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Exams

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a prestigious national entrance exam conducted annually by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) for admission into their MBA programs. Held on the last Sunday of November, the exam is administered in three time slots across more than 170 cities. There are 21 IIMs in total, comprising 7 established IIMs and 14 newer or "baby" IIMs. While the older IIMs use the CAT application form as both an exam and admission application, the newer and baby IIMs follow the Common Admission Process (CAP) to shortlist candidates for admission.

Exam Illustration
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CAT 2023 Exam Overall Analysis 

The CAT 2023 has concluded. It was properly conducted online on November 26, 2023, by IIM Bangalore during three slots at various test locations across the country. The CAT 2023 Question Paper was similar to the CAT 2022 and did not experience any major changes. There were 66 questions totally from the three exam sections, with a moderate overall difficulty level. 

Based on the candidate's responses and the CAT 2023 Exam Analysis, we indicate the exam difficulty level and a number of good attempts in this article. To learn more about the CAT Exam 2023, including sectional weighting, topics covered, difficulty level, and predicted cutoffs to get a 99 percentile, see the article below.


CAT 2023 Slot 1 Remark: No changes to the Paper pattern, it was the same as last year 66 Questions overall with the same Paper structure as CAT 2022

Sectional Break up: Verbal (24), DI LR ( 20), Quants (22) questions. 

CAT 2023 Slot 1 brought forth a mix of familiar patterns and intriguing challenges, with a total of 66 questions divided among Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA). Let's delve into the insights and nuances of each section.

The VARC section presented a mix of inference-based questions, with a focus on reading comprehension from diverse topics such as philosophy, history, languages, and knowledge perception. The Verbal Ability segment included a variety of question types, challenging candidates with parajumbles, paragraph summaries, and paragraph completion exercises.

This breakdown gives a clearer understanding of the perceived difficulty levels for each set in the DILR section, ranging from moderate to difficult and easy. Candidates needed to strategize their approach based on these difficulty levels to optimize their performance in this section.

The QA section included a significant focus on algebra, which was described as tough for the majority of students but basic for those well-prepared. Arithmetic questions covered various topics, with a mix of difficulty levels, more or less easy to moderate. Geometry and Number System questions were also part of the section. Overall, the section required candidates to navigate through a diverse set of questions with varying complexities.

 

Section

No. of Questions

VARC

24 Questions

DILR

20 Questions

QA

22 Questions

Total

66 Questions

 

Overall the exam was Doable and not very tough when compared to 2022. VARC was more inference-based, but had Reading comprehension passages all from the predicted Topics. DILR was Moderate in difficulty terms but felt a little Time consuming and lengthy. 

CAT 2023 tested students Not on Speed but on Logic and Analytical skills, a sincere student with well-rounded preparation of concepts and a good practice of mocks would make their way to the IIMs . CAT tested students on their actual knowledge instead of mere guesswork.  Like the Expected pattern Videos and analysis done on Sanjeet Sir, Convenor of CAT. This paper was influenced by his expertise and inclination of statistica, algebra , geometry and statistical models.

Negative marking existed for the Multiple choice questions; 1/3rd ie 0.33 negative marks. Type in The answer Questions didn’t have any negative marking similar to the CAT 2022. 

The exam was not very difficult, it was manageable provided your concepts were clear. CAT has always been an ardent lover of concepts and logic than calculations, speed, and time when compared to other competitive exams this has come out more prominently this year.

 

Navigating the Verbal, DILR, and QA Challenges

Sectional Analysis:

Overall Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

VARC 24 Questions:

Reading comprehension was dominated in the verbal section. There were 4 passages with 4 Questions each. More inference-based questions and not factual, there were close options too so it needed little focus while solving.

TITA Verbal ability was overall Moderate.

2 Out of Context (OOC) Questions, involving 5 statements with tricky connections.

2 Parajumbles Questions, each with 4 statements.

2 Parasummary Questions, with options that were easy but closely related.

2 Paragraph Completion Questions, which were very easy to solve.

 

Summary of Questions

Reading Comprehension 16 Questions

The Reading comprehension was based on the following themes:

Passage 1: Jungle and Economy, Hunter-Gatherers, Wolf Conservation

Passage 2: Oceans and Territories

Passage 3: Lifestyle Comparison of Old and New Generations

Passage 4: Comparison of South and North Korea, with a focus on clothing differences

Ideal Attempts in VARC Section: 15 Questions

 

Module

Total Questions

Difficulty Level

Reading Comprehension

16 Questions | 4 RC Passages

Moderate to Tough

Parajumbles

2 Questions

Easy to Moderate

Parasummary

2 Questions

Easy to Moderate

Parajumbles - Out of Context

2 Questions

Moderate to Tough

Paracompletion

2 Questions

Easy

Total

24 Questions

Good Attempts 15+

 

DILR 24 Questions

The DILR section presented a challenging set of questions, emphasizing the importance of selecting the right set for maximum efficiency. Most candidates found two sets doable. The REAL CAT mocks had very similar sets.

Summary of Questions

Set 1: Professors and Departments - Candidates were required to choose a candidate to vote for, with constraints such as not selecting more than two candidates.

Set 2: VISA Office - Ten applicants until 2 pm with 15-minute slots, and two booths processing visas for three countries. Questions focused on slot distribution and the number of visa processes possible for each country within the given slots.

Set 3: Similar to Slot 1 of CAT 2022 Routes - Involving a colony with six houses, pricing conditions, and road allotment. This set was of moderate difficulty.

Set 4: Statistics-based set on restaurant table set ratings, involving average-rated tables.

 

Quants 22 Questions: (TITA 8)

The QA section was rated as moderate to tough, with a higher level of difficulty compared to CAT 2022. Even candidates with weaker quantitative abilities managed to attempt around 8 questions, while those with a stronger background could answer 10-12 questions.

  • Arithmetic covered questions on profit and loss, mixtures, simple interest and compound interest (SICI), time-speed-distance, and time and work.
  • Algebra posed tougher challenges, including questions on algebraic expressions (3-4 questions), logarithms, and geometry
  • Geometry included questions on right-angle triangles, coordinate geometry, and an area-finding scenario in an arithmetic progression.
  • Modern Maths introduced permutation and combination, while probability was absent.

The algebra (7 questions) was more basic and not considered tough.

Mixture and Alligation: 1 question.

Venn Diagram (VPAR): 2 questions.

Time, Speed, and Distance (TSD): 2 questions (1 easy, 1 lengthy).

Modern Maths & Percentage mixed question: 1 question.

Clocks & Calendars: 1 question.

Geometry questions and Number system questions were present.

 

Module

Total Questions

Difficulty Level

Algebra

7 Questions

Moderate to Tough

Mixture and Alligation

1  Questions

Easy to Moderate

Time Speed and Distance

2 Questions

Easy to Moderate

Modern Maths & Percentage

1 Question

-

Clocks and Calendar

1 Question

-

Geometry

-

 

 

CATKing's Predictions and Insights:

CATKing's predictions, including expectations of data interpretation and stats-based sets, route-based questions, and the significance of algebra and geometry, resonated with the actual paper.

The advice to focus on philosophy, as suggested by Rahul Sir, proved valuable.

Conclusion:

CAT 2023 Slot 1 presented a comprehensive blend of challenges across VARC, DILR, and QA. Aspirants navigated through intricate passages, tackled challenging logical scenarios, and grappled with a diverse range of quantitative problems. The analysis provides a holistic view for aspirants to reflect upon their performance and strategize for future attempts.

Stay tuned for more detailed analyses and insights as we continue to decode the layers of CAT 2023. Wishing all CAT aspirants the best in their preparations and future endeavors!

Summary of Questions:

Considering the difficulty level of the paper, aiming for a 99 percentile would ideally require attempting 45 or more questions with a strong 90% accuracy. Aspirants are encouraged to stay tuned to the CATKing Youtube Channel for the 10 pm Session, where a detailed analysis of each section, overall cut-offs, college recommendations, and strategic preparation guidance will be provided.

For those gearing up for Slot 3, it's highlighted that this CAT session is deemed as one of the easiest with the right blend of time management and conceptual clarity. Confidence in understanding the subject matter is crucial, and aspirants are advised to give their best shot. A moment to relax, unwind, and take a break is well-deserved after the dedicated efforts put into exam preparation. Trust the process and let karma play its role. Celebrate tonight, recharge, and return with enthusiasm for the series of upcoming exams. Remember, a single exam does not define aptitude or dictate your entire career path.

All the Best to all MBA Aspirants!

Feel free to share your thoughts, concerns, or queries, and we'll assist you in sorting them out. Your journey is unique, and we wish you success in your endeavors!

Analysis By:

Sumit Singh Gandhi ( CEO, Founder CATKing ) - CATKing is a premier MBA Coaching institute of Maharashtra that focuses on strategic, engaging and high-quality education (www.catking.in)

Brief Profile of the Author:

Sumit Singh Gandhi (Rahul) - CEO, Director CATKing

Education :

•Executive Management Harvard Business School (SPNM)

•MBA: SP Jain Institute of Management &  Research

•Master of Information Technology, Virginia Tech

 

TEDx Speaker at IIM Calcutta and NMIMS inspiring young minds on Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Leadership

      Times 40 Under 40 Awardee, 2023

      Awarded by Entrepreneur India for Best Online Teaching Excellence 2022

      Awarded Best Online CAT Coaching in India 2020

      Awarded Leader in Digital Engagement Strategy  Consulting (Engage7x) 2019

      Awarded Management Coaching Institute Of the Year - Entrepreneur India Education Congress 2018

      Awarded Coaching Institute Of the Year 2017 - Higher Education Review

      Published in Harvard Business School’s "The 20 Years of Impact" across the Global

      Digital  Entrepreneur of the Year  Awarded for Skill Development & Employability by Times Network, Digital India Summit 2016

      Social Entrepreneur Award 2015 by Entrepreneurs India

 

Check out link below:

GDPI Courses

NMIMIS WAT PI

Top B-school GDPI


CAT 2023 Slot 2 Remark: No changes to the Paper pattern, it was same as last year 66 Questions overall with same Paper structure as CAT 2022

Compared to the Previous Year definitely the paper was on the tougher side , One Notch Higher than CAT 2022

CAT 2023 slot 2 examination proved to be a moderate affair, standing in stark contrast to the challenges encountered in Slot 1. Let's delve into a comprehensive analysis of each section.

