam. Suppose the number of applied students is 10,00,000 and the number of students who appeared in the exam is 8,00,000. If there are 6,00,000 students who secured less than 65%, what will be that student’s percentile?
The score will be 75 percentile in the JEE Main Exam where that student performed better than 6 lakh aspirants.
To calculate it divide 6 lakh by 8 lakh and multiply it by 100. That is, candidates behind you in the exam are divided by the total number of appeared candidates.
Difference between Percentage and Percentile
The below table will help you understand the difference between percentage and percentile.
| Percentage | Percentile |
| ● Calculated out of 100 | ● Provide the value of the numbers found below the given percentage. |
| ● Give the number of your marks from the total marks | ● Compare your rank with the total number. |
| ● Based on an individual’s performance | ● Your, as well as your peers’ performance, is used to evaluate the total percentile. |
| ● Symbol used: % (Like this- 99%) | ● Denoted as xth (Like this- 99th Percentile) |
| ● It can be written in decimal or ratio form | ● Only natural numbers represent percentiles. |
Percentile is the easier way to determine the rank in the NEET/JEE exams. Students can predict their ranks in medical and engineering entrance exams through:
Hope after reading the above details, you will no longer be confused between percentage and percentile.
FAQs: Difference Between Percentage and Percentile for JEE Main 2025
Q: How is the percentage different from the percentile?
A: Percentage is a direct measure of marks obtained out of total marks, expressed as a ratio out of 100. Percentile, on the other hand, compares a candidate’s performance with that of others and is represented as a ranking among peers.
Q: Are the percentage and percentile both are same?
A: No, percentage and percentile are not the same.
