Updated By Shreya Sareen on 01 Dec, 2021 12:55
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CAT 2021 was conducted on November 28 in three slots, and the slot-wise exam analysis can be checked on this page. CAT 2021 analysis involves section-wise difficulty level, weightage, the expected number of good attempts, and expected cutoff.
| Slot | Highlights of Analysis | Detailed Analysis Link |
| Slot 1 | The overall difficulty level of the Slot 1 was moderate while the DILR section seemed lengthy. The quantitative Aptitude section was easy to moderate. There were a total number of 66 questions in Slot 1. | CAT 2021 Slot 1 Question Paper Analysis, Answer Key (Out) |
| Slot 2 | Slot 2 was again Moderate in difficulty and the exam pattern followed was the same as Slot 1 with 66 questions in total. First impressions suggest that the overall difficulty level of Slot 2 was a bit easier than Slot 1. | CAT 2021 Slot 2 Question Paper Analysis, Answer Key (Out) |
| Slot 3 | Slot 3 of the CAT 2021 exam was reported to be a bit difficult as compared to the other 2 slots with Quant being the most difficult section of this slot. | CAT 2021 Slot 3 Question Paper Analysis, Answer Key (Out) |
Check the detailed analysis of each section of the CAT 2021 exam by Collegedekho experts. Click on the links given below.
| Section | Analysis |
| QA | CAT 2021 QA Question Paper Analysis & Answer Key - Slot 1, 2 & 3 Out |
| VARC | CAT 2021 VARC Question Paper Analysis & Answer Key - Slot 1, 2 & 3 Out |
| DILR | CAT 2021 DILR Question Paper Analysis & Answer Key - Slot 1, 2 & 3 Out |
The detailed analysis of the CAT 2021 question paper must be checked by every candidate that appeared for the exam to gauge their performance in comparison to the other candidates. For candidates who are preparing for CAT 2021, an expected analysis will also be provided to the candidates on this page.
CAT 2021 was conducted on 28th November 2021 in three slots as per the revised exam pattern given on this page. Candidates can check the important dates of CAT 2021 analysis as well as a detailed analysis of CAT 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017 on this page.
Latest Updates November 28, 7:30 pm: Slot 3 of the CAT 2021 exam was reported to be a bit difficult as compared to the other 2 slots with Quant being the most difficult section of this slot. Check the CAT 2021 Slot 3 question paper analysis for more details. November 28, 6:00 pm: Check the CAT 2021 expected cutoffs for IIMs here. November 28, 4:00 pm: Slot 2 of CAT 2021 was Moderate in difficulty level with some students reporting that it was a bit easier than Slot 1. Check out the CAT 2021 Slot 2 detailed question paper analysis here. November 28, 12:00 pm: Slot 1 of the CAT 2021 exam was reported to be Moderate but lengthy. The no. of questions dropped down to 66 this year. Check out the detailed section-wise analysis of CAT 2021 here. November 27: Check CAT 2021 Dress Code which candidates need to stick to on the exam day. Also, check CAT 2021 Exam Day Instructions |
Following are the tentative dates as per which CAT 2021 is expected to be conducted.
Event | Date |
CAT 2021 Admit Card Release Date | 27th October 2021 |
CAT 2021 Exam Date | 28th November 2021 |
CAT 2021 Analysis Release Date | Soon after CAT 2021 Exam |
CAT 2020 Slot 3 concluded at 6:30 pm. CAT 2020 Slot 2 was conducted between 12:30 - 2:30 pm and CAT 2020 Slot 1 was conducted from 8:30 am to 10:30 am. The biggest news from CAT 2020 exam analysis today is that there were 76 questions in this year's exam. VARC and QA sections had 26 questions each while DILR had 24 questions. The overall difficulty level of the exam was reported to be around Moderate to Difficult. VARC section was the toughest as reported by the candidates but DILR and QA were a bit easier as compared to last year. The detailed slot-wise exam analysis of CAT 2020 Slot 1, 2 and 3 is now live and can be checked below. The detailed slot wise exam & question paper analysis of CAT 2020 can be checked by clicking on the links below.
