CAT Exam Analysis 2023 [Slot-Wise] Check Difficulty Level
September 23, 2024
Overview: If you are appearing for the CAT exam 2024, you should be aware of the difficulty level, exam pattern, and important questions asked in 2023. Read on to get the complete CAT exam analysis 2023 for all 3 shifts!
- Analysing the CAT exam 2023 concerning its difficulty level, paper pattern and good attempts can be a master strategy before appearing for CAT exam 2024.
- It gives you an idea of the upcoming CAT exam paper, what questions you should focus on, and what you should skip.
- The CAT exam in 2023 maintained the same paper pattern as the previous year. It consisted of a total of 66 questions to be solved in 120 minutes, with a sectional time limit for all three sections.
Let's move forward and look for the complete CAT exam analysis for 2023 for all three shifts here!
Overview of CAT Exam Analysis 2023
The CAT exam is considered one of the toughest MBA entrance tests, leading to admissions to the prestigious B-schools in India. The 2023 CAT exam pattern was similar to that of 2022, consisting of 66 questions and a time limit of 120 minutes.
Each section, including the VARC, DILR, and QA, has a sectional time limit of 40 minutes. The CAT exam was conducted in three shifts. Let's look at and compare each shift of the CAT exam 2023.
Read More | CAT Exam Admission Process 2024
CAT Exam Analysis 2023 Pattern
The CAT exam pattern for 2023 consists of 3 sections, including VARC, DILR and QA. Here is the exam pattern for CAT 2023:
Download Free QA Section Daily Study Plan by Supergrads
| CAT Question Paper Analysis - Number of Questions | CAT Exam Analysis of each Section - Sections | Marking Scheme | CAT Exam Result Analysis - Duration |
| 66 questions (VARC: 24, DILR: 20, QA: 22) |
Verbal & Reading Comprehension Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning Quantitative Ability |
+3 marks will be given to the right answer -1 mark will be deducted for an incorrect answer There will be no negative marking for TITA questions |
120 minutes (40 minutes for each section) Additional 53 Minutes 20 Seconds for PwD candidates for each section |
Read More | How Many Times CAT Exam is Conducted in a Year
CAT 2023 Exam Shift Timings [Slot-Wise]
Here are the shift wise timing for the Common Admission Test 2023:
| CAT 2023 Exam Analysis - Shifts | CAT 2023 Exam Analysis - Timings |
| Slot 1 | 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM |
| Slot 2 | 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM |
| Slot 3 | 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM |
CAT Exam Analysis 2023: Shift-3
Overview of CAT Exam Shift 3
In this session of the CAT entrance exam 2023, the difficulty level of the paper was medium compared to the other two shifts during the day. Here is an overview of what experts suggest are good attempts:
| SECTION | NUMBER OF QUESTIONS ASKED | GOOD ATTEMPTS |
| VARC | 24 | 16-18 Qs |
| DI/LR | 20 | 9-11 Qs |
| QA | 22 | 9-11 Qs |
Download Free QA Preparation Tips by Supergrads
CAT Exam Shift 3 Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension Section
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension | |
| Section | Details |
| TITA Questions | 6 questions |
| MCQs | Remaining questions |
| Reading Comprehensions (RC) | 4 RCs, each with 4 questions |
| RC Topics | 2 out of 4 RCs were based on philosophy |
| Para Jumbles | 2 (Reported as easy) |
| Eliminate the Wrong Sentences | 2 (Reported as easy) |
| Sentence Positioning Questions | 2 (Reported as easy) |
Read More | CAT Exam 2024 Shift Timings
CAT Exam Shift 3 Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning Section
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning | |
| Section | Details |
| Total Question Sets | 4 sets, each with 5 questions |
| TITA Questions | 8 questions |
| LR-Based Sets | 3 sets |
| Calculation-Based Set | 1 set |
