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CAT 2024 analysis - IIM Calcutta conducted the CAT exam on November 24, 2024. This year, the major change in CAT was increase in number of questions and absence of parajumbles. The DILR section of all three sessions of CAT 2024 had 22 questions instead of 20. The difficulty level however, was moderate.
Shiksha has provided below CAT exam analysis 2024, for slot 1, 2 and 3. The CAT exam analysis 2024 includes in-depth discussion of difficulty level of the sections, weightage of the topics, test pattern, changes if any, number of good attempts and section CAT cut offs. You can check CAT 2024 exam analysis below.
Also Read:
CAT 2024 response sheet and answer key PDF
CAT 2024 question paper PDF download slot 1,2,3
CAT 2024 Slot 2 Answer Key PDF question paper analysis
Q: How many questions should I solve to score 99 percentile in CAT exam?
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Q: From where can I download CAT question papers?
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Q: What are the important topics of CAT syllabus from which maximum questions are asked?
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Q: What is the sectional time limit in CAT?
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- CAT 2024 Exam Analysis Highlights
- CAT 2024 Analysis
- CAT Score vs Percentile 2024
- CAT Exam Analysis 2023
- Previous Years' CAT Paper Analysis
- FAQs on CAT Exam Analysis
CAT 2024 Exam Analysis Highlights
Check below key highlights of CAT 2024 analysis:
- CAT 2024 question paper was moderate. Usually, the question paper of CAT second session is the toughest.
- IIM CAT has prepared the CAT 2024 question paper so one can expect it to be slightly easier than previous years.
- VARC section is dominated by Reading Comprehension questions.
- Quantitative Aptitude section has maximum questions from Arithmetic and Algebra
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning questions are in sets..
CAT 2024 Analysis: Sectional Break Up
Maximum questions will be asked in VARC section. Check below sectional break up of the CAT 2024 question paper:
CAT section | Number of Questions | Total Marks |
---|---|---|
VARC | 24 | 72 |
DILR | 20 22 |
60 66 |
Quantitative Aptitude | 22 | 66 |
Total | 66 68 |
198 204 |
Commonly asked questions
Q: Which CAT slot has the toughest question paper?
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Q: What is CAT exam pattern?
CAT is a computer based test which is conducted in three shifts. The CAT is conducted for two hours in which candidates have to solve 68 questions.
These 68 questions are divided into three sections Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension VARC Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning DILR and Quantitative Aptitude (QA). The VARC section has 24 questions, the DILR section has 28 questions and QA section has 22 question. Each question carries 3 marks for correct entry and -1 for incorrect entry. There is no negative marking for unanswered question. A unique aspect of CAT is the sectional time limit. Each section has a time limit of 40 minutes (53.20 minutes for PwD candidates).
Candidates have to complete the section within the time limit as the moment the onscreen timer shows 0 minutes left, the screen will automatically move to the next section. There is no option to go back to older questions. Also, candidates have to follow the question paper chronology. They have to first solve the VARC section, then the DILR section and then the QA section.
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Q: What is the structure of CAT question paper?
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Explore subject-wise topics asked in CAT
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CAT 2024 Analysis
CAT 2024 analysis has been shared here. As per experts a total of 36-40 attempts will be good enough for a score of 90. This year, there are 22 questions in DILR and that may affect the score calculation. However, since the overall CAT difficulty level is moderate, candidates need not worry.
CAT 2024 slot 1 sections | Number of good attempts | Ideal score attempt |
---|---|---|
VARC | 14-16 | 40 |
DILR | 10-11 | 32 |
Quantitative Aptitude | 10 | 35 |
Total | 36 | 90 |
CAT slot 1 Analysis 2024: VARC
Utility & Human Economics, Entertainment/ Netflix, Australian Spices and Craftsmanship. The passages and corresponding questions were easy. Each passage had 4 questions. Parasummary, odd sentence and sentence completion questions too were easy.
CAT slot 1 Analysis 2024: DILR
The DILR section of CAT 2024 slot 1, had sets on Candlestick- Shares Based, Games and Tournament, Bar Graph - Blogger Based, Bar Graph - Set Theory Based, Caselet - Percentage Based.
