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Vipra Shrivastava
Senior Manager - Content
Updated on Aug 3, 2021 13:58 IST

CAT 2021 question paper will have 76 questions in total.  Know all about expected CAT 2021 question paper section wise.

CAT 2021 question paper

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:

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:

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  • Verbal Ability
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  • 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 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 1

Try second CAT Mock Test, Powered by IMS, to assess your preparation level and time-management skill.

Free CAT Mock Test 2
About the Author
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Vipra Shrivastava
Senior Manager - Content

Vipra 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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