CAT 2023 Exam Analysis by T.I.M.E. (Out) - Check Detailed Section-Wise Analysis Here

Abhinav Chamoli

Updated On: November 27, 2023 05:11 pm IST | CAT

CAT 2023 was conducted on November 26, 2023, in three shifts. A detailed section-wise analysis of the CAT 2023 question paper by T.I.M.E. Institute has been updated here.

CAT 2023 Exam Analysis by T.I.M.E. - Check Detailed Section-Wise Analysis Here

CAT 2023 Exam Analysis by T.I.M.E: All three slots of CAT 2023 have been conducted successfully on November 26, 2023. The third slot was the toughest of all. The exam pattern was exactly the same as that of 2022 and the total number of questions was 66 divided into three usual sections: Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension. Find a detailed slot-wise CAT 2023 exam analysis by T.I.M.E below including details such as the exam pattern, level of difficulty, sectional weightage of topics, and more. 

Also, candidates can find the CAT 2023 question paper, answer key and the CAT 2023 slot-wise analysis below:

CAT Question Paper 2023CAT Answer Key 2023 Unofficial
CAT Slot 1 Answer Key 2023CAT 2023 Slot 1 Question Paper Analysis
CAT 2023 Slot 2 Question Paper AnalysisCAT 2023 Slot 3 Question Paper Analysis

CAT 2023 Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme

The CAT exam pattern will be the same for all three slots of the exam. Check out the exam pattern and marking scheme that will be followed for the CAT exam 2023 in the table below:

CAT 2023 Sections

Number of Questions

Multiple Choice Questions

TITA Questions (Non-MCQs)

Marking Scheme

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

24

19

5

  • +3 marks for every correct answer
  • -1 mark for every incorrect MCQ
  • No negative marking for non-MCQs

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning

20

15

5

Quantitative Aptitude

22

15

7

Total

66

49

17


Also ReadCAT 2023 Score Vs Percentile Analysis

CAT 2023 Exam Analysis by T.I.M.E.

CAT 2023 Exam Analysis by T.I.M.E. for all three slots has been made available here. Stay informed about the latest insights, section-wise difficulty level, expected cutoffs, and overall exam review. Get valuable inputs to gauge your performance and gain valuable tips to enhance your preparation. Keep an eye on this space for the most comprehensive and accurate CAT 2023 exam analysis brought to you by T.I.M.E., your trusted exam preparation partner. 

CAT 2023 Morning Slot Analysis by T.I.M.E.

  • Overall, the scheduled morning slot of the CAT 2023 exam proceeded without any difficulties or complications. 
  • No change was observed in the overall structure of the exam. 
  • However, the paper seemed more difficult than it did last year.
  • In the VARC section, a good number of questions were based on strengthening/weakening of arguments and the type “which of the following are true EXCEPT”.
  • The RC passages were based on Postcolonial and “Indian Ocean” Novels, Return of wolves, Geographical vs Cultural Influences on Human History, and The book “Affluent Society”. 
  • Questions in the LRDI section were based on Blocks/Houses for sale (Quant Based Reasoning), Professors voting for Dean (Distribution), Restaurants and Gigs (Tables), and Consulates – Visa slots. This section was considered to be very difficult.
  • Regarding the exam pattern, there were no noticeable surprises in this slot and the pattern remained the same as observed in the last couple of years.
  • In contrast to the other two slots, candidates in the morning slot have encountered an unexpectedly high difficulty level, according to the student feedback that has been received so far.
  • No change was observed in the evaluation scheme: 3 marks to be awarded for a correct answer and 1 mark to be deducted for a wrongly marked MCQ; no negative marking for Non-MCQs.

The CAT exam pattern 2023 in the first slot have been provided in the table below:

SectionNumber of QuestionsMCQsNon MCQsDifficulty LevelSectional time limit
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension24204Moderate to Difficult40 Minutes
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning20146Difficult to Very Difficult40 Minutes
Quantitative Ability22148Difficult40 Minutes
Total664818Difficult120 Minutes

CAT 2023 Afternoon Slot Analysis by T.I.M.E.