CAT slot 1 Analysis 2024: Quantitative Aptitude
Number System, Algebra, Arithmetic, Modern Math featured in this sections. The questions were from Remainder, Indices, Log, Equations, Functions, Maxima-Minima, Sequence & Series, Algebraic Expression, TSD-, T&W-, SI-CI, Percentage, PLD, Mixture, Averages, Ratios, P&C, Circle, Cuboid/Square, Coordinate Geometry.
CAT slot 2 Analysis 2024: VARC
VARC section of CAT 2024 Slot 2 had 4 passages - Spice Trade, Unintended Consequences of Technology, Peer Review of Research, Carnivore-Human Conflict. They were of 400-450 words each and pretty much doable. In VA, there were 2 para summary questions, 2 odd sentence questions and 3 para completion questions.
CAT slot 2 Analysis 2024: DILR
In DILR, there were 5 sets pertaining to Bar Graph - Frequency Distribution/ Average Based, Two Scatter Plot (x/y axis- PAT/ES), Grid Based (Row/Column- Number Arrangement), Roots and Network (Maxima-Minima), Data Arrangement(7 Students, 3 Coaches/ Rating Based). The questions were moderate in terms of difficulty level.
CAT slot 2 Analysis 2024: Quantitative Aptitude
In CAT 2024 slot 2 Quantitative Aptitude, the questions were asked from Remainder, Indices, Log, Sequence & Series, Functions, Inequalities, Mod/Linear Equations, Quadratic Equations, TSD, T&W, SI-CI, PLD, Mixture, Averages, Ratios, P&C, Circle, Trapezium, Coordinate Geometry. These were calculation based questions which required time management.
CAT slot 3 Analysis 2024: VARC
VARC section of CAT 2024 Slot 3 also had 4 passages - Impact of AI, Languages, Chinese Moutai and Saving outer space and other planets. The RC passages were slightly difficult but doable. In VA, there were 3 para summary questions, 2 odd sentence questions and 3 para completion questions.
CAT slot 3 Analysis 2024: DILR
In DILR section of CAT 2024 slot 3, there were 5 sets pertaining to Bar Graph - Nutrient–Food Grain, GDP, AC Temperature, OTT and ATM Network. The questions were moderate having 4-5 questions. Total questions were 22. Overall, this section was moderate.
CAT slot 3 Analysis 2024: Quantitative Aptitude
In CAT 2024 slot 3 Quantitative Aptitude, the questions were asked from Remainder, Indices, Log, Equations, Functions, Sequence & Series, Integer Solution, Maxima Minima, TSD, T&W, SI-CI, Percentage, PLD, Mixture, Averages, Ratios, P&C and Circle, Polygon, Triangle. This section had 8 MCQs.
Also Read:
CAT 2024 analysis by Career Launcher and T.I.M.E
CAT 2024 student reactions and reviews
Commonly asked questions
Q: What is the difference between slot 1, 2 and 3 of CAT exam paper?
There is no difference between slot 1, 2 and 3 of CAT exam paper in terms of structure and patten. The sectional break up, marking scheme and time limit are the same in all slots. However, due to unique sets of questions in each slot leads to difference in difficulty levels. There is usually a slight difference in the CAT question papers of different slots. Sometimes, topic wise weightage of the questions also vary. To negate advantage or disadantage to candidates due to difference in difficulty level of slots, CAT scores are normalised for result preparation.
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Q: What was the key change in CAT question paper 2024?
The key change in CAT question paper 2024 was increase in number of questions in DLIR section. Till 2023, the DILR section used to have 20 questions. In 2024, it had 22 questions. The time limit for it was the same and no other section had less questions. Which means, in CAT 2024, candidates had to attempt 68 questions instead of 66 to solve in the same time (120 minutes). DILR sectional time limit was 40 minutes as in previous years. There was no other change in CAT 2024, the difficulty level was same as previous years.
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CAT Score vs Percentile 2024
Aspirants know that MBA admission through CAT is based on percentile and not score. Which means their performance should not only be optimum but should also be better than other test takers. CAT percentile is calculates from the score obtained by the candidate. This table will help you analyse as to how much raw CAT 2024 score converts into how much CAT percentile.