| Calculation-Based Scenario | Coaching admissions over 5 months (online and offline admissions) |
| Data Provided | Minimum, maximum, and median admissions for each month |
| Missing Information | Some admissions data missing |
| Task | Determine 3 exact values and 2 approximations using variable comparative data |
| Difficulty Level | Considered highly solvable |
Check Now | CAT Exam Preparation Books 2024
Download Free QA Sample Questions for CAT Exam
CAT Exam Shift 3 Quantitative Aptitude Section
| Quantitative Aptitude | |
| Section | Details |
| TITA Questions | 6 questions |
| Topics Not Covered | Simple Interest, Compound Interest, Clock-based questions |
| Topics with 1-2 Questions Each |
Linear and Quadratic Equations, Inequalities, Logarithms, Special Series, |
| Additional Topics | 1 Functional Equation, 1 Boat and Stream question |
| Difficulty Level | Slightly more time-consuming due to indirect questions |
Also Read | IIM selection process
CAT Exam Analysis 2023: Shift-2
Overview of CAT Exam Shift 2
This exam session was conducted between 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm on November 26, 2023. Comparing today's exam with last year's, we can say it was similar. There were no surprises or changes in terms of the number of questions. Good attempts would be as follows for each section:
| SECTION | NUMBER OF QUESTIONS ASKED | GOOD ATTEMPTS |
| VARC | 24 | 17-19 Qs |
| DI/LR | 20 | 10-12 Qs |
| QA | 22 | 9-11 Qs |
NOTE: In this exam session, questions were asterisked, indicating their mandatory nature. It's crucial to attempt these questions!
Also Read | CAT Exam Details About Preparation 2024
Download Free Geometry Practice Questions Part 1
CAT Exam Shift 2's Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension Section
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension | |
| Section | Details |
| Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions | 16 questions, heavily focused on critical reasoning |
| Para Jumbles (TITA) | 2 questions |
| Para Jumbles Odd Variety (TITA) | 2 questions |
| Para Summary | 2 questions |
| Missing Sentences | 2 questions |
CAT Exam Shift 2's Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning Section
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning | |
| Section | Details |
| Total Question Sets | 4 sets, each with 5 questions |
| TITA Questions | 2 sets with 4 TITA questions each |
| 3x3 Grid Set | Box containing coins (values 1 to 9) with median values given |
| Ride Timing Set | 3 people taking rides from 9 am to 5 pm |
| Company Revenue Set | Companies generating revenue throughout the year with missing values |
| Number & Average Set | 3 people received numbers between 1-9, calculating the two-day average |
| Easily Doable Sets | 2 sets |
Also Read | CAT Exam Marks vs Percentile 2024
Download Free Geometry Practice Questions Part 2
CAT Exam Shift 2's Quantitative Aptitude Section
| Quantitative Aptitude | |
| Section | Details |
| Focus Topics | Geometry, Simple Interest, Compound Interest, Time and Work, Factor Theory, Ratio and Percentage, Numbers, Averages |
| Special Focus | Algebra (questions were heavily concentrated on algebra) |
| Difficulty Level | Time-consuming, requires much attention and effort |
CAT Exam Analysis 2023: Shift-1
Overview of CAT Exam Shift 1
IIM Lucknow conducted the first Shift of the CAT exam 2023 between 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Overall, this year's CAT exam for Shift 1 was more accessible than last year's. Many students have reported that it was the kind of paper that could be solved with prior preparation for the exam. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension were slightly more accessible than last year's exam, while Quantitative Ability was more difficult. Overall, attempting 37-39 questions can be counted as a good number of questions.