Overall, the afternoon slot was easier than the morning slot, but the difference in difficulty was not significant. Regarding difficulty, almost every section was close to the morning slot. For those who took the afternoon slot, there was a small surprise in the VARC section.
  • A question on Odd Man Out was highlighted as mandatory in the VARC section. There was a * symbol beside the question number in the Question palette.
  • There were 4 RC passages with 4 questions per passage. 
  • Questions on hypothesis and application questions with additional layers of reasoning dominated the question paper.
  • Candidates also noticed a good number of questions on “which of the following are true EXCEPT” and questions with double negatives of the nature “all of the following weaken … EXCEPT.”
  • Compared to the morning slot paper, the afternoon slot's DILR section was a little bit easier. The question pattern was identical to that of the morning slot paper.
  • In the QA section, there were two doable sets, and the students could not process a lot of information in these sets. Because of this, students who selected these sets based on a large amount of information were able to achieve high scores.
  • Between the morning and afternoon slots, there was essentially no difference in the distribution of questions in the QA section across topics or in terms of their level of difficulty.
  • There were 3 from Numbers and 2 from Quadratic Equations in the afternoon slot.
  • This paper contained no questions from Modern Maths. Like the morning slot, the majority of the questions asked the student to do more than just substitute values in formulas.
The CAT exam pattern 2023 in the second slot have been provided in the table below:
Name of the SectionType of QuestionNumber of QuestionsDifficulty Level
Verbal Ability and Reading ComprehensionFast Fashion4Moderate
History – Interpretation of Facts4Difficult
Netflix and European Culture4Moderate
Liberalism4Difficult
Para Formation Questions (PFQs)2Moderate-Difficult
Sentence Placement2Moderate
Para Summary2Moderate
Para Odd Man Out2Moderate
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning3 People drawing numbers5Moderate
5 Firms raising money – founded and closed in different years5Moderate-Difficult
9 Boxes in 3 x 3 tray5Difficult
Theme Park – 3 friends – 4 rides5Difficult
Quantitative AbilityERPV2Difficult
Percentages, Profit & Loss2Difficult
SI-CI1Difficult
Time & Distance1Difficult
Numbers3Difficult
Geometry2Difficult
Progressions/Series2Difficult
Quadratic Equations2Difficult
Averages Mixtures & Alligations2Difficult
Coordinate Geometry1Difficult
Special Equations1Difficult
Logarithms1Difficult
Inequalities2Difficult
Time and Work1Difficult

CAT 2023 Evening Slot Analysis by T.I.M.E.

  • The Quant section was more difficult than the first two slots. There were no simple questions in this section, and over half of the questions fit into the category of difficult questions. 
  • The majority of the questions revolved around algebra and arithmetic, which was also the case in the previous slots.  
  • This paper contained no questions on Modern Maths questions.
  • The overall diffiiculty of the VARC section was moderate to difficult.
  • Unlike the afternoon slot, there were no mandatory questions in this slot.
  • There were also a lot of "all...if true/weaken...EXCEPT" questions in this slot.
  • Inference-based questions comprised the majority of the questions.
  • There were two questions on sentence placement, para summary, odd man out, and para formation in the verbal ability section.
  • The overall difficulty level of the DILR section was high to extremely high. Compared to last year's DILR section, this was more difficult.
  • Quant Based Reasoning sets comprised three of the four sets. There were no sets entirely based on LR.
  • There were two sets that could be answered, and even these two required a significant amount of effort and time. There were two sets in this slot that required students to know specific statistical terms beforehand, just like one of the sets in the morning slot.

The CAT exam pattern 2023 in the first slot have been provided in the table below:

SectionNumber of QuestionsType of QuestionsDifficulty LevelGood Score
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension24
  • Para Formation Questions (PFQs)
  • Sentence Placement
  • Para Summary
  • Para Odd Man Out
Moderate to Difficult18-20
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning20
  • AC – Split/Window
  • Offline and Online Test Takers
  • Patrolling Routes
  • Scores and Weightages
Moderate to Difficult12–14
Quantitative Ability22Percentages, Profit & Loss
Functions
Time & Distance
Averages Mixtures & Alligations
Permutations & Combinations
Logarithms
Time and Work
Difficult7-9 
Total6648Difficult37-43

CAT 2022 Exam Analysis by T.I.M.E.