The Verbal Ability section was relatively straightforward, with a mix of diverse passages. The questions were predominantly inference-based, with a few testing factual knowledge. Overall, the Verbal Ability section leaned more towards the manageable side.

The DILR section in CAT 2023 Slot 2 ranged from moderate to difficult. While the questions were not overly conditional, solving the set was crucial for answering all questions accurately.

Quantitative Aptitude in CAT 2023 Slot 2 the section was tougher than last year and the morning slot. The questions, while lengthy to read, were generally easy to solve for those whose concepts are clear. The exam started up with All Algebra 7 Questions coming together back to back intimidating the students who feared Algebra Module. Notably, the geometry questions were limited to two, deviating from the past trend. CAT 2023 Slot 2 displayed a fair mix of question types, presenting a balanced challenge to the candidates on the conceptual front. Selecting the questions that don’t eat up your time was inevitable.

 

Section

No. of Questions

VARC

24 Questions

DILR

20 Questions

QA

22 Questions

Total

66 Questions

 

Overall the exam was Moderate and a little tough when compared to 2022. VARC was more inference based, but had Reading comprehension passages all from the predicted Topics. DILR was Moderate in difficulty terms but felt a little Time consuming and lengthy.

CAT 2023 Slot 2 exhibited a moderate difficulty level overall, contrasting with the challenges faced in Slot 1. The Verbal Ability section was manageable, with a mix of easy and difficult passages, while the DILR section ranged from moderate to difficult. The QA section maintained a moderate difficulty level with questions resembling the previous year's paper. Despite some complexity in topics like geometry and mathematical reasoning, the paper provided a balanced mix of challenges and familiar concepts, requiring candidates to showcase adaptability and problem-solving skills. Overall, CAT 2023 Slot 2 presented a fair and well-rounded assessment for aspirants.

Negative marking existed for the Multiple choice questions; 1/3rd ie 0.33 negative marks. Type in The answer Questions didn’t have any negative marking similar to the CAT 2022. 

Navigating the Verbal, DILR, and QA Challenges

Sectional Analysis:

Overall Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

VARC 24 Questions:

Reading comprehension was dominated in the verbal section. There were 4 passages with 4 Questions each. More inference-based questions and not factual, there were close options too so it needed little focus while solving.

TITA Verbal ability was overall Moderate.

2 Out of Context (OOC) Questions, involving 5 statements with tricky connections.

2 Parajumbles Questions, each with 4 statements.

2 Parasummary Questions, with options that were easy but closely related.

2 Paragraph Completion Questions, 1 Question was tricky and 1 was doable out of the two

Summary of Questions

Reading Comprehension 16 Questions

The Reading comprehension was based on the following themes:

Passage 1:  Netflix in Europe (Cultural Shift): Easy to Read

This passage offered a straightforward exploration of how Netflix is changing in Europe, focusing on cultural shifts. The ease of comprehension made it accessible to candidates.

Passage 2: History Based: Doable

Marked by difficult vocabulary, this history-based passage posed a challenge for candidates. It tested not only comprehension skills but also the ability to navigate through intricate language.

Passage 3: Self-Care Type: Little Tricky

The passage, centered around self-care, introduced a degree of trickiness. Candidates needed to navigate through nuanced content, requiring a careful understanding of the context.

Passage 4 - Liberalism: Difficult

This passage delved into liberalism and presented a challenge with very long compound sentences. Comprehending the content proved difficult, and familiarity with Aeon might have provided an advantage.

In terms of other question types, the parajumbles were easy, as were the Out of Context questions. Para Summary questions were also on the easier side. Para Completion(Fill in the Blank) consisted of one tricky and one easy question, evaluating candidates' understanding of the passages' structure.

Overall, the VARC section offered a diverse set of challenges, requiring candidates to navigate through passages of varying complexity and showcasing their reading and comprehension skills. The questions had hints of inferences which required students to understand the author’s arguments and what strengthened and weakened it. 

Ideal Attempts in VARC Section: 16-18 Questions

Module

Total Questions

Difficulty Level

Reading Comprehension

16 Questions | 4 RC Passages

Moderate

Parajumbles

2 Questions

Easy to Moderate

Parasummary

2 Questions

Easy to Moderate

Parajumbles - Out of Context

2 Questions

Moderate to Tough

Para Completion

2 Questions

Easy

Total

24 Questions

Good Attempts 16+

 

DILR 24 Questions

The DILR section in CAT 2023 Slot 2 presented a mix of moderate to difficult sets, demanding candidates' analytical prowess and time management skills. Let's delve into the specifics of each set.

Summary of Questions

Set 1: Ride - 3 Girls Taking Ride: Moderate

This set revolved around three girls taking rides at four different time slots, each associated with a different price.

Set 2: 3x3 Grid Box with Coins Placement: Difficult

A 3x3 grid box where coins were placed in rows, requiring calculations involving mean, median, and mode. This set posed a challenge due to its calculation-intensive nature. Candidates had to navigate through intricate computations to determine the placement of coins accurately.

Set 3: Competition with Numbered Balls 1-9:  Very Easy

Three individuals in a competition taking out balls numbered 1-9. This set was comparatively straightforward, testing candidates on basic logical reasoning. It provided a breather amid more complex sets.

Set 4: Start and End of 5 Companies: Moderate

Involving the start and end of five companies with the amount raised in each year. This set introduced many complex conditions but was overall manageable. 1 Crore Revenue was mentioned

The DILR section in CAT 2023 Slot 2 demanded a balanced approach from candidates, testing their ability to handle both moderately complex and challenging scenarios with the need for strategic decision-making on which sets to tackle first. 

Quants 22 Questions: (TITA 8)

CAT 2023 Slot 2 brought forth a dynamic mix of questions in the Quantitative Aptitude (QA) section, consisting of 22 questions. Here's a summarized breakdown of the crucial observations:

General Observations:

  •  Questions exhibited a striking resemblance to the previous year's paper, reflecting a consistent trend in QA.
  • Geometry saw a reduction in weightage, with only 2 questions dedicated to this topic.
  • The questions in this slot did not encompass a blend of concepts but demanded intricate calculations involving numerous multiplication factors
  • Functions, including graphs, assumed a pivotal role, receiving higher weightage in this slot.

Section Overview:

Topic

Number of Questions

Difficulty Level

Easy Questions( Must Attempt)

Arithmetic

Multiple Questions

Moderate

Scenario involving Pipe A B C, demanding calculation-intensive tasks

Algebra

Roots Question

Moderate

Distinct roots scenario

Geometry

Mixed Questions

Moderate

Combination of triangles, circles, and a mensuration question

Modern Math

Geometric Progression

Moderate

A question centering on Geometric Progression

Numbers/Miscellaneous

Not Applicable

NA

No specific questions categorized under this domain

The initial set of 7-8 questions predominantly delved into algebra before transitioning to arithmetic questions.

Four Type-in-the-Answer (TITA) questions were embedded within the section.

Question Distribution:

  •  The overall difficulty level of QA was assessed as moderate, with an emphasis on intricate calculations.
  • Algebra emerged as a prominent focus, featuring 3-4 sequence and series questions
  • Geometric progressions were also seen
  • Geometry, though reduced in weightage, retained significance with 2 question
  • The section's likeness to CAT 2017 was notable, suggesting a degree of continuity in the examination pattern.

CATKing's Predictions and Insights:

 CATKing's predictions, including expectations of data interpretation and stats-based sets, route-based questions, and the significance of algebra and geometry, resonated with the actual paper.

The advice to focus on philosophy, as suggested by Rahul Sir, proved valuable.

Conclusion:

CAT 2023 Slot 2 unfolded with a diverse array of challenges spanning VARC, DILR, and QA. As candidates delved into complex to easy passages, navigated through intricate logical scenarios, and confronted a range of quantitative problems, the examination posed a thorough test of their skills and acumen. This analysis aims to provide a comprehensive overview, allowing aspirants to assess their performance and devise strategies for upcoming attempts.

Stay tuned for more in-depth analyses and insights as we continue to unravel the intricacies of CAT 2023. Best wishes to all CAT aspirants in their ongoing preparations and future endeavors!

Summary of Questions:

Considering the overall difficulty level of the paper, aiming for a 99 percentile would ideally require attempting 45 or more questions with a robust 90% accuracy. Aspirants are strongly encouraged to join the CATKing Youtube Channel for the 10 pm Session, where a detailed analysis of each section, overall cut-offs, college recommendations, and strategic preparation guidance will be provided.

For those preparing for Slot 3, it's worth noting that this CAT session is considered one of the easiest with the right balance of time management and conceptual clarity. Confidence in understanding the subject matter is crucial, and aspirants are advised to give their best effort. Take a moment to relax, unwind, and take a break, as it is well-deserved after the dedicated efforts put into exam preparation. Trust the process and let karma play its role. Celebrate tonight, recharge, and return with enthusiasm for the series of upcoming exams. Remember, a single exam does not define aptitude or dictate your entire career path.

All the Best to all MBA Aspirants!

Feel free to share your thoughts, concerns, or queries, and we'll assist you in sorting them out. Your journey is unique, and we wish you success in your endeavors!

Analysis By:

Sumit Singh Gandhi ( CEO, Founder CATKing ) - CATKing is a premier MBA Coaching institute of Maharashtra which  focuses on strategic, engaging and high quality education (www.catking.in)

Brief Profile of the Author:

Sumit Singh Gandhi (Rahul)

CEO, Director CATKing

Education :

•Executive Management Harvard Business School (SP NM)

•MBA :SP Jain Institute of Management &  Research

•Master of Information Technology, Virginia Tech

 

TEDx Speaker at IIM Calcutta and NMIMS inspiring young minds on Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Leadership

     Times 40 Under 40 Awardee, 2023

     Awarded by Entrepreneur India for Best Online teaching Excellence 2022

     Awarded Best Online CAT Coaching in India 2020

     Awarded Leader in Digital Engagement Strategy  Consulting (Engage7x) 2019

     Awarded Management Coaching Institute Of the Year - Entrepreneur India Education Congress 2018

     Awarded Coaching Institute Of the year 2017 - Higher Education Review

     Published in Harvard Business School’s "The 20 Years of Impact" across the Global

     Digital  Entrepreneur of the Year  Awarded for Skill Development & Employability by Times Network, Digital India Summit 2016

     Social Entrepreneur Award 2015 by Entrepreneurs India

 

Check out link below:

GDPI Courses

NMIMIS WAT PI

Top B-school GDPI


CAT 2023 Slot 3 Has taken CAT itself to another level with every student stepping out and only saying what was this ? Why is it so difficult ? Agonised , dissatisfied with their performance most students are extremely disappointed with the extreme shift in gears

 

Verbal Ability (VARC): Section Structure: 24 questions.