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CAT 2020 was conducted in 3 slots across 425+ test centres today. The exam was conducted as per the revised pattern and duration. Candidates appearing for the CAT 2020 exam can check the detailed exam & question paper analysis along with answer key/ solutions. Also, the expected cutoff details based on the difficulty level of the CAT 2020 exam will be updated on this page. Meanwhile, check 2019, 2018, 2017 & 2016 exam & question paper analysis of CAT to have an idea of the difficulty level, nature of questions, and topic wise weightage.
The three slots in which CAT 2020 will be conducted are Forenoon (8:30 am to 10:30 am), Afternoon (12:30 pm to 2:30 pm) and Evening (4:30 pm to 6:30 pm). PwD candidates will be provided 40 minutes extra in each shift. The number of slots has been increased due to the COVID-19 guidelines issued by the Health Ministry. Candidates will also have to get their temperature checked at the gate and consent to contactless frisking before they will be allowed to enter the premises.
Some of the top CAT coaching institutes such as T.I.M.E, IMS, CL and Bulls Eye have also released their Exam 2020 analysis. The exam analysis of CAT is prepared after analysing the sectional difficulty as well as the number of questions asked in the exam. The CAT 2020 Exam Analysis by top coaching Institutes is provided here. Candidates can click on the links provided below to know the exam analysis provided by CAT, IMS, TIME and Bulls Eye.
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How Scaled Scores will be Calculated in Three Slots of CAT 2020? | |
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The revised exam pattern and marking scheme of CAT 2020 is as follows.
| Section | No. of Question | Time | Marking Scheme |
| VARC | 26 | 40 minutes | +3 marks / -1 mark No negative marking for non-MCQs |
| DILR | 24 | 40 minutes | |
| QA | 26 | 40 minutes | |
| TOTAL | 76 | 120 minutes |
The number of questions in CAT 2020 was 76 for each slot. Overall, the VARC section was moderate to easy, DILR was difficult while the Quant section was easy to moderate.
Check the table below for the detailed question paper analysis of the last 10 years' CAT exam.
November 15: CAT 2019 was conducted on November 14. The overall difficulty level of the exam was Moderate with some parts being on the Difficult side. Check the CAT 2019 question paper analysis here.
| Year | Exam Analysis |
| CAT 2019 | CAT 2019 Question Paper Analysis |
| CAT 2018 | CAT 2018 Question Paper Analysis |
| CAT 2017 | CAT 2017 Question Paper Analysis |
| CAT 2016 | CAT 2016 Question Paper Analysis |
| CAT 2015 | CAT 2015 Question Paper Analysis |
| CAT 2014 | CAT 2014 Question Paper Analysis |
| CAT 2013 | CAT 2013 Question Paper Analysis |
| CAT 2012 | CAT 2012 Question Paper Analysis |
| CAT 2011 | CAT 2011 Question Paper Analysis |
Here is the detailed comparison of CAT 2019, 2018 & 2017 -
| Section | CAT 2019 | CAT 2018 | CAT 2017 | |||
| Difficulty | Good Attempt | Difficulty | Good Attempt | Difficulty | Good Attempt | |
| VARC | Moderate | 24-26 | Easy | 28-30 | Moderate | 26-28 |
| DILR | Moderate | 18-20 | Moderate | 16-18 | Difficult | 14-16 |
| QA | Moderate | 20-22 | Difficult | 15-18 | Easy | 24-26 |
Want to know more about CAT
Dear Student,
We recommend that you go through our CAT 2021 Preparation Strategy & Study Plan Exam Page for CAT preparation. Other resources that may be useful in preparing for the CAT 2021 Entrance Exam are listed below:
If you have any additional questions or would like to learn more about the CAT Exam, please fill out our Common Application Form and one of our education experts will contact you and provide all the relevant ...
READ MORE...Dear Student,
CAT 2020 does not have any seat reservations for Socially and Economically Backward Students (SEBC). You can find more information about the same in our article on the CAT 2020 seat reservation policy.
