Hearing percentage and percentile,
Gives me pain like the piles.
If only someone told me, with age
Percentage and percentile are my life's swage.
Many students would have come across the words "Percentage" and "Percentile". But, not many of them know the difference between them. Kids think and probably convince themselves that the word "Percentile" has something to do with "floor tiles", "tiles on a person" or any other funny definitions. You may laugh and think that's dumb, but surprisingly, it's true! Even though percentage and percentile are related to each other, it provides different meanings altogether. Percentage Vs Percentile - Eager to know the difference? Check out this blog to clear your confusion! Before jumping in to know about the difference between Percentage and Percentile, let's clearly understand the meaning of the two words.
The percentage is a mathematical quantity, expressed or written out of a total of 100. The word "percentage" is used to represent anything from marks scored in exams to calculating taxes. The "%" symbol represents a percentage. The symbol also indicates that the denominator is 100. The percentage symbol is generally used instead of fractions with varying denominators, making it easier to understand and use. Check out the below examples that answer your question - "What is percentage"?
Example 1:
Imagine you have scored 50 marks out of 100 in a subject. Then, you can say that you have scored 50% aggregate in that subject.
Example 2:
Assume, you or your guardian earns Rs. 30,000 Per Month. Your expenses would incur an amount of Rs. 10,000 Per Month. So, Rs. 20,000 is saved every month. Now, how would you calculate that percentage-wise?
Salary Earned = Rs. 30,000
Expenses = Rs. 10,000
Percentage of Savings = (20,000/30,000)* 100 = 66.67%
Now, you can say that 66.67% of your salary is saved every month.
Percentile is a mathematical concept that implies how a value is compared to other values in the same set. The word "percentile" is generally used for the purpose of ranking. Usually, a person's performance is determined by percentile. In India, students frequently come across the word percentile when undertaking entrance exams like JEE Main, NEET-UG, NEET-PG, etc.
Didn't get a clear answer to your question - "What is Percentile"? Check out the examples below for a better understanding!
Example 1:
Ram is a student undertaking an entrance exam. Out of 700, he scored 560 marks (80% aggregate).
Students applied for an exam = 1,00,000
Total students who appeared for the exam = 80,000
Students scoring less than 560 (Ram's score) = 65,000
Percentile = (65,000/80,000)* 100 = 81.25
We can say that Ram has scored more than 81.25% of the students, i.e. he has scored 81.25 percentile.
Example 2:
80% of the students have scored less than Meera. Hence, she is said to have scored 80 percentile. Now that we have understood what percentage and percentile is, let's check out percentage vs percentile.
From exam results to the amount of chemicals used in a drug, to the ingredients in your favourite snack, the words "percentage" and "percentile" are used abundantly. It is crucial to know exactly what we are dealing with.