The Verbal Ability section was relatively straightforward, primarily comprising diverse passages.

Question Types: Predominantly inference-based questions with a few testing factual knowledge.

Difficulty Level: Leaned more towards the manageable side.

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR): Section Structure: 20 questions.

Difficulty Range: Ranged from moderate to difficult.

Conditionality: Questions were not overly conditional, but solving the set was crucial for accuracy.

Time Aspect: Felt a little time-consuming and lengthy.

Quantitative Aptitude (QA): Section Structure: 22 questions.

Difficulty Level: Tougher than last year's morning slot.

Question Types: Mix, with an intimidating start of 7 consecutive algebra questions.

Geometry Questions: Limited to two, deviating from the past trend.

Overall Challenge: Difficult challenge, requiring candidates to select questions wisely.

Overall Exam Summary: 

Difficulty Level: Moderate but considered a notch higher than CAT 2022.

VARC: More inference-based, with Reading Comprehension passages from predicted topics.

DILR: Moderate difficulty, somewhat time-consuming and lengthy.

QA: Moderate difficulty, with a mix of question types resembling the previous year.

General Remarks:

Negative Marking: 1/3rd or 0.33 for Multiple Choice Questions; No negative marking for Type-in-the-answer questions, consistent with CAT 2022.

In summary, CAT 2023 Slot 3 presented a moderate to challenging difficulty level, featuring a balanced mix of question types across sections, testing candidates' adaptability and problem-solving skills.

Section 

No.  of  Questions

VARC

24 Questions

DILR

20 Questions

QA

22 Questions

Total

66 Questions

 

Navigating the Verbal, DILR, and QA Challenges

Sectional Analysis:

Overall Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

VARC 24 Questions Analysis:

The verbal section was predominantly focused on Reading Comprehension, with 16 questions in total. The passages spanned a range of themes, each presenting its own set of challenges.

Reading Comprehension Breakdown (16 Questions):

1. Passage 1: Colonialism and Pollution -  This passage was rated as 'Doable'

2. Passage 2: Rationalization -It was considered 'Easy' in terms of language and overall 'Doable’

3. Passage 3: Romanticism - Easy

4. Passage 4:  History - Moderate

Verbal Ability

- Parajumbles: There were 2 questions, both of which were rated as 'Doable'. This implies that while they required some effort to solve, they were not excessively challenging.

- Out of Context (OOC): These 2 questions were considered 'Moderate', indicating a balanced level of difficulty. Candidates needed to identify tricky connections among the statements.

- Parasummary: The 2 questions in this category were labeled as 'Doable', suggesting clarity in options and a moderate level of challenge.

- Para Completion: This section consisted of 2 questions, both categorized as 'Difficult'. This indicates that these questions were challenging, likely testing the candidates' deep understanding of the passage structures and contexts.

Overall Summary:

The VARC section provided a diverse array of questions, ranging in difficulty from easy to difficult. This section tested candidates' abilities to comprehend and interpret various themes and styles of writing. It required a keen understanding of not only the textual content but also the underlying arguments and nuances presented in the passages. The questions were designed to gauge candidates' inference skills and their ability to understand and analyze different types of texts effectively.

 

Ideal Attempts in VARC Section: 16-18 Questions

Module

Total Questions

Difficulty Level

Reading Comprehension

16 Questions | 4 RC Passages

Easy to Moderate

Parajumbles

2 Questions

Easy to Moderate

Parasummary

2 Questions

Easy to Moderate

Parajumbles - Out of Context

2 Questions

Moderate to Tough

Para Completion

2 Questions

Difficult

Total

24 Questions

Good Attempts 16+

 

 

DILR 24 Questions

The DILR section in CAT 2023 Slot 2 presented a mix of moderate to difficult sets, demanding candidates' analytical prowess and time management skills. Let's delve into the specifics of each set.

Summary of Questions

Set 1: Routes and Network - Doable (2 Hidden Conditions):Moderate

This set involved routes and network calculations with two hidden conditions. While manageable, candidates needed a keen eye for hidden patterns.

Set 2: Contradictory Conditions - ACs Scenario: Tricky

This set, involving contradictory conditions related to air conditioners, raised doubts among candidates. The conditions seemed inconsistent, impacting the overall feel of the set.

Set 3: 12 Months Students Subscribed:  Easy to Moderate

This set required candidates to calculate mean and median based on students' subscriptions for offline and online exams over 12 months. It was generally manageable with a moderate difficulty level.

Set 4: Grouping, Students, Project Scores, and Test Scores - Weighted Average - Difficult

This set involved complex aspects such as grouping, students, project scores, and test scores with a focus on weighted averages. It posed a significant challenge, demanding a high level of analytical thinking.

 

CAT 2023 Slot 3 DILR section presented a mix of challenges, with some sets demanding a considerable amount of time and others causing confusion. Candidates were tested not only on their analytical skills but also on their ability to navigate through intricate scenarios within a limited timeframe.

 

Quants 22 Questions: (TITA 8)

CAT 2023 Slot 3 QA section lived up to its reputation of being very difficult. Candidates encountered challenging problems across various topics, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive understanding of quantitative concepts and effective problem-solving skills.

Section Overview:

Topic

Number of Questions

Difficulty Level

Arithmetic

7

Tough

Algebra

8

Tough

Geometry

3

Difficult(Mixture of concepts)

Numbers/Miscellaneous

4

Tough

 

Algebra:

Complexity: Algebra is perceived as complicated.

Difficulty: Students find algebra challenging.

Arithmetic:

Starting Point: Understanding the beginning of arithmetic is difficult.

Mixtures of Topics (Geometry +Permutations and Combinations):

Integration: The combination of geometry and permutations/combinations poses challenges.

Complexity: Dealing with mixed topics can be intricate.

In summary, there are difficulties in algebra due to its complexity, challenges in understanding the starting point of arithmetic, and a mix of topics (Geometry and Permutations/Combinations) presents its own set of complexities. 

CATKing's Predictions and Insights:

CATKing's predictions, including expectations of data interpretation and stats-based sets, route-based questions, and the significance of algebra and geometry, resonated with the actual paper.

The advice to focus on philosophy, as suggested by Rahul Sir, proved valuable.

Conclusion:

CAT 2023 Slot 3 unfolded with a diverse array of challenges, encompassing Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA). As candidates navigated through complex to easy passages, tackled intricate logical scenarios, and grappled with various quantitative problems, the exam presented a thorough test of their skills and acumen. This analysis aims to offer a comprehensive overview, allowing aspirants to evaluate their performance and formulate strategies for upcoming attempts.

Stay tuned for more in-depth analyses and insights as we continue to unravel the intricacies of CAT 2023. Best wishes to all CAT aspirants in their ongoing preparations and future endeavors!

Summary of Questions:

Considering the overall difficulty level of the paper, aiming for a 99 percentile would ideally require attempting 45 or more questions with a robust 90% accuracy. Aspirants are strongly encouraged to join the CATKing Youtube Channel for the 10 pm Session, where a detailed analysis of each section, overall cut-offs, college recommendations, and strategic preparation guidance will be provided.

Take a moment to relax, unwind, and take a break, as it is well-deserved after the dedicated efforts put into exam preparation. Trust the process and let karma play its role. Celebrate tonight, recharge, and return with enthusiasm for the series of upcoming exams. Remember, a single exam does not define aptitude or dictate your entire career path.

All the Best to all MBA Aspirants!

Feel free to share your thoughts, concerns, or queries, and we'll assist you in sorting them out. Your journey is unique, and we wish you success in your endeavors!

Analysis By:

Sumit Singh Gandhi ( CEO, Founder CATKing ) - CATKing is a premier MBA Coaching institute of Maharashtra which  focuses on strategic, engaging and high quality education (www.catking.in)

Brief Profile of the Author:

Sumit Singh Gandhi (Rahul)

CEO, Director CATKing

Education :

•Executive Management Harvard Business School (SP NM)

•MBA :SP Jain Institute of Management &  Research

•Master of Information Technology, Virginia Tech

 

TEDx Speaker at IIM Calcutta and NMIMS inspiring young minds on Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Leadership

     Times 40 Under 40 Awardee, 2023

     Awarded by Entrepreneur India for Best Online teaching Excellence 2022

     Awarded Best Online CAT Coaching in India 2020

     Awarded Leader in Digital Engagement Strategy  Consulting (Engage7x) 2019

     Awarded Management Coaching Institute Of the Year - Entrepreneur India Education Congress 2018

     Awarded Coaching Institute Of the year 2017 - Higher Education Review

     Published in Harvard Business School’s "The 20 Years of Impact" across the Global

     Digital  Entrepreneur of the Year  Awarded for Skill Development & Employability by Times Network, Digital India Summit 2016

     Social Entrepreneur Award 2015 by Entrepreneurs India

 

Check out link below:

GDPI Courses

NMIMIS WAT PI

Top B-school GDPI

CAT 2022 Analysis

The majority of applicants stated that the paper pattern had a similar No of questions to CAT 2021, the few surprises or highlights of this slot are as follows 

Big Surprises in CAT 2022 : 

  • DILR was the toughest as compared to all other sets
  • Quant was a complex thing! Some found easy to moderate some found difficult — it’s more or less based on your preparation too
  • VARC was moderate and good for all who’ve been well-read! Critical reasoning-based RC questions were a trick area to maximize scores

Section-wise question distribution is:

  • CAT 2022 VARC: Total 24 questions 
  • CAT 2022 DILR: Total 20 questions
  • CAT 2022 QA: Total 22 questions

 

 

The marking criteria remained the same: +3 for correct answers and -1 for answers in MCQs  and +3 for the correct answers and there is no negative marking in non-MCQ

  • The Third slot of CAT 2022 was a little more challenging  
  • VARC had an easy to moderate level comparable to the VARC part from the previous year. 
  • DILR went to the level and was moderate to challenging In terms of difficulty In terms  of LOD 2-3
  •  QA was moderate or difficult. 

