CAT 2021 question paper will have 76 questions in total. Know all about expected CAT 2021 question paper section wise.
CAT 2021 question paper will be the same as CAT 2020 question paper in terms of structure and pattern as no change has been notified in the official CAT 2021 notification. Like last year, the CAT exam will be conducted in three slots on a single day. The CAT exam date is November 28. CAT 2021 registration dates are August 4 to September 15. Those who wish to appear in the exam, must make a CAT preparation strategy on the basis of the question paper.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic is still not over, the CAT exam will again be conducted with pandemic guidelines. In this article, we have shared possible CAT 2021 question paper structure and exam pattern based on last year’s paper. Know all about expected CAT 2021 question paper section wise.
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CAT 2021 Question Paper: Highlights
The CAT 2021 question paper is expected to have 76 questions in total. The paper will be divided into three sections: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) and Quantitative Aptitude (QA). Check the table below for key highlights:
Features |
Details |
---|---|
Sections |
1.VARC (26 questions) 2.DILR (24 questions) 3.QA (26 questions) |
Total time duration |
120 minutes (2 hours) |
Sectional time limit |
40 minutes |
Total number of questions |
76 |
Total marks |
228 |
Marking scheme |
+3 marks for every right attempt -1 mark for every wrong attempt No negative marking for non-MCQs |
Also Read:
- CAT 2021 preparation: Coaching vs self study
- Strategies to score 99+ percentile in CAT: Expert take
- How many questions to attempt in CAT to score 99+ percentile
- Changes in CAT question papers in last 10 years
- CAT exam: 10 popular myths busted
Now, let’s take a look at the expected CAT 2021 question paper section wise.
CAT 2021 Question Paper: Section 1 – VARC
The VARC section of CAT 2021 question paper is expected to have 26 questions. The overall difficulty level of VARC section of CAT is usually moderate to high as Reading Comprehension dominates the section. There will be four RC passages of about 600-900 words. There will be four-five questions for each passages. Rest of the questions will be a mix of grammar and verbal ability. Question type will be MCQ and non-MCQ both. Topics from which questions can be asked in CAT 2021 are:
- Verbal Ability
- Parajumbles
- Out of Context sentence
- Summary
- Sentence correction
Given below is the table indicating structure of VARC section of CAT 2020 question paper for reference.
Area |
No. of Questions |
Question Type |
---|---|---|
Reading Comprehension |
18 |
MCQ |
Verbal Ability |
08 |
MCQ & non-MCQ |
Parajumbles ( 4 sentences) |
3 |
non-MCQ |
Out of Context sentence |
2 |
non-MCQ |
Summary |
3 |
MCQ |
Overall |
26 |
-- |
Also Read:
CAT 2021 Question Paper: Section 2 – DILR
The DILR section of CAT 2021 question paper will have 24 questions in MCQ and non-MCQ format. The division of number of questions for DI and LR is expected to be same, i.e. 12 each. There will be three DI sets and two LR sets. Difficulty level of this section of CAT is usually high, so one can expect the same in CAT 2021 as well. Given below is the table indicating structure of DILR section of CAT 2020 question paper for reference.
Area |
No. of Questions |
Question Type |
---|---|---|
Data Interpretation– 6 students appearing for exam in 5 subjects |
6 |
4 MCQ + 2 non-MCQ |
Logical Reasoning–4 companies competing for Contracts |
6 |
6 MCQ |
Data Interpretation–1,000 patients getting treated with 4 different drugs |
4 |
4 non-MCQ |
Data Interpretation–10 musicians |
4 |
4 MCQ |
Logical Reasoning–Payment to taxi drivers |
4 |
4 MCQ |
Overall |
24 |
-- |
CAT 2021 Question Paper: Section 3 – Quantitative Aptitude
The Quantitative Aptitude section will be the third and last section of CAT 2021 question paper. Although the QA section of CAT exam is easier than VARC and DILR, one can’t take it lightly. It has more risk of negative marking as all the questions are in MCQ format. Over the years, CAT’s QA section has been mainly Arithmetic centric, and it is expected that CAT 2021 question paper will follow the same trend.
In QA section of CAT 2021, there will be 26 questions from topics such as Algebra, Geometry, Arithmetic, Numbers and Modern Math. Given below is the table indicating structure of QA section of CAT 2020 question paper for reference.