To be familiar with the upcoming CAT exam, check out previous year CAT paper analysis to help you in your preparation.

CAT 2022 Slot 1 Paper Analysis by T.I.M.E.

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension

Here's the distribution of the questions in the Reading Comprehension part:

RC Passage

No. of Questions

Readability

Overall Difficulty Level

Undeads/Ghosts

4

Moderate

Moderate

Emotions/Stoicism

4

Moderate

Moderate

Chinese/Eastern Art Philosophy

4

Moderate

Moderate

Human rights & Technology

4

Very Difficult

Very Difficult

Check the distribution of questions in the Verbal Ability part in the table below:

Question Type

No. of Questions

 Difficulty Level

Para Formation Questions (PFQs)

3

Moderate

Sentence placement

2

Moderate

Para Summary

3

Moderate

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning

Here's the distribution of the questions in the Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation part:

DILR Set

No. of Questions

Difficulty Level

Boys & Girls (Venn Diagram)

5

Very Difficult

Funding Tokens (LR Puzzle)

5

Difficult

Goals (Games & Tournament)

5

Moderate-Difficult

Metro (Routes & Networks)

5

Very Difficult

Quantitative Ability

Check the distribution of questions in the Quantitative Ability part in the table below:

Topic

No. of Questions

Difficulty Level

ERPV

2

Easy

Percentages, Profit & Loss

2

Moderate - Difficult

SI-CI

1

Easy

Time & Distance

1

Moderate

Numbers

3

Moderate-Difficult

Geometry

2

Moderate

Progressions/Series

2

Moderate

Sets

1

Moderate

Quadratic Equations

1

Difficult

Inequalities & Modulus

2

Difficult

Averages Mixtures & Alligations

3

Easy-Moderate

Coordinate Geometry

1

Moderate

Permutations & Combinations

1

Difficult


Also ReadCAT Analysis by Hitbullseye

CAT 2022 Slot 2 Paper Analysis by T.I.M.E.

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension

Here's the distribution of the questions in the Reading Comprehension part:

RC Passage

No. of Questions

Readability

Difficulty Level

Social Institutions

4

Difficult

Difficult

Music

4

Very Difficult

Very Difficult

Engineering Pedagogy

4

Moderate

Moderate-Difficult

Octopuses

4

Easy

Moderate

Check the distribution of questions in the Verbal Ability part in the table below:

Question Type

No. of Questions

Difficulty Level

Para Formation Questions (PFQs)

3

Difficult

Sentence placement

2

Moderate

Para Summary

3

Moderate-Difficult

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning

Here's the distribution of the questions in the Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation part:

DILR Set

No. of Questions

Difficulty Level

Warehouses (Routes & Networks)

5

Very Difficult

Products Types (Venn Diagrams)

5

Difficult

Households and Salesmen (Quant-Based Reasoning)

5

Moderate-Difficult

Revenues, Cost (Scatter Chart)

5

Moderate

Quantitative Ability

Check the distribution of questions in the Quantitative Ability part in the table below:

Topic

No. of Questions

Difficulty Level

Percentages, Profit & Loss

1

Moderate

SI-CI

1

Easy

Time & Distance

1

Moderate

Time & Work

1

Difficult

Numbers

1

Moderate

Geometry

2

Moderate

Progressions/Series

2

Moderate - Difficult

ILS

2

Difficult

Functions

1

Difficult

Quadratic Equations

2

Difficult

Averages Mixtures & Alligations

4

Moderate-Difficult

Trigonometry

1

Difficult

Permutations & Combinations

1

Moderate

Special Equations

2

Moderate


Also ReadCAT 2022 Exam Analysis by IMS

CAT 2022 Slot 3 Paper Analysis by T.I.M.E.