 

Section Name

Total Questions

Time Limit

Marking Scheme for MCQ Questions 

Marking Scheme for Non- MCQ Questions

 Section 1: Verbal Ability and Reading               Comprehension

This section contains 24 questions. 40 Minutes +3 for the correct answer and -1 incorrect answer +3 for the correct answer and there is no negative marking for the incorrect answer
 Section 2: Data Interpretation and  Logical Reasoning                This section contains 20 questions. 40-Minutes +3 for the correct answer and -1 incorrect answer +3 for the correct answer and there is no negative marking for the incorrect answer
 Section 3: Quantitative Ability This section contains 22 questions. 40 Minutes +3 for the correct answer and -1 incorrect answer +3 for the correct answer and there is no negative marking for the incorrect answer
 Total This section contains 66 questions. 120 Minutes +3 for the correct answer and -1 incorrect answer +3 for the correct answer and there is no negative marking for the incorrect answer

 

CAT Exam Slot 3: Evening Session

Overall CAT 2022 Slot 3 Analysis 

  • Quants are on the tougher side 
  • VCRC is easy to Moderate, 2 RC are easier sir and the other 2 are moderate 
  • LRDI is Moderate to Difficult, where 2 sets are very Tough 

 

Section

Difficulty Level Question Breakout

Number of Questions

 Section 1: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension   Tougher
  • Arithmetic (6-8)
  • Time speed distance (3-4) 
  • Simple interest ( 1 )
  • Average (1) 
  • Algebra ( 4 ) 
  • Functions ( 1-2 )
  • Geometry -  ( 2-3 )
  • NO Permutation combination / No Logs
 22 Questions
 Section 2: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning   Easy to Moderate
  1. DI Set — bar graph of death calculation (easy)
  2.  Reasoning city — 5 days Covid cases (moderate)
  3. 1 set of Games tournaments (lengthy moderate )
  4. Too many variables set of students and AIML courses which to choose ( tough )

 20 Questions

 

 Section 3: Quantitative Ability    Easy to Moderate
  1. RC 1 - American migration/urbanization increasing: Social reorganization increasing crime rate 
  2. RC 2 - software if more easy humans are not capable to get solutions)
  3. RC 3 Indian history
  4. RC 4 philosophy - tough
 24 Questions

Total

     66 Questions

 

Other details of the CAT 2022 Question Paper are as follows: 

  • Test duration is 2 hours   
  • Total Questions 66

 

 

In the past few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as expected the number of questions was reduced to 66. And It remains the same in CAT 2022.

  • The total mark is 198.
  • The total number of questions in the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension Section is 24.
  • The total number of Questions in the Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning section is 20
  • The total number of Questions in the Quantitative Ability section is 22 

 

CAT 2022 Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension Question-wise Breakup:

The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension sections of Slot 3 CAT 2022 are at  Easy to Moderate. In total, 24 questions were to be answered in the allotted 40 minutes.

2 passages were simple to read, 2 passages were challenging, and each had 2 questions that could be answered. 

The questions on the RC Passages were very similar to  those on the CATKing Educare All India Mock

  • Reading Comprehension = 16 Questions
  • RC 1 - Social reorganization increasing crime rate 
  • RC 2 - software if more easy humans are not capable to get solutions)
  • RC 3 Indian history
  • RC 4 American migration/urbanization increasing
  • Verbal Ability – Para jumbles  3 Questions
  • Verbal Ability – para summary  1 Question 
  • Verbal Ability – No Questions of Odd One Out 

 

CAT 2022 Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning Question-wise Breakup:

There were 20 questions total in the Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning part, broken up into 4 sets. DILR was moderate to challenging in Slot 3 CAT 2022 level of difficulty.

  • Set 1: DI Set — bar graph of death calculation (easy)
  • Set 2: Reasoning city — 5 days Covid cases (moderate)
  • Set 3: 1 set of Games tournaments (lengthy moderate )
  • Set 4: Scheduling type but complex so left

 

 

CAT 2022 Quantitative Ability Question-wise Breakup:

In terms of LOD In slot 3 of CAT 2022 is Easy to Moderate. It contained 22 short questions that could be answered in 40 minutes. There were 8 non-MCQs in the section.

  • Arithmetic (6-8)
  • Time speed distance (3-4) 
  • Simple interest ( 1 )
  • Average (1) 
  • Algebra ( 4 ) 
  • Functions ( 1-2 )
  • Geometry -  ( 2-3 )

All the Best!

Related Articles:

How to increase accuracy in CAT

Reading Comprehension CAT

How to crack CAT Quants

Enroll in our courses Now!!

For CAT courses

For Non-cat courses


CAT 2022 Slot II Analysis

CAT 2022: The majority of applicants stated that the paper pattern had a similar No of questions to cat2021, the few surprises or highlights of this slot are as follows 

  Big Surprises in CAT 2022: 

  • Para Completion is coming back again in CAT which was similar to the XAT exam and it had stopped coming in CAT for a long time, but we’re easy to score!
  • VARC had 4 RCs of which 2 surely were easy to do the philosophy one was abstract and complex
  • DILR we had 2 easy sets! Brownie points for attempting these the other two were complex and left by most students
  • Quants were on the tougher side in Slot 2 as compared to Slot 1 CAT 2022

  Section-wise question distribution is

  • CAT 2022 VARC: Total 24 questions 
  • CAT 2022 DILR: Total 20 questions
  • CAT 2022 QA: Total 22 questions

 The marking criteria remained the same: +3 for correct answers and -1 for answers in MCQs and +3 for the correct answers and there is no    negative marking in non-MCQs

  • The Second slot of CAT 2022 was a little more challenging  
  • VARC had a moderate difficulty level comparable to the VARC part from the previous year. 
  • Due to fewer set options, DILR went to the level and was moderate to challenging In terms of difficulty In terms of LOD 2-3  QA was simple.

Also Read: CAT Preparation

 The student-friendly exam pattern for CAT is as follows:

 

Section Name

Total Questions

Time Limit

Marking Scheme for MCQ Questions 

Marking Scheme for Non- MCQ Questions

 Section 1: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension This section contains           24 questions. 40 Minutes +3 for the correct answer and -1 incorrect answer +3 for the correct answer and there is no negative marking for the incorrect answer
 Section 2: Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning  This section contains       20 questions. 40-Minutes +3 for the correct answer and -1 incorrect answer +3 for the correct answer and there is no negative marking for the incorrect answer
 Section 3: Quantitative Ability This section contains 22 questions. 40 Minutes +3 for the correct answer and -1 incorrect answer +3 for the correct answer and there is no negative marking for the incorrect answer
 Total This section contains 66 questions. 120 Minutes +3 for the correct answer and -1 incorrect answer +3 for the correct answer and there is no negative marking for the incorrect answer

 

CAT Exam Slot 2: Afternoon Session

Overall CAT 2022 Slot 2 Analysis 

  • Quants are on the tougher side 
  • VCRC is easy to Moderate, 2 RC are easier sir and the other 2 are moderate 
  • LRDI is also easy to Moderate, where 2 sets are easier

 

 

 

 

Section  Difficulty Level Question Breakout  Number of Questions 
Section 1: Verbal and Reading Comprehension Tougher
  1. 8Q - aritmetic
  2. 8Q - algebra
  3. 3-4Q geometry and mensuration
  4. 2Q number system 
  5. 1Q permutation combination
22 Questions 
Section 2: Data Interpretation 
& Logical Reasoning 
Easy To Moderate
  1. Set 1: Company revenue and profits
  2. Set 2: Tabular data of domestic and foreign products 
  3. Set 3: network diagram shortest path-left in the option
  4. Set 4: Scheduling type but complex so left
20 Questions
Section 3: Quantitative Ability  Easy To Moderate
  1. RC 1 Topic: Music
  2. RC 2 Topic: Engeering technology(easy)
  3. RC 3 Topic: Octopus(easy)
  4. RC 4 Topic: Philosophy(abstract tough)
24 Questions
Total     66 Questions

 

 

Other details of the CAT 2022 Question Paper are as follows

  • Test duration is 2 hours   
  • Total Questions 66

In the past few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as expected the number of questions was reduced to 66. And It remains the same in CAT 2022.

  • The total mark is 198.
  • The total number of questions in the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension Section is 24.
  • The total number of Questions in the Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning section is 20
  • The total number of Questions in the Quantitative Ability section is 22

 

CAT 2022 Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension Question-wise Breakup:

The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension sections of Slot 2 CAT 2022 are at a moderate level of difficulty. In total, 24 questions were to be answered in the allotted 40 minutes.

2 passages were simple to read, 2 passages were challenging, and each had 2 questions that could be answered. The questions on the RC Passages were very similar to those on the CATKing Educare All India Mock

  • Reading Comprehension = 16 Questions
  1. RC1 Topic: Music
  2. RC2 Topic- Engineering technology ( easy )
  3. RC3 Topic: octopus  ( easy )
  4. RC4: philosophy ( abstract tough)  
  • Verbal Ability – Para jumbles  3 Questions
  • Verbal Ability – para summary  
  • Verbal Ability – No Questions of Odd One Out

CAT 2022 Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning Question-wise Breakup:

There were 20 questions total in the Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning part, broken up into 4 sets. 

DILR was moderate to challenging in Slot 2  CAT 2022 level of difficulty. 2 sets of 4 Questions and the other 2 sets have 6 Questions.

  • Set 1: Company revenue and profits 
  • Set 2: Tabular data of domestic and foreign products 
  • Set 3: network diagram Shortest path —— left in the option 
  • Set 4: Scheduling type but complex so left

 

 

CAT 2022 Quantitative Ability Question-wise Breakup:

In terms of LOD In slot 2 of CAT 2022 is Tough. It contained 22 short questions that could be answered in 40 minutes. There were 8 non-MCQs in the section.

    • Algebra - max (6-8)
    • Geometry (3 – 4)
    • Arithmetic (8)
    • Numbers (2)
    • Modern maths (PnC 1)
    • How many numbers can be made from the given set of digits

All the Best!

