IIM Lucknow set a moderate to high difficulty level CAT 2023 question paper. Check here detailed explanation CAT 2023 question papers of all three slots. Download CAT 2023 question paper PDFs for knowing the sectional weightage and difficulty level.
CAT 2023 Question Paper (Slot 1, 2 and 3)
CAT 2023 question paper was of moderate to high difficulty level. The pattern of last year's CAT paper was same as previous years with a few changes in topic-wise weightage. The difficulty level was slightly higher than previous years. The CAT 2023 had three sections – Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) and Quantitative Ability (QA). Total number of questions were 66.
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The sectional breakup of CAT question paper 2023 was no different from previous years. While VARC had only MCQ, DILR and Quantitative Aptitude section had a few non-MCQs. Here we have shared the composition of CAT question paper slot 1, slot 2 and 3. Candidates preparing for CAT 2024 must go through last year CAT paper and solve it so to know and understand the question types and difficulty levels. CAT exam 2024 is scheduled to be held on November 24, 2024, so this is the right time to start practicing CAT previous year papers.
Officially, the question papers and CAT answer keys are released 4-5 days after the exam. Download CAT 2023 question paper PDFs below:
| CAT_2023_Question_Paper_-_Slot_1 | CAT_2023 Question_Paper_Slot_3 |
You can get memory based answer keys slot wise by clicking on the following links:
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CAT 2023 Question Paper: Sectional Composition
The CAT question paper 2023 of every slot is same in terms of structure, sectional breakup and weightage. However, the difficulty level will vary. Given below is the section wise break-up of CAT question paper 2023 Slot 1, Slot 2 and Slot 3:
| CAT 2023 Sections |
Number of Questions |
Allotted Time-Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Aptitude (QA) |
24 |
40 minutes |
| Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation (LRDI) |
20 |
40 minutes |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) |
22 |
40 minutes |
| Total |
66 |
120 minutes |
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CAT 2023 Question Paper: Marking Scheme
Every question carries 3 marks for correct entry and minus 1 mark for incorrect entry. There is no negative marking for unanswered questions and incorrect attempts in non-MCQ.
| CAT 2023 Sections |
Number of Questions |
Total Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Aptitude (QA) |
24 |
72 |
| Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation (LRDI) |
20 |
60 |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) |
22 |
66 |
| Total |
76 |
198 |
Download CAT previous year question paper PDFs
Q: From where can I download CAT question papers?
Q: How many RC questions does CAT have?
The CAT VARC section is dominated by RC questions. Out of 24 questions about 14-16 are based on Reading Comprehension passages and the rest of them are based on parajumbles, para completion, etc.
CAT has about 12-16 RC question. In CAT 2022, there were four RC passages each having four questions. The ideal attempt was estimated at 13. Since, it is not mandatory to solve all the questions, candidates can maximize their scores by leaving out the questions related to the passage they find the toughest. There is negative marking in CAT so candidates must ensure that they mark only the correct options or do not mark any option at all.
CAT 2023 Question Paper: VARC
The VARC section of CAT question paper 2023 as usual had more Reading Comprehension questions than Verbal Ability, which made it a tough section to crack. Given below is the break-up of VARC section of CAT question paper 2023:
| Module |
Total Questions |
Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension |
16 Questions | 4 RC Passages |
Moderate to Tough |
| Odd One Out |
2 Questions |
Easy to Moderate |
| Parasummary |
2 Questions |
Easy to Moderate |
| Parajumbles |
2 Questions |
Moderate to Tough |
| Paracompletion |
2 Questions |
Easy |
| Total |
24 Questions |
Good Attempts 15+ |
RC Passages of CAT Question Paper 2023
Check the table below for topics of the Reading Comprehension passages of CAT question paper 2023, slo1, 2 and 3. All the passages are inference based.