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension

Here's the distribution of the questions in the Reading Comprehension part:

RC Passage

No. of Questions

Readability

Difficulty Level

Orientalism and Interpretation of India’s past

4

Difficult

Moderate-Difficult

Automation

4

Easy

Moderate-Easy

Biology & Technology

4

Moderate

Moderate

Social Disorganization

4

Moderate

Moderate

Check the distribution of questions in the Verbal Ability part in the table below:

Question Type

Number of Questions

Difficulty Level

Para Formation Questions (PFQs)

3

Difficult

Sentence placement

2

Moderate

Para Summary

3

Moderate-Difficult

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning

Here's the distribution of the questions in the Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation part:

DILR Set

No. of Questions

Difficulty level

Mortality rates (Bar Graph)

5

Moderate

Diseases (Distribution)

5

Difficult

Students (Quant Based Reasoning)

5

Very Difficult

Rounds and Bets (Games and Tournaments)

5

Difficult

Quantitative Ability

Check the distribution of questions in the Quantitative Ability part in the table below:

Topic

No. of Questions

Difficulty Level

AMA

3

Moderate

Functions

1

Difficult

Geometry

4

Moderate-Difficult

Indices & Logs

1

Difficult

Special Equations

1

Difficult

Quadratic Equations

4

Moderate-Difficult

Numbers

1

Difficult

Progressions

1

Easy

SI CI

1

Easy

Time & Work

2

Easy-Difficult

Time & Distance

2

Easy-Difficult

P & C

1

Moderate


Also ReadCAT 2022 Analysis by Career Launcher

CAT 2022 Cutoff Analysis by T.I.M.E.

The cut-offs across all slots of CAT 2022 are expected to be as below.

VARC Percentile

PercentileSlot 1Slot 2Slot 3
85232125
95322934
99433845

DILR Percentile

PercentileSlot 1Slot 2Slot 3
85121515
95182223
99252930

QA Percentile

PercentileSlot 1Slot 2Slot 3
85141313
95222121
99323131

CAT 2021 Exam Analysis by T.I.M.E.

The CAT exam 2022 will follow similar trends as the CAT 2021 exam. Here is the sectional exam analysis of the CAT 2021 exam by T.I.M.E. institute:

CAT 2021 Sections

Number of Questions

Level of Difficulty

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)

24

Moderate To Tough

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning & (DILR)

20

Moderate

Quantitative Aptitude (QA)

22

Easy

Overall

66

Moderate

CAT 2020 Exam Analysis by T.I.M.E.

Check out the slot-wise paper analysis of CAT 2020 released by T.I.M.E. below.

CAT 2020 Slot 1 Paper Analysis by T.I.M.E.

Given below is the overall analysis of CAT 2020 as provided by T.I.M.E. institute.

Section
No. of Questions
No. of Questions
No. of TITA
Section-Wise Pattern
VARC
26
18 (RC)
0
  • 2 passages with 5 questions each
  • 2 passages with 4 questions each
8 (VA)
5
  • Para Formations - 3
  • Odd One Out - 2
  • Para Summary - 3
DI&LR
24
24
6
  • 2 Sets having 6 questions each
  • 3 Sets having 4 questions each
QA
26
26
8
26 Questions
Total
76
76
19
-

CAT 2020 Slot 2 Paper Analysis by T.I.M.E.

Following is an analysis of Slot 2 of T.I.M.E.

Section
Total No. of Questions
No. of Questions
No. of Non-MCQs
Section-Wise Pattern
VARC
26
18 (RC)
0
  • 2 passages - 5 questions each
  • 2 passages - 4 questions each
8 (VA)
5
  • Para Formations - 3
  • Odd One Out - 2
  • Para Summary - 3
DILR
24
24
6
  • 2 Sets with 6 questions each
  • 3 Sets with 4 questions each
QA
26
26
8
26 Questions
Total
76
76
19
-

CAT 2020 Slot 3 Paper Analysis by T.I.M.E

Given below is an analysis of Slot 3 of CAT 2020.

Section
Total No. of Questions
No. of Questions
No. of Non-MCQs
Section-Wise Pattern
VARC
26
18 (RC)
0
  • 2 passages of 5 questions each
  • 2 passages of 4 questions each
8 (VA)
5
  • 3 Para Formations
  • 2 Odd One Out
  • 3 Para Summary
DILR
24
24
6
  • 2 sets with 6 questions each
  • 3 sets with 4 questions each
QA
26
26
8
26 Individual Questions
Total
76
76
19
-

Source: T.I.M.E.