Related Articles:

How to increase accuracy in CAT

Reading Comprehension CAT

How to crack CAT Quants

Enroll in our courses Now!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For CAT courses

For Non-cat courses 


CAT 2022 Slot I Analysis

CAT 2022: The majority of applicants stated when they first became eligible that the test's format, which was similar to last year's but had a shorter duration, was preserved. There is a time limit of two hours and forty minutes for each section. It's still unclear how many questions there will be in each segment. CAT 2022 ended up having 66 questions. In-depth discussions in CATKing Educare Classes and open sessions helped us forecast how many questions will be in each part of the exam.
 

 

 

Big Surprises in CAT 2022: 

  • Para Completion is coming back again in CAT which was similar to the XAT exam and it had stopped coming in CAT for a long time
  • DILR we had 4 sets of 5 questions
  • Modulus-based questions of Algebra were there in Quants.

Section-wise question distribution is:

  • VARC CAT 2022: Total 24 questions
  • DILR CAT 2022: Total 20 questions
  • QA CAT 2022: A total of 22 questions

The marking criteria remained the same: +3 for correct answers and -1 for answers in MCQs and +3 for the correct answers and there is no negative marking in non-MCQs

  • The first slot of CAT 2022 was a little more challenging.
  • VARC had a moderate difficulty level comparable to the VARC part from the previous year. 
  • Due to fewer set options, DILR was moderate to challenging In terms of difficulty In terms of LODv QA was simple.

Also Read: CAT Preparation

The student-friendly exam pattern for CAT is as follows:


CAT 2022 Exam Slot 1: Morning Session

Other details of the CAT 2022 Question Paper are as follows:

  • Test duration is 2 hours
  • Total Questions 66

In the past few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as expected the number of questions was reduced to 66. And It remains the same in CAT 2022.

  • The total mark is 198.
  • The total number of questions in the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension Section is 24.
  • The total number of Questions in the Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning section is 20.
  • The total number of Questions in the Quantitative Ability section is 22.

As expected the CAT 2022 Slot 1 exam paper pattern is presented in a tabular form below:

 

 

Section

Number of Questions

The number of MCQ Questions

The number of Non-MCQ Questions

 Section 1: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension  Total 24 questions. Out of that 19 questions are MCQ. Out of that 5 questions are Non-MCQ.
 Section 2: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning  Total 20 questions. Out of that 15 questions are MCQ. Out of that 5 questions are Non-MCQ.
 Section 3: Quantitative Ability   Total 22 questions. Out of that 14 questions are MCQ. Out of that 8 questions are Non-MCQ.

Total

 Total 66 questions. Out of that 48 questions are MCQ. Out of that 18 questions are Non-MCQ.

 

 

CAT 2022 Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension Question-wise Breakup:

The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension sections were comparable to CAT 2022 in terms of their moderate level of difficulty. In total, 24 questions were to be answered in the allotted 40 minutes.

There were 5 non-MCQ questions (all Verbal). Each RC paragraph contained between 470 and 500 words. 2 passages were simple to read, 2 passages were challenging, and each had 2 questions that could be answered. The questions on the RC Passages were very similar to those on the CATKing Educare All India Mock.

    • Reading Comprehension = 16 Questions

    -RC 1 Topic: Ghosts and their mysteries how we can’t find their history 

    -RC 2 Topic: Chinese Copy of articles -- Original Copy | Second type is to change size and shape and copy it. (Very Easy) 

    -RC 3 Topic: Two levels of emotional thinking [ Author supports the second level of emotional thinking and links to Buddhism and other religions) 

    -RC 4: STOICS

    • Verbal Ability – Para jumbles = 2 questions
    • Verbal Ability – Summary = 2 questions

    Verbal Ability – Para jumbles (Odd-sentence out) = 0 Questions

 

CAT 2022 Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning Question-wise Breakup:

There were 20 questions total in the Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning part, broken up into 4 sets. DILR was moderate to challenging to the CAT 2022 level of difficulty. Again, there were 5 non-MCQs_ During the allotted time, only 2 Sets could be managed. 

The bar Chart was simple and simply based on DI. The other three required a lot of time. One set had a combination of LR and DI and may be completed 

  • Set 1: Routes and Terminals connected dotted graph-based Q(Must Do)
  • Set 2: Venn Diagram Set (Data Heavy)
  • Set 3: No of Goals scores football based (EASY SET) 
  • Set 4: Boys and Girls

 

 

CAT 2022 Quantitative Ability Question-wise Breakup:

In terms of LODI, the QA section of CAT 2022. It contained 22 short questions that could be answered in 40 minutes. There were 8 non-MCQs in the section.

    • 1 Time Speed Distance 
    • 2Profit and Loss 
    • 2 Ratios 
    • 1Numbers
    • 1Quadratic
    • 3 Questions Modulus
    • 1 Greatest Integer Function 
    • 1 Question distribution of fruits
    • 2-3 Geometric similar to what was done in class
    •  1 Parallelogram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All the Best!

Related Articles:

How to increase accuracy in CAT

Reading Comprehension CAT

How to crack CAT Quants

Enroll in our courses Now!!

For CAT courses

For Non-cat courses 

 

CAT 2021 Analysis

 

First cut analysis is out here, the surprise of the number of questions is out, we saw 66 total questions which is a 10 questions reduction from CAT 2020, and that provided a good time for the students to give a better performance

 

Section No of Questions
VARC 24 Questions
DILR 20 Questions
QA 22 Questions
Total 66 Questions

 

Overall the exam was Doable not very tough when compared to 2020 with DILR was a little Time consuming and lengthy. VARC was more inference based. Overall it had 66 Questions and I am proud this is what I had predicted and our students gave 6 practice mocks of total 66 questions in last 2 months.

CAT 2021 tested students on Speed, Logic and Analytical skills, a sincere student with well rounded preparation of concepts and a good practice of mocks would make their way to the IIMs . CAT tested students on their actual knowledge instead of mere guesswork. The reduction in questions from CAT 2020 helped students have a better time allocation and not have a crisis.

It was an exam with No twist it was all planned well prepared students should be able to outperform, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section was a little difficult and time consuming  , we saw the changes in Reading comprehension passages with dominance of Inference based Questions. But this wouldn't affect the overall criteria for a student selection in IIMs.

Negative marking existed for the Multiple choice questions; 1/3rd ie 0.33 negative marks. Type in The answer Questions didn’t have any negative marking similar to the CAT 2020.

The exam was not very difficult, it was manageable provided your concepts were clear. CAT has always been an ardent lover of concepts and logic than calculations, speed and time when compared to other competitive exams.

 

Feedback from some of the students after the CAT 2020:

“The paper was overall easy, pretty much similar to CAT2020. Thankfully the verbal section went off well to kickstart the exam on a good note. What was surprising was to see no conventional data interpretation questions like the tables, graphs and pie charts. The exam has been as per the expectations so hoping to get good results and making all proud. Awaiting for IIM-A” – Nikhil

“The paper was very structured but lengthy and time crunching. VARC was time consuming with concerns with the inference based questions in all Reading comprehensions not many factual questions. LR/DI was the trick section set selection was the key so now let’s hope for the best.” – Shreya

“A not very tough paper, overall moderate with verbal coming only from 3 areas of RC, parajumbles and inference based questions. DI section was time consuming but manageable. Overall moderate difficulty level so hoping for some good result” – Sumeet

 

Sectional Analysis:

Overall Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult

 

VARC 24 Questions:

Reading comprehension was dominated in the verbal section. There were 4 passages with 4 Questions each. More inference based questions and not factual, there were close options too so it needed little focus while solving.

 

TITA Verbal ability was overall easy.

3 questions on Parajumbles, 3 Questions on Para summary, 2 Questions on Odd one Out. the odd one out was tougher than always

 

Summary of Questions

Reading Comprehension 16 Questions

Verbal Ability 8 Questions (TITA)

 

The Reading comprehension were based on the following themes:

Passage 1: Cattle Fish Self control of food

Passage 2: History based Tea history

Passage 3: Maya personality

Passage 4: Eutopia

Ideal attempts in VARC Section: 18 Questions

 

DILR 24 Questions

LR/DI being Tough, lengthy and time consuming with a variation with 2 Sets coming with 6 questions each and 2 sets with 4 Questions each. Here the success mantra was the set selection as 1 4 Questions set & 1 6 Questions set were the toughest and time consuming, so the students should first wrap up the easy ones and grab a good base and then move to the trickier ones.

 

Summary of Questions

DILR Sets with 6 Questions: 2 Sets = 12 Questions (LR Sets)

DILR Sets with 4 Questions: 2 Sets=8 Questions (DI Sets)

Ideal attempts in DILR Section: 13 Questions

 

Quants 22 Questions: (TITA 8)

Quants was the easiest out of the three sections with direct formula application and concept based questions dominated by arithmetic and little Geometry and algebra. There was no need for having a lot of shortcuts and tricks, your solving speed and your temperament to understand what the question is asking was the main focus. The Questions based on the Venn diagram were tough. Arithmetic dominated the paper then algebra and numbers, geometry saw a lesser visibility with just 3-4 questions and modern maths was negligent in the paper.

 

Summary of Questions:

Keeping the new pattern in focus a 99%ile would be an Ideal Attempts 45+ with 90% accuracy
Overall a happy day for students who know their basics and have preached their books with building conceptual clarity and like Rahul Sir always says “Success comes to those who work for it. Keep working hard and you will see the results !” The exams in terms of difficulty level were very close to our Real CAT Exams and closest to RC 19.

For an in-depth analysis on each section, overall cut-off, which colleges to apply and how to gear up ahead stay tuned to the CATKing

 

Youtube Channel:

Those going in for Slots 2 and 3, Stay confident you know your stuff and just give the best shot at it. Would recommend all students to relax, chill and take a break. You have worked really hard for the exam and done your best. Now let karma play its role, party tonight and come back with a bang for the series of exams lined up ahead, one day one exam can never give an idea about one’s aptitude nor decide your career path. So stay glued and keep rocking!

All the Best to all MBA Aspirants! Punch in your thoughts and concerns and we shall sort you up.