CAT Percentile |
VARC score |
DILR score |
QA score |
Overall score |
---|---|---|---|---|
99.9 %ile |
48 |
36 |
40 |
102 |
99.5 %ile |
44 |
32 |
30 |
89 |
99 %ile |
40 |
28 |
27 |
80 |
98 %ile |
36 |
25 |
23 |
71 |
95 %ile |
30 |
19 |
18 |
57 |
90 %ile |
25 |
16 |
15 |
49 |
85 %ile |
21 |
13 |
12 |
40 |
80 %ile |
19 |
11 |
10 |
36 |
75 %ile |
17 |
10 |
9 |
31 |
70 %ile |
15 |
9 |
8 |
29 |
Also Read:
Commonly asked questions
Q: What is the difference between CAT score and CAT percentile?
CAT score is the total marks a candidate receives out of the maximum marks, calculated by subtracting the marks of incorrect answers from the marks of correct answers. For every correct answer, +3 is given to the candidates, for every incorrect -1 is deducted from the overall score. Apart from this, a candidate's rank is calculated by normalizing the scores of all candidates and placing them on a common scale based on the difficulty and attempts of the candidates. It is important to understand the difference between CAT score and CAT percentile because IIMs and all MBA colleges in India select candidates on the basis of their CAT and other MBA related exam percentiles and not score.
The CAT percentile is referred to as the rank of a candidate against the rest of the test takers. The percentile indicates the total percentage of candidates who scored less than or equal to a particular candidate in CAT.
Suppose,1,000 people take an exam and you bag the top rank, which means 999 candidates scored less than you. Then your CAT percentile will be 999/1000*100 = 99.9.
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Q: How is the CAT score and percentile calculated?
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Q: What is the difference between qualifying CAT cut off and final CAT cut off?
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CAT Exam Analysis 2023
Overall, the CAT 2023 question paper structure and its difficulty level was same as CAT 2022 for all slots. In 2023, the CAT slot 3 was tougher than slot 1 and slot 2. In all the three slots, the Quantitative Aptitude section was tougher than VARC and DILR. IIM Lucknow prepared a tough CAT question paper in comparison to other IIMs. Given the difficulty level of the exam, an overall raw score of 98 to 99 would convert 99%ile. Check the highlights of CAT 2023 below:
CAT sections |
Number of questions |
Break up |
Difficulty level |
---|---|---|---|
VARC |
24 |
4 passages having 4 questions each, 2 parajumble qestions, 2 parasummary questions, 2 paracompletion questions and 2 odd one out questions |
Moderate |
DILR |
20 |
4 sets of 5 questions each |
Moderate to difficult |
Quantitative Aptitude |
22 |
7 Algebra questions,7 Arithmetic questions, 3 Geometry questions, 4 Number System questions, 1 Modern Maths questions
|
Difficult |
Also Read:
- CAT 2023 Student Reactions and Reviews
- CAT 2023 Slot 1 Answer Key and question paper analysis
- CAT 2023 Slot 2 Answer Key and question paper analysis
- CAT 2023 Slot 3 Answer Key and question paper analysis
- CAT 2023 Official Answer Key, Response Sheet PDF Download
- CAT 2023 exam analysis by CATKing
- CAT 2023 exam analysis by IMS
- CAT 2023 exam analysis by Career Launcher and T.I.M.E
- CAT answer key and question paper
Commonly asked questions
Q: What is the sectional weightage of DILR in CAT?
The total number of questions in the Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section of CAT exam is 22 (as per CAT 2024 question paper). Earlier, the number of DILR questions was 20.
There is equal number of question distribution between Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, which means both sections have 11 questions each. The total marks for DILR is 66. The questions on Data Interpretation as based on Tables, Graphs, Pie Charts, Venn Diagram, whereas Logical Reasoning questions are based on Blood Relation, Seating Arrangement, Caselets and Syllogism. This section of the CAT is usually moderate in terms of difficulty level and about 12-14 correct attempts are good enough to score high marks. Some of the other important topics include Series, Proposition, Direction Sense, Coding-Decoding, Assumptions, Clocks and Calendars, Statements, Binary Logic, Data Structures, Data Sufficiency and Data Arrangement. To score high in this section, candidates must practice a good number of practice tests and sectional mock tests. The better you learn to interpret given data and apply reasoning to a given situation, the better you get at solving related questions.
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Q: What is the sectional weightage of VARC in CAT?
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Q: What is the sectional weightage of Quantitative Aptitude in CAT?