List of Colleges Accepting CAT 2023 Scores

Candidates applying for MBA admissions through CAT 2023 can check out the list of colleges that accept CAT scores and their required cutoffs for the same:

Institute Name

CAT Cutoff Range (Percentile Range)

IIM Ahmedabad

90-100

IIM Calcutta

90-100

IIM Amritsar

90-100

IIM Bangalore

90-100

IIM Bodhgaya

90-100

IIM Indore

90-100

IIM Jammu

90-100

IIM Kashipur

90-100

IIM Kozhikode

90-100

IIM Lucknow

90-100

IIM Nagpur

90-100

IIM Raipur

90-100

IIM Ranchi

90-100

IIM Rohtak

90-100

IIM Sambalpur

90-100

IIM Shillong

90-100

IIM Sirmaur

90-100

IIM Trichy

90-100

IIM Udaipur

90-100

IIM Visakhapatnam

90-100

SPJIMR, Mumbai

90-100

SJMSOM IIT, Bombay

90-100

MDI, Gurgaon

90-100

IMT, Ghaziabad

90-100

IMI, New Delhi

90-100

FMS, New Delhi

90-100

DMS IIT, Delhi

90-100

Xavier University, Bhubaneswar

80-90

Welingkar, Mumbai

80-90

TAPMI, Manipal

80-90

SDA Bocconi Asia Center

80-90

NITIE, Mumbai

80-90

NIRMA University

80-90

MICA, Ahmedabad

80-90

LBSIM, New Delhi

80-90

K J Somaiya Institute of Management, Mumbai

80-90

JAGSOM, Bangalore

80-90

IRMA Anand

80-90

IIM, Kashipur

80-90

Great Lakes, Chennai

80-90

GIM, Goa

80-90

FORE School of Management, New Delhi

80-90

BITS School of Management - BITSOM

80-90

BIM, Tiruchirappalli

80-90

XIME Bangalore

70-80

Welingkar Bangalore

70-80

VIT Business School (VIT) Vellore

70-80

SRM University, Delhi-NCR

70-80

SOIL Institute of Management

70-80

SIES College of Management Studies and SIES School of Business Studies, Navi Mumbai

70-80

SDMIMD Mysore

70-80

Rajagiri Business School

70-80

NIA Pune: National Insurance Academy

70-80

MIME Bangalore

70-80

MDI Murshidabad

70-80

LIBA Chennai

70-80

KIIT School of Management Bhubaneswar

70-80

Jaipuria Institute of Management Lucknow

70-80

ISBM Pune

70-80

Institute of Management Technology Nagpur

70-80

Indus Business Academy - IBA Bangalore

70-80

IMI Kolkata: International Management Institute

70-80

IMI Bhubaneswar

70-80

IFMR Graduate School of Business at KREA University

70-80

IBS Hyderabad: ICFAI Business School

70-80

Great Lakes Institute of Management Gurgaon

70-80

Dayananda Sagar Business School Bangalore

70-80

CIMP Patna

70-80

BIMTECH Greater Noida

70-80

BIIB Pune

70-80

Amrita School of Business Coimbatore

70-80

Alliance School of Business

70-80

You can use our CAT Percentile Predictor 2023 to check your estimated percentile in the exam. If you want to know your chances of getting calls from IIMs and other top B-schools in India, then use our CAT College Predictor 2023.

If you have any questions about the CAT 2023 analysis, you can post them on the CollegeDekho QnA Zone. For help regarding MBA admission 2024, fill out the Common Application Form (CAF) or contact our counsellors on our student helpline number 18005729877.

Related Articles:

How Many Questions to Attempt in CAT 2023 for a 99 Percentile Score

IIM Eligibility Cut Off vs IIM Call Cut Off

List of Non-IIM MBA Colleges to Apply to Before & After CAT 2023 Exam

Toppers Tips for CAT 2023

IIM Cut Off 2023

CAT 2023 Cutoff for Top Private MBA Colleges for General, SC/ST, OBC

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