CAT 2020 Analysis

 

Slot I Analysis

CAT2020 is being conducted under the COVID Pandemic in 430 centers across 156 cities with 2.27 Lakh aspirants. Social distancing and COVID guidelines being strictly followed across centers so please reach on time with all the 7 essential items with you. CAT 2020 has been the year of surprises with the biggest one being the reduction in time of CAT from 3 Hours to 2 Hours, this has impacted the paper pattern too in the following manner:


Slot II Analysis


Slot III Analysis


 

Section No of Questions
VARC 26  Questions
DILR 24 Questions
QA 26 Questions
Total 76 Questions

 

Overall the exam was Tough as compared to 2019 with DILR and VARC both being Time consuming and lengthy.

CAT 2020 tested students on Speed, Logic and Analytical skills, a sincere student with well rounded preparation across three sections would make their way to the IIMs . CAT tested students on their actual knowledge instead of mere guesswork.

It was an exam with the twist , Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section was really difficult and time consuming  , we saw the changes in Reading comprehension passages with 5 Questions and DI LR Sets with 6 Questions. But this wouldn’t affect the overall criteria for a student selection in IIMs.

Negative marking existed for the Multiple choice questions; 1/3rd ie 0.33 negative marks. Type in The answer Questions didn’t have any negative marking similar to the CAT 2019.

The exam was not very difficult, it was manageable provided your concepts were clear. CAT has always been an ardent lover of concepts and logic than calculations, speed and time when compared to other competitive exams.

 

Sectional Analysis:

Overall Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult

VARC 26 Questions: 

Reading comprehension was dominated in the verbal section. There were two passages with 5 Questions remaining all had 4 questions in each passage.More inference based questions and not factual. There were a Lot of author based questions.

Parajumbles were tough 3 questions on Parajumbles, 3 Questions on Parasummary, 2 Questions on Odd one Out.

Summary of Questions

Reading Comprehension 18 Questions

Verbal Ability 8 Questions

The Reading comprehension were based on the following themes:

Passage 1: Elephants

Passage 2: Vocabulary based

Passage 3: Greek Anarchy

Passage 4: Chinese Currency

Ideal attempts in VARC Section: 18 Questions

 

DILR 24 Questions

LR/DI being Tough, lengthy and time consuming with having a variation with 2 Sets coming with 6 questions each and 3 sets with 4 Questions each. Here the success mantra was the set selection as the 6 questions sets were the toughest and time consuming, so the students should first wrap up the easy ones and grab a good base and then move to the trickier ones.

Summary of Questions

DILR Sets with 6 Questions: 2 Sets = 12 Questions

DILR Sets with 4 Questions: 3 Sets=12 Questions

Ideal attempts in DILR Section: 13 Questions

 

Quants 26 Questions:

Quants was the easiest out of the three sections with direct formula application and concept based questions dominated by arithmetic and little Geometry and algebra. There was no need for having a lot of shortcuts and tricks, your solving speed and your temperament to understand what the question is asking was the main focus. The Questions based on the Venn diagram were tough. Arithmetic dominated the paper then algebra and numbers, geometry saw a lesser visibility with just 3-4 questions and modern maths was negligent in the paper.

Summary of Questions:

Arithmetic 10 Questions

Algebra 8 Questions

Numbers 5 Questions

Geometry 3 Questions

Ideal attempts in QA Section: 14 Questions

Keeping the new pattern in focus a 99%ile would be an Ideal Attempts 45+ with 90% accuracy

Overall a happy day for students who know their basics and have preached their books with building conceptual clarity and like Rahul Sir always says “Success comes to those who work for it. Keep working hard and you will see the results !” The exams in terms of difficulty level were very close to our Real CAT Exams and closest to RC 18.

 

Check the Slot 1 Analysis:

For an in-depth analysis on each section, overall cut-off, which colleges to apply and how to gear up ahead stay tuned to the CATKing Youtube Channel.

Those going in for Slot 2 and 3, Stay confident you know your stuff and just give the best shot at it. Would recommend all students to relax, chill and take a break. You have worked real hard for the exam and done your best. Now let the karma play its role, party tonight and come back with a bang for the series of exams lined up ahead, one day one exam can never give an idea about one’s aptitude nor decide your career path. So stay glued and keep rocking !

All the Best to all MBA Aspirants! Punch in your thoughts and concerns and we shall sort you up.

 

Slot-II Analysis

CAT 2020 Slot 2 has just ended, we didn’t see any changes in the paper pattern and also the COVID guidelines. Students have been asked to wear masks mandatory, some centers have made it compulsory to not allow students to wear footwear as well as accessories. Lockers were provided to keep your belongings outside at your own risk so something as always told before as well by Rahul Sir only go with the bare essentials for the exam.

 

Section No of Questions TITA Questions
VARC 26 Questions 6 Questions
DILR 24 Questions 6 Questions
QA 26 Questions 6 Questions
Total 76 Questions 18 Questions

 

Overall the exam was Tough as compared to 2019 and as compared to Slot 1 Quants was Tougher because it was lengthy and time consuming, VARC was Moderate and DILR as expected Toughest

The exam focussed on testing your conceptual clarity and how well prepared you are. Selecting the right Questions and managing your time was the key. If you get stuck on one set or one question that was tricky you will lose the battle.

 

Sectional Analysis:

Overall Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult

VARC 26 Questions: 

Reading comprehension was dominated in the verbal section. There were two passages with 5 Questions remaining all had 4 questions in each passage. More inference based questions as seen in the Slot 1 as well and not direct easy factual questions. But this section for someone who has been studying and practicing Reading comprehension well with the Rules of RC by Rahul Sir wouldn’t find difficult

Summary of Questions

Reading Comprehension 18 Questions

Verbal Ability 8 Questions

The Reading comprehension were based on the following themes:

Passage 1: Psychology: Aggressive Behaviour

Passage 2: Renewable Energy

Passage 3: History

Passage 4: Chinese Currency

Verbal ability 8 Questions

Parajumbles 3 Questions Easy

Parasummary 2 Questions Easy (Similar to the Squat RC concept taught by CATKing)

Out of Context 3 Questions Tough

Ideal attempts in VARC Section: 16-20 Questions

 

DILR 24 Questions

LR/DI being Tough, lengthy and time consuming with having a variation with 2 Sets coming with 6 questions each and 3 sets with 4 Questions each.

This was the Make or Break Section; the set with 8 people arrangement based 6 questions was the most complex and time consuming. Most students messed up this section as they were stuck in this particular set.

Summary of Questions

DILR Sets with 6 Questions: 2 Sets = 12 Questions

DILR Sets with 4 Questions: 3 Sets=12 Questions

Ideal attempts in DILR Section: 13 Questions

 

Quants 26 Questions:

Quants was a little trickier than always. Though the questions were solvable they were highly time consuming and posed a major threat to most non engineers. Engineers have managed to pave their way in this section with reaching upto 18-20 attempts. Some Questions which were tough based on analytical skills one could use the rule of elimination and narrow down to 2 options, fit them in the answers and use reverse solving techniques to save time and maximize the scores.

Summary of Questions:

Arithmetic 80% Questions

Geometry More Questions than slot 1

Algebra few Questions

Modern Maths No Questions

Ideal attempts in QA Section: 14 Questions

 

 

40-42 Attempts overall with a 90+% accuracy shall fetch you a 99%ile

Our students were most happy to relate to the VARC and DILR done in the recent most mocks, Aryan Quoted that RCs gave me the true practice for these kinds of challenging DILR sets and Inference based RCS. Especially the RC 14 was most relatable.

For an in-depth analysis on each section, overall cut-off, which colleges to apply and how to gear up ahead stay tuned to the CATKing Youtube Channel.

Let’s see how the Slot 3 fares and post that we shall come up with a consolidation of expected score versus percentile for you.

 

Slot-III Analysis

CAT 2020 Slot 3 has just ended, Quick Summary of the Paper is as follows:

Section No of Questions TITA Questions
VARC 26 Questions 6 Questions
DILR 24 Questions 6 Questions
QA 26 Questions 6 Questions
Total 76 Questions 18 Questions

 

Sectional Analysis:

Overall Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult

VARC 26 Questions: 

Reading comprehension was dominated in the verbal section. There were two passages with 5 Questions remaining all had 4 questions in each passage. More inference based questions as seen in the Slot 1 as well and not direct easy factual questions. But this section for someone who has been studying and practicing Reading comprehension well with the Rules of RC by Rahul Sir wouldn’t find it difficult. Verbal ability was doable for the ones who didn’t get stuck on the difficult passages.

Summary of Questions

Reading Comprehension 18 Questions

Verbal Ability 8 Questions

The Reading comprehension were based on the following themes:

Passage 1: Screen Time Based

Passage 2: Travel adventures

Passage 3: NA

Passage 4: Economics

Verbal ability 8 Questions

Parajumbles 4 Questions Moderate

Parasummary 2 Questions Moderate

Out of Context 2 Questions Tough

Ideal attempts in VARC Section: 14-16 Questions

 

DILR 24 Questions

Toughest Question with more dominance of reasoning than data interpretation in the puzzles seets.

Summary of Questions

DILR Sets with 6 Questions: 2 Sets = 12 Questions

DILR Sets with 4 Questions: 3 Sets=12 Questions

Set1: COVID Patients + Blood Group Bottles arranging —> Manageable

Set 2: 4 VennDiagram Based Most calculation intensive but easy

Set 3: Game based Scoring of points High and Low Tricky but doable

Set 4: Mango and Pine based set the most difficult of all

Ideal attempts in DILR Section: 12 -13 Questions

 

Quants 26 Questions:

Quants was dominated yet again by Arithmetic and Algebra. The Arithmetic questions were time consuming and calculation intensive. Geometry was prevalent in the form of Coordinate geometry and mensuration questions. Algebra had a major chunk of its questions from Functions

Ideal attempts in QA Section: 14-16 Questions

40-42 Attempts overall with a 90+% accuracy shall fetch you a 99%ile

For an in-depth analysis on each section, overall cut-off, which colleges to apply and how to gear up ahead stay tuned to the CATKing Youtube Channel.

CAT 2019 Analysis

The general perception is that verbal was slightly difficult compared to last year, but DI and quant either same or marginally easier. There wasn’t much to differentiate between the two Slots with selective feedback on verbal and DI being slightly tougher in slot II. A marginal drop is expected in overall score for 99%ile compared to last year. In terms of overall pattern, structure and difficulty level, the exam was similar to the exam last year. Unlike the common beliefs, the CAT examiners seemed to focus on a candidate’s aptitude rather than testing student’s ability to handle a disruptive pattern.