| CAT 2023 Slot 1 |
CAT 2023 Slot 2 |
CAT 2023 Slot 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
RC 1 Topic: Garments/ fashion Industry & Pollution- Easy to moderate RC 2 Topic: Netflix Dubbing of titles for Europe→ Good or Bad for Europe? RC 3 Topic: Liberalism is Dying- Moderate to Difficult RC 4 Topic: Facts & Interpretation in History |
RC 1 Topic: Colonialism and Pollution RC 2 Topic: Rationalization RC 3 Topic: Romanticism RC 4 Topic: History |
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CAT 2023 Question Paper: DILR
Like previous years, the DILR section of CAT question paper 2023 had set of 4 and set of 5 questions. Check below the break-up of DILR section of CAT question paper 2023:
| CAT DILR Topics |
Number of Questions |
Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Data Interpretation Set 1 |
5 |
Moderate-Difficult |
| Logical Reasoning Set 1 |
5 |
Moderate |
| Data Interpretation Set 2 |
5 |
Moderate-Difficult |
| Logical Reasoning Set 2 |
5 |
Moderate |
DILR topics of CAT 2023 Question Paper
Check the below table for areas and topics of DILR sets of CAT question paper 2023:
| CAT 2023 Paper Slot 1 |
CAT 2023 Paper Slot 2 |
CAT 2023 Paper Slot 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
CAT 2023 Question Paper slot 1: Quantitative Aptitude
Just like last year, the Quantitative Ability section of CAT 2023 was dominated by Arithmetic in all three slots. Given below is the Quantitative Ability sectional break up in CAT question paper 2023:
| CAT Quantitative Aptitude Topics |
Number of Questions |
|---|---|
| Arithmetic |
7 |
| Algebra |
7 |
| Geometry & Mensuration |
3 |
| Number System |
4 |
| Modern Math |
1 |
CAT 2023 Question Paper slot 2: Quantitative Aptitude
The CAT 2023 question paper of slot 2 was similar to slot 1. I this slot, however, Algebra had more questions than Arithmetic.
| CAT Quantitative Aptitude Topics |
No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Arithmetic |
7 |
| Algebra |
8 |
| Modern Math |
2 |
| Geometry |
3 |
CAT 2023 Question Paper slot 3: Quantitative Aptitude
The quantitative aptitude section CAT 2023 question paper slot 3 was tougher than slot 1 and 2. Check the break up below:
| CAT Quantitative Aptitude Topics |
No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Arithmetic |
8 |
| Algebra |
4 |
| Modern Math |
4 |
| Geometry |
3 |
| Numbers |
3 |
Read More:
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 17 hours ago
Hii, The difficulty of XAT, CAT, or CMAT depends on individual aptitude and preparation, but generally:
- CAT: Considered the toughest, with high competition and emphasis on VARC, DILR, and Quant.
- XAT: Moderate, with an additional Decision-Making section and essay writing, testing analytical thinking.
- CM
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
There is no Minimum CAT cutoff for IMI New Delhi. They look for the holistic profile of the student which consists of your academics, extra curricular and the admission process assessment.
Yes, you can consider getting a Masters degree even if you have more than 3 years of work experience.
You can als
P
Beginner-Level 1
Answered 2 days ago
The eligibility criteria for admission to the MBA course at Sanskriti University required candidates to possess a bachelor's degree from a recognised university with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks. Additionally, the university gives preference for admission to candidates who secured good scores in
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Beginner-Level 4
Answered 2 days ago
It is common knowledge that the result date of CAT is normally in the first week of January every year for Bharati Vidyapeeth's Institute of Management Studies And Research. Predicted dates for the CAT 2024 exam for the academic year 2024-2025 are November 24, 2024.
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
Bharati Vidyapeeth's Institute of Management Studies and Research 2024 cutoff was concluded for MMS admission via MAH MBA CET. During the last round, the cutoff score for MMS was 93.44 for the General AI category students. The first-round cutoff score for the same course stood at 94.9.
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
No, FMS offers entrance-based admission to all its courses. To get admission to MBA/PGDM, candidates are required to have a valid CAT score. Without CAT score, candidates cannot join FMS Delhi. Further, candidates must also fulfil the basic eligibility criteria i.e. pass graduation degree with 50%
a
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
A score of 94 percentile in CAT 2023 will be your ticket to all premium ranks in admission into the best MBA schools in the country. This will be where you will land at the final: Below are the items that should be done:
1. Category: It may be that you are SC/ST/OBC/EWS taking into account someone's
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
Vidyasagar University admission 2024 is yet to be released for MBA and other courses. Meanwhile, candidates can check the cutoff related information of the previous year. Vidyasagar University cutoff 2023 for the MBA course is 60 percentile in CAT, for the General All India category candidates. Cand
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Contributor-Level 10
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Vidyasagar Univeristy MBA cutoff 2024 is yet to be released for MBA amdisison. In 2023, the cutoff percentile to get admission into MBA - PGPBM ( Business Management) was 60, for the General All India category candidates. For admission to Master of Business Administration (MBA), the cutoff percentil
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Answered 6 days ago
The CAT cutoff for entry into PGDM at SIES College of Management Studies, SIESCOMS stands at 50 percentile for all categories. This will go for their general PGDM Biotechnology, and PGDM Pharma Management programs. This is just the minimum cutoff; it just becomes enough for one to be eligible to get
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Which entrance exam is easy among XAT, CAT and CMAT for admission to MBA at Assam University?