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Previous Years' CAT Paper Analysis
CAT exam has been on the tougher side over the years. The pattern has changed multiple times but not the difficulty level. Given below are CAT analyses of past few years for candidates to read and understand the past trends of CAT exam:
- CAT 2022 exam analysis
- CAT 2021 exam analysis
- CAT 2020 exam analysis
- CAT 2019 exam analysis
- CAT 2018 exam analysis
- CAT 2017 exam analysis
- CAT 2016 exam analysis
- CAT 2015 exam analysis
Commonly asked questions
Q: What makes CAT tougher than other MBA entrance exams?
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Q: How many hours should I study to prepare for CAT?
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FAQs on CAT Exam Analysis
Check below Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to CAT exam analysis:
Commonly asked questions
Q: Which MBA colleges are available with 80 percentile in CAT?
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Q: Which MBA colleges are available with 60 percentile in CAT?
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Q: Which MBA colleges are available with 70 percentile in CAT?
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Get prep tips, practice papers, exam details and important updates
CAT Exam
Student Forum
Answered 14 hours ago
Yes, the CDAC C-CAT result for 2025 has been released! You can check your result by following these steps:
1. Visit the official CDAC website: Go to [cdac.in].
2. Navigate to the Education & Training section: Scroll down on the homepage and click on the Education & Training tab.
3. Select PG Diploma C
A
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 14 hours ago
According to the NIFT exam pattern, the CAT section is evaluated based on the responses provided.If you've completed the questions but didn't mark them as done on the screen, it's possible that the evaluators might not be able to recognize your answers.
I recommend reaching out to the NIFT exam autho
A
Contributor-Level 9
Answered Yesterday
BPUT MBA admission is mainly based on the OJEE 2025 exam. However, the institute's affiliated colleges and campuses also accept valid scores of various national-level entrance exams such as CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, and ATMA. Therefore, candidates must have a Ca AT score if they don't havanother exam sco
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Contributor-Level 7
Answered Yesterday
Yes, it is necessary to cover all topics of CAT syllabus as there is no predefined format of the question paper weightage. The CAT question paper can have questions from any topic. Even though, it is known that certain topics dominate the CAT paper, you must be prepared for surprises. It may happen
E
Beginner-Level 3
Answered Yesterday
There are no straight forward vocabulary questions in CAT. Out of the total of 24 questions in VARC section, 12-14 questions are Reading Comprehension based and rest of them comprise parajumbles, para completion and odd sentence. CAT is the only MBA entrance exam, which does not have direct vocabul
S
Beginner-Level 3
Answered Yesterday
In 2023, the competition has reached very high in terms of cutoffs released. The cutoffs had shown a whooping increase over the years and set a bar for the candidates to put a lot of effort. With a mere 90 percentile, candidates won't be able to get admission in DU, they must need to acquire a minim
Y
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
To be eligible for "AA" (Artificer Apprentice) in the Indian Navy, a candidate must have completed their 10+2 education with at least 60% aggregate marks in Mathematics and Physics, along with one of the subjects: Chemistry, Biology, or Computer Science; they must also be an unmarried male Indian ci
S
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 2 days ago
The GIBS Bangalore MBA CAT cut-off for 2025 has not been released yet. GIBS Bangalore accepts several national-level entrance exams, including CAT/XAT and MAT, among others, for admission to its MBA/PGDM courses. The GIBS CAT cutoff for 2024 is the 60 percentile for the students belonging to the Gen
A
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 3 days ago
CAT (Common Admission Test) is an acceptable exam to get into Delhi School of Communication's PGDPC course. Candidates are required to register themselves through the application form at the official website and appear for a management entrance exam such as CAT. Candidates will also be required to a
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Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 days ago
Yes, LIBA Chennai Executive Diploma admissions are merit-based. The institute selects students based on their past academic record and work experience. The institute also conducts a personal interview round for further evaluation. Those willing to get admission must also fulfill the eligibility requ
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Contributor-Level 10
1633 Institutes accepting CAT
IIM Ahmedabad - Indian Institute of Management
Vastrapur, Ahmedabad • Public
IIM Bangalore - Indian Institute of Management
Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore • Public
- CAT, GMAT
- ₹ 24.50 Lakh
- 2 years
- |
- Full Time
IIM Kozhikode - Indian Institute of Management
Kozhikode • Public
Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi
Hauz khas, Delhi • Public
Is CDAC CAT result 2025 out? If yes, then how can I check it?