 

Exam Structure and Pattern:

The paper consisted of three sections: namely, ‘Quantitative Aptitude (QA)’, ‘Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)’ and ‘Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)’, with 34, 32 and 34 questions, respectively. The order of the sections was fixed, with a sectional time limit of 60 minutes.
 

The sections contained the following segmentation for Slot I:

Sec. No.
Section Name
Total No. of Ques.
No. of Multiple Choice Ques.
Number of Non-MCQs (TITA Ques.)
I
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
34
27
7
II
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
32
24
8
III
Quantitative Ability
34
23
11
 
TOTAL
100
74
26

 

The sections contained the following segmentation for Slot II:

Sec. No.
Section Name
Total No. of Ques.
No. of Multiple Choice Ques.
Number of Non-MCQs (TITA Ques.)
I
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
34
27
7
II
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
32
24
8
III
Quantitative Ability
34
23
11
 
TOTAL
100
74
26
 

Section-wise Review

Verbal Ability Review: Overall verbal ability in both slots will see a drop in cut-off of 6-8 marks

Slot I

In terms of level of difficulty, the verbal section can be labelled as easy to moderate. The accuracy will be the key to good score. As with the exam last year, the exam did not feature any question from Grammar and vocabulary. This effectively meant that the aspirants who were proficient in the topics that are reading-based would have been more comfortable in this section. There were Five RC passages (each of 350-400 words) out of which four passages had five questions each and the fifth had 4 questions. Other questions were from sentence rearrangement, para-jumbles and -summary. There were 7 TITA questions.
 
S. No.
Topic
Questions
Level
1
Passage – Related to British Folk
5
Moderate
2
Passage - Online shopping confusions
5
Easy
3
Passage - Topophilia
5
Easy
4
Passage – Emperor Penguins
5
Moderate
5
Passage - Who actually wrote Alladin Ariabian Nights - Gallond or Diyab
4
Moderate
6
Summary
3
Easy
7
Para Jumbles
4
Easy
8
Misfit
3
Easy
 

Slot II

In terms of level of difficulty, the verbal section can be labelled as moderate. The accuracy will be the key to good score along with selection of passages. One passage was considerably tough to understand. As with the exam last year, the exam did not feature any question from Grammar and vocabulary. This effectively meant that the aspirants who were proficient in the topics that are reading-based would have been more comfortable in this section. There were Five RC passages (each of 350-400 words) out of which four passages had five questions each and the fifth had 4 questions. Other questions were from sentence rearrangement, para-jumbles and -summary. There were 7 TITA questions.
 
S. No.
Topic
Questions
Level
1
Passage 1 – Cities being environment friendly
5
Moderate
2
Passage 2 – Language and Culture
5
Moderate
3
Passage 3 – Use of digital info to restore archaeological sites
5
Moderate
4
Passage 4 – Capital cities and bureaucracy
5
Easy
5
Passage 5 – British Policy
4
Tough
6
Summary
3
Easy
7
Para Jumbles
4
Easy
8
Misfit
3
Easy
 
 
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning: Overall the DILR in both slots will likely see similar cut off or marginal increase of 1-2 marks. The slot II may not see any gains.
 

Slot I

As with this section last year, the section was most difficult but moderately easier compared to last year. There were 8 sets of 4 questions each and 3 sets may be categorised as easy to moderate. In general students reported an attempt of 2-3 more questions compared to last year. There were 8 TITA in DI.
 
S. No.
Topic
Questions
1
Cross Roads
4
2
Cryptography
4
3
Arrangement of Biscuit and Candies
4
4
4 Dancers, 4 Composers and 8 Performances
4
5
Bar Graph on crime rates
4
6
Radar Graph - Data Set on 5 vendors of diff parameters
4
7
Boxes and diff types of items placed
4
8
other
4
 
 
The section was as difficult as last year and a notch above from slot 1 with a few tricky sets. Therefore the set selection was critical to success. One scattered graph set looked out rightly difficult, but was manageable in terms of calculation, one more set was easy while others were time consuming and  difficult. There were 8 sets of 4 questions each. There were 8 TITA in DI.
 
S. No.
Topic
Questions
1
Venn Diagram Distribution
4
2
Distribution of People in Teams
4
3
Tournament
4
4
Rainfall Data – Scattered
4
5
Revenue Profit Dotted Graph
4
6
3 Doctors and their fees and room no.
4
7
Paper setting 5, 10, 15 marks
4
8
Other
4
 
 
 
Quantitative Aptitude Review: Overall, the quant section will likely register similar cut-off or may be 1-2 marks higher
 
The Quant section was quite similar compared to last year or may be moderately easier. The number of attempts was higher on average but accuracy will hold the key. There were 11 TITA questions.
 
S. No.
Topic
Questions
1
Number System & Average
2-2
2
Algebra
4-5
3
Commercial Maths & Arithmetic
11-12
4
Geometry & Mensuration
5-6
5
TSD
2-3
6
Venn, Clocks & Logs
2
7
P&C, Probability
3-4
8
Other
4
 
 

Slot II

The Quant section was quite similar to first slot with general thought of it being slightly easier than last year. But it did seem calculation intensive. There were again 11 TITA questions.
 
S. No.
Topic
Questions
1
Number System & Average
4-5
2
Algebra
4-5
3
Commercial Maths & Arithmetic
8-10
4
Geometry & Mensuration
3-4
5
TSD
2-3
6
Venn, Clocks & Logs
2
7
P&C, Probability
1
8
Function
1
 

CAT 2018 Analysis

The CAT 2018 was conducted on November 25, 2018, by IIM Calcutta. The exam was conducted across 144 test centers across India. The exam was conducted in two slots morning and afternoon slots, i.e from 9 AM to 12 PM and 2.30 PM to 5.30 PM.

Test Pattern and the number of questions


Detailed Analysis of Slot 1:

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
The RC part had a total of five passages with a similar word limit. Four passages had five questions each and one passage had four questions. The passage on Genetics was apparently difficult and slightly tedious to read. Other passages were related to Second World War, Elephant Society, Consumer Behaviour Policy and Plastic Pollution.

 

Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation

the DILR section was moderately tough on the difficulty scale. The section had 32 questions divided into 24 MCQs and 8 non-MCQs. Out of the total sets given in the section, 4 sets were easy to solve. The best part of DI sets was that no calculation was required in any of the sets to solve.around 16-18 questions with 95 percent accuracy is considered as good to get a high score.

 

Quantitative Ability

The section had questions from Arithmetic (14), Modern Math (10), Geometry (six) with a couple of questions from Algebra and Numbers each. There were around eight to 10 sitter questions in this section. According to experts, Arithmetic, Algebra and Geometry questions were on the tougher side.


Detailed Analysis of Slot 2:

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

The VARC section of second slot last year was similar to that of the first slot. As per the experts, most of the questions related to VA were easy. Especially TITA questions were quite easy. Around 28-30 question could be attempted easily with high accuracy to score well in this section.

 

Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation

There were 8 sets of 4 questions each.  There were 2 blocks which were easy and doable. A block consisting of room allotment to 7 students was easy and again a block on mobile’s costing, profitability and revenue was also doable. Blocks related to coding and college ranking should have been avoided as they were lengthy and tough. Rest were moderate to tough of which selectively 1-2 could have been done with good application.

 

Quantitative Ability

Quantitative aptitude was tricky and tough similar to slot 1. There were 4-5 questions on ratios which were very calculative. Geometry had 5 questions out of which 2 were straight forward and easy and rest were tough. There was only 1 question on permutation and Venn Diagram. Time and work had 4 questions which were also calculative and required application. There were 3 to 4 questions on mixtures which were moderately tough but calculative. Function and number system had 1-2 questions each. Algebra had 7 -8 questions which were moderate to tough. Time, speed and distance also had 3-4 questions moderately difficult.

CAT 2017 Analysis

The CAT 2017 was conducted on November 26, 2017 by IIM Lucknow. The exam was conducted across 144 test centers across India. The exam was conducted in two slots morning and afternoon slots, i.e from 9 AM to 12 PM and 2.30 PM to 5.30 PM. The overall difficulty of the CAT 2017 can be considered to be moderate. The LRDI was quite tough to crack, with only a few doable questions. Many would have felt it very difficult to attempt more numbers of sets in LRDI section. The pattern for CAT 2017 was same as the pattern of CAT 2016.

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Detailed Analysis of Slot 1:

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

VARC section had 24 questions in RCs and 10 questions in Verbal ability section. The RCs which appeared were easy to read and the students could comprehend it easily in terms of language and the content. Total number of RCs which appeared were 5 and out these 5 RCs three RCs had 6 questions and the other two RCs had 3 questions. The questions which were asked in RCs were mainly inference-based, which requires good critical reasoning skills. The options for most of the questions were close enough and this involved multiple reading of the questions as well as the passage. This made the students consume lot of time in attempting the questions and left most of the students in dilemma whether they have attempted the question right or wrong.

Verbal ability section was on the moderate level of difficulty. Number of non MCQ questions which appeared in this section was 7 and most of these questions appeared difficult to the students because of the Type in the Answers.

 

Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation

This was the most difficult section in CAT 2017 Slot 1. The difficulty level of this section was much higher than CAT 2016 LRDI. All the sets of DI and LR were difficult and very difficult. All the DI sets in this section had reasoning based DI questions and it was difficult to identify and classify the sets in DI. All the sets which appeared took more time to solve than compared to CAT 2016. Non-MCQ questions were spread across all the sets and no set had completely non MCQ questions. Good number of attempts for this section is 14-16 questions solving 4 sets.

Mocks to ace the Exams

 

Quantitative Ability

Most of the students considered this section to be the easiest out of the 3 sections. Hence the number of questions attempted by students were quite higher than CAT 2016. Highest number of questions were from Arithmetic with 13 questions, followed by geometry and Modern maths. Total number of non MCQ questions in this section was 11 and most of the questions in this section were sitters. Questions mainly tested elementary concepts. Good number of attempts for this section is 23-25 questions with 90% accuracy.