Area |
No. of Questions |
Question Type |
---|---|---|
Numbers |
2 |
MCQ |
Arithmetic |
10 |
MCQ |
Algebra |
8 |
MCQ |
Geometry |
3 |
MCQ |
Modern Maths |
3 |
MCQ |
Overall |
26 |
-- |
Download:
- CAT 2020 Question Paper: Download Free PDF
- CAT 2019 Question Paper: Download Free PDF
- CAT 2018 Question Paper: Download Free PDF
- CAT 2017 Question Paper: Download Free PDF
- Verbal Ability (VA) solved questions
- Data Interpretation (DI) solved questions
- Data Interpretation (DI) solved questions - Part 2
- Logical Reasoning (LR) solved questions
- Quantitative Aptitude (QA) solved questions
CAT exam aspirants can try free question banks and mock tests listed below for practice and preparation.
Free VARC Questions with Answers for Practice | Free Quantitative Aptitude Questions with Answers for Practice | Free DILR Questions with Answers for Practice |
Try this CAT Mock Test, Powered by IMS, to assess your preparation level and time-management skill.
Free CAT Mock Test 1Try second CAT Mock Test, Powered by IMS, to assess your preparation level and time-management skill.
Free CAT Mock Test 2Vipra is a massive Breaking Bad fan. When not watching crime drama series, she spends time in updating the list of places she wants to visit and people she wants to meet, but she is happiest in the company of dogs. ... Read Full Bio
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Student Forum
Answered 15 hours ago
To download the CDAC C-CAT admit card, the candidates will have to visit the official website at cdac.in. The login credentials required to access the CDAC C-CAT admit card are the candidate's application form number and password. During the registration process, the candidates should check their ap
N
Beginner-Level 3
Answered 15 hours ago
Yes. CDAC C-CAT admit card is released online. The candidates will be able to access the CDAC C-CAT admit card download link online at cdac.in. No other mode will be used by the authorities to release the CDAC C-CAT admit card. To log in, the candidates will have to provide the required credentials.
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Beginner-Level 3
Answered Yesterday
No, SKILL-CAT exam is not compulsory to get into MBA at Symbiosis Skills and Professional University. Candidates can also apply with a valid score of national-level examinations. The accepted entrance exams are CAT/MAT/SNAP/GMAT, etc. After shortlisting candidates based on exam scores, the universit
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Beginner-Level 5
Answered 3 days ago
LEAD college og management ofers admissions based on entrance and merit. The institute offers courses such as MBA AND MCA for duration 2 year full timemode.
Candidates must have minimum marks of 50% in graduation from a recognised university or college. Apart from this, candidates must obtained vali
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Beginner-Level 5
Answered 4 days ago
Hi Sanjana,
MDI Gurgaon primarily accepts CAT scores for admission to its PGDM programs. For Indian students, a valid CAT score is required. However, for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Foreign Nationals, and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), a GMAT score is accepted.
The last date to apply for the PGDM,
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Contributor-Level 9
Answered 4 days ago
Dear Sayandip,
Achieving a 60 percentile in the CAT exam may not meet the typical cutoff requirements for admission to the KIIT School of Management (KSOM). Based on available information, KSOM generally considers candidates with higher CAT percentiles for admission.
Typical Cutoff Percentiles for KS
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Contributor-Level 9
Answered 4 days ago
Yes, Mangalmay Institute of Management and Technology accepts the CAT exam for admission to MBA and MBA+. Further, the college accepts other entrance exam for admission to MBA, such as MAT, XAT, CAT, CMAT Additionally, the college has some basic eligibility criteria that differ from course to course
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Contributor-Level 6
Answered 4 days ago
No, CAT score is not required to secure MBA admission at The Neotia University. The university provides merit-based admissions to eligible applicants. Candidates who fulfil the course-specific eligibility criteria can visit the university's official website to apply. They must upload all the require
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
Manipal University offers admission to several MBA courses via its affiliated college called TAPMI Manipal. The institute accepts several national-level entrance exams, such as CAT/ XAT/ CMAT, and NMAT, for admission to the MBA/PGDM courses. During the TAPMI Manipal MBA cutoff 2023, the CAT cutoff p
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
Yes, freshers can apply for the MBA program at the National Institute of Financial Management (NIFM). For admission, NIFM considers scores from various entrance exams, including CAT, CMAT, XAT, MAT, and GMAT.
With a CAT percentile of 76.41, you have a good chance of securing admission at NIFM, as th
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Contributor-Level 8
Which login credentials are required to download CDAC C-CAT admit card?