| SECTION | NUMBER OF QUESTIONS ASKED | GOOD ATTEMPTS |
| VARC | 24 | 16-18 Qs |
| DI/LR | 20 | 9-11 Qs |
| QA | 22 | 9-11 Qs |
Check Now | CAT Exam Documents
CAT Exam Shift 1 Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension Section
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension | |||
| Section | Details | ||
| Reading Comprehension (RC) Passages | 4 passages with 4 questions each (16 total) | ||
| RC Topics | 1. Wolf Predation, 2. Economies of North and South Korea 3. Indian Ocean Literature 4. Ancient vs Modern Societies |
||
| RC Difficulty Levels | Wolf Predation and Korean Economies: Easier passages | ||
| Indian Ocean Literature: Medium difficulty | |||
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| Verbal Ability Questions | 8 questions (evenly split between Para Jumbles, Paragraph Completions, Summaries and Odd Sentences) |
||
| Verbal Question Types | Para Jumbles & Odd Sentences: TITA | ||
| Paragraph Completions & Summaries: MCQs | |||
| Verbal Question Difficulty | 1 easy and 1 medium-difficulty question per topic | ||
| Accuracy Expectation | 70% accuracy for a good score | ||
Check | CAT 2023 Exam Notification
Download Free VARC Daily Study Plan by Supergrads
CAT Exam Shift 1’s Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning Section
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning | |
| Section | Details |
| Total Question Sets | 4 sets, each with 5 questions |
| Easiest Set | Arrangements set on professors (all MCQs) |
| Medium/High Difficulty Sets | - Gig Workers (central tendencies: mean, mode, median) |
| Sale of Houses | |
| Visa Line Order | |
| Question Types | Gig Workers: 5 MCQs, 5 TITA |
| Sale of Houses: 3 MCQs | |
| Visa Line Order: 2 TITA | |
| Ideal Attempt Strategy | 1 complete set with 85% accuracy, second set with 70% accuracy |
Check | CAT 2023 Exam Result
CAT Exam Shift 1’s Quantitative Ability Section
| Quantitative Ability | |
| Section | Details |
| Algebra Questions | 8 questions (significant increase) |
| Question Length | Several lengthy questions, making it time-consuming |
| Total Questions | 15 MCQs, 7 TITA |
| TITA Topics | All arithmetic questions |
| MCQ Topics | Algebra: 8 questions |
| Geometry: 4 questions | |
| Modern Math: 2 questions | |
| Numbers: 1 question | |
| Difficulty Level | Tougher than CAT 2022 |
| Ideal Attempt Strategy | 75-85% accuracy while attempting 9-11 questions |
Check | CAT 2023 Exam Marking Scheme
Download Free VARC Preparation Tips by Supergrads
Previous Year CAT Exam Analysis [Last Ten Years]
CAT 2023 Exam Analysis can be similar to that of previous years.
| CAT Exam Year | CAT Conducting IIM | Number of Questions | CAT Exam Duration | CAT Exam Difficulty Level |
| 2023 | IIM Lucknow | 66 | 2 hours | Moderate to difficult |
| 2022 | IIM Bangalore | 66 | 2 hours | Moderate |
| 2021 | IIM Ahmedabad | 66 | 2 hours | Moderate to High (Expected) |
| 2020 | IIM Indore | 76 | 2 hours | Moderate to High |
| 2019 | IIM Kozhikode | 100 | 3 hours | Moderate to High |
| 2018 | IIM Calcutta | 100 | 3 hours | Moderate to High |
| 2017 | IIM Lucknow | 100 | 3 hours | Moderate |
| 2016 | IIM Bangalore | 100 | 3 hours | Moderate to Difficult |
| 2015 | IIM Ahmedabad | 100 | 3 hours | Moderate to Difficult |
| 2014 | IIM Indore | 100 | 2 hours 30 minutes | Moderate to Easy |
| 2013 | IIM Indore | 60 | 2 hours 20 minutes | Moderate to Easy |
| 2012 | IIM Indore | 60 | 2 hours 20 minutes | Moderate to Easy |
| 2011 | IIM Calcutta | 60 | 2 hours 20 minutes | Moderate |
Download Free VARC Sample Questions for CAT Exam
Advantages of Checking CAT Exam Analysis [Paper Analysis]
Examining the analysis of previous CAT papers provides several advantages:
- Understanding the Pattern: Insights into the actual pattern of the exam aid in devising effective test-taking strategies.
- Knowing the Difficulty Level: Detailed analysis describes the difficulty of individual sections, highlighting areas where more challenging questions are asked.
- Identifying Important Topics: Recognition of important topics with higher weightage facilitates focused preparation, ensuring candidates are well-prepared for crucial areas.
Read more | CAT Exam 2023 Preparation Strategy
Conclusion
Finally, strategic preparation requires a detailed awareness of the CAT exam's prior trends and patterns. To successfully navigate the challenges CAT offers, aspirants must harness the insights from previous CAT 2023 exam analyses. Best wishes to everyone.
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