Also Read: How to crack CAT Quants


Detailed Analysis of Slot 2:

The pattern of the slot 2 was similar to that of the slot 1. There were no surprises in terms of the sections and number of questions in each of the sections. The difficulty level of this slot was also on par with the morning slot.

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

This section was similar to that of the morning slot with 24 questions in RC and 10 questions in verbal ability. RCs which appeared for this slot were also easy to read and doable questions. However the options were close enough which troubled the students in marking the right option and this consumed lot of time to attempt. Total number of RCs which appeared were 5 and out these 5 RCs three RCs had 6 questions and the other two RCs had 3 questions.

In the verbal ability questions also, there 7 non MCQ questions which were tougher than usual. The questions which were asked were not direct and students spend lot of time in attempting.

How to prepare for CAT Verbal section

 

Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation

LRDI of Slot 2 of CAT 2017 was the difficult section to crack and students faced lot of difficulty in solving the sets of DI and LR. Selection of the right sets to solve was key to a good performance in this section. One set on DI was on easy calculations and two sets on Logical Reasoning had easy arrangements. These sets were easily attemptable by most of the students. Non-MCQ questions were spread across all the sets and no set had completely non MCQ questions. Good number of attempts for this section is 14-16 questions solving 4 sets.

 

Quantitative Ability

This again was the easiest section out of the three sections in CAT 2017 Slot 2. The easy questions were from arithmetic topics. Students who had regular practice of solving Quant questions felt very comfortable in this section. There 11 non MCQ questions in this section most of the questions tested elementary concepts. Decent number of questions with to attempt in this section is 23-25 with 85-90% accuracy.

CAT 2016 Analysis

The CAT 2016 was conducted on December 4, 2016 by IIM Bangalore. The exam was conducted across 136 test centers across India. The exam was conducted in two slots morning and afternoon slots, i.e from 9 AM to 12 PM and 2.30 PM to 5.30 PM. The overall difficulty of the CAT 2016 can be considered to be moderate to difficult. The LRDI was very difficult section, with only a few doable questions. The number of doable questions in LRDI were quite less and all the sets had difficult questions.

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Detailed Analysis of Slot 1:

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

VARC section had 24 questions in RCs and 10 questions in Verbal ability section. The RCs which appeared were easy to read but were very lengthy and the students could comprehend it easily in terms of language and the content. The topics of the RCs were from Economics, Environment, and Linguistic Studies etc. Total number of RCs which appeared were 5. The questions which were asked in RCs were mainly inference-based, which requires good critical reasoning skills. The options for most of the questions were close enough and this involved multiple reading of the questions as well as the passage.

The questions in Verbal ability area did not have any negative marking as they were of the non-MCQ type which could have motivated students to attempt them. Verbal ability section was on the moderate level of difficulty. The para formation questions were one of the toughest in the CAT history.

Also Refer: Tips on Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension

 

Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation

This was the most difficult section in CAT 2016 Slot 1. The difficulty level of this section was much higher than that of previous year CAT exams. All the sets of DI and LR were difficult and very difficult. All the DI sets in this section had reasoning based DI questions and it was difficult to identify and classify the sets in DI. Non-MCQ questions were spread across all the sets and no set had completely non MCQ questions. Good number of attempts for this section is 13-16 questions solving 4 sets.

Mocks to ace the Exams

 

Quantitative Ability

The difficulty level of this section was marginally higher than CAT 2015. Many questions were from Geometry and arithmetic. The image of the Square Root sign in some of the questions resembled more like a PI - thereby creating some confusion. There were only 7 non-MCQ questions. There were at least 8 to 10 sitter questions in this section. Questions mainly tested elementary concepts. Good number of attempts for this section is 22-25 questions with 90% accuracy.


Detailed Analysis of Slot 2 :

The pattern of the slot 2 was similar to that of the slot 1. There were no surprises in terms of the sections and number of questions in each of the sections. The difficulty level of this slot was similar with that of the morning slot.

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

This section was similar to that of the morning slot with 24 questions in RC and 10 questions in verbal ability. RCs which appeared for this slot were also easy to read and doable questions was easy to crack. However the options were close enough and many students faced difficulties in marking the right answer. Total number of RCs which appeared were 5 and were lengthy.

In the verbal ability questions the questions were very hard to crack for the students. All the questions in this were non-MCQ. The 3 Summary questions were mostly quite easy, and the 3 Odd Sentence out of the Paragraph questions were of a moderate level of difficulty. Para – jumble questions were quite challenging.

 

Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation

LRDI of Slot 2 of CAT 2017 was the difficult section to crack and students faced lot of difficulty in solving the sets of DI and LR. The sets in Logical Reasoning were somewhat trickier to solve than those of Data Interpretation. These sets were easily attemptable by most of the students. Non-MCQ questions were spread across all the sets and no set had completely non MCQ questions. Good number of attempts for this section is 13-16 questions solving 4 sets.

 

Quantitative Ability

This section was the easiest section out of the three sections in CAT 2016 Slot 2. The difficulty level was marginally higher than the CAT 2015.  The many questions were from arithmetic topics. Students who had regular practice of solving Quant questions felt very comfortable in this section. There were questions from regular topics like Algebra, Geometry, Modern Math, Arithmetic and Number Systems. Decent number of questions with to attempt in this section is 22-25 with 85-90% accuracy.

CAT 2015 Analysis

The CAT 2015 was conducted on November 29th, 2015 by IIM Ahmedabad. The exam was conducted across 136 test centers across India. The exam was conducted in two slots morning and afternoon slots, i.e from 9 AM to 12 PM and 2.30 PM to 5.30 PM.

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Detailed Analysis of Slot 1:

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

The CAT Reading Comprehension and Verbal Ability sections have been easy and doable for the past couple of years, and this year was no exception. There were 24 RC questions, and 10 Verbal Ability/Reasoning questions. The passages were easy to understand and no passage had very abstract or dense subject matter. All the Verbal Ability Questions were TITA questions. There were no Grammar questions in the VA section

Also Refer: Tips on Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension

 

Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation

the Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning Sets were very time consuming. In particular, the sets in Logical Reasoning were much more difficult than the Data Interpretation Sets .This section was certainly the toughest and the most challenging among the three sections. About 5 of these sets in the given time with an accuracy of around 85-90%.The sets that should have been definitely solved were Line graph & Table Set, Reasoning & Calculation based Table Set involving percentage calculation and finding missing values of certain variables, Reasoning & Calculation based on principles of work and Set Based on Groupings & Arrangements.

Mocks to ace the Exams

 

Quantitative Ability

This section was on the easier side and was dominated by Arithmetic, Algebra and Geometry based questions. There were no questions based on Number Properties. Most of the questions in this section tested basic concepts.


Detailed Analysis of Slot 2 :

The pattern of the slot 2 was similar to that of the slot 1. There were no surprises in terms of the sections and number of questions in each of the sections. The difficulty level of this slot was similar with that of the morning slot.

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

There were no grammar questions in the VA section. The RC questions were mostly quite easy: there may have been one or two questions that had close options, and which might have given students pause for thought, but otherwise they were nearly all very doable. The passages themselves were fairly easy to read and understand. The VA questions were slightly tougher: for example, none of the options of one of the paragraph summary questions seemed correct; in an odd sentence out question, all the sentences seemed to fit logically, so choosing the odd one out was tough; and in one of the jumbled paragraph question, it was difficult to identify the first sentence.

 

Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation

This section consisted of 4 sets on DI and LR each. Each set had 4 questions. Most of the sets were time consuming and challenging. A few DI sets had logical angle to them.  In general, all the sets were data intensive with several conditions. In general, DI-LR section was at similar level of difficulty as DI-LR section of CAT-2014. Calculator was useful for solving only a few questions in the set. There were 8 TITA questions in all in this section

 

Quantitative Ability

Out of 34 questions in the section, 15 were TITA questions and the remaining 19 were MCQ questions. This section was marked by easy to medium level of difficulty question. In general, the level of difficulty of this section was slightly higher than the level of difficulty of CAT-2014 QA section. This section was dominated by questions on Arithmetic and Geometry. Questions from all the different topics in Arithmetic were tested.

CAT 2014 Analysis

Computer based CAT 2014 was held on two days, 16th and 22nd November, 2014. The total number of questions were 100, with a time limit of 170 minutes. There was no time restriction for any section. Hence, one could switch over to any section during the exam. The overall impression of the paper was moderate, except for the AR and DI sections. In fact,Analytical Reasoning and Data Interpretation questions were relatively easy to moderate in the paper conducted on the second day i.e. 22nd Nov 2014.

 

Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation

Although DI was tough but Quants was comparatively manageable. Ideal attempts were 10 questions.The Quantitative Aptitude portion of the exam was significantly easier than the previous year’s CAT papers. In terms of degree of difficulty, the section featured only a few probing questions and majority of the questions could be handled easily. Mostly the questions were based on common sense asthere was no data sufficiency questions this time.

 

Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning

The overall level of the questions was moderate. Reading comprehension passages were manageable. Only 1 out of the 4 passages was tough. Questions on verbal ability covered only a few areas like critical reasoning, sentence rearrangement, and misfit among sentences given. Logical reasoning section had 4 sets with 4 questions each. The LR section was also moderate except one set on Venn diagrams which was comparatively difficult.

 

CAT 2013 Analysis

The CAT 2013 was a 27 testing day long computer based test starting from 16th October 2013 to 11th November 2013. CAT 2013 witnessed 2 sections with designated time limits that are 70 minutes for 30 questions in each section.Switching of Section was not allowed,students can review the section within the time provided.

 

Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation

Although Quants was tough but DI was comparatively manageable. Ideal attempts were 18 to 19 questions. Mostly the questions were based on common sense as there were no data sufficiency questions this time.The questions on quantitative ability were based on various topics and involved tough calculations. Overall, this section was difficult and speed

Learn from CAT Toppers and make your IIM dream come true

 

Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning

There were 3 RCs with little lengthy with standard questions like “Theme of the passage”, “Tone of the author”, etc. A good attempt in this section would be of 20-22 questions correctly.The level of the questions was moderate. Reading comprehension passages were manageable. Only 1 out of the 3 passages was tough. Questions on verbal ability covered entirely every topic of English usage. Logical reasoning witnessed 3 sets with 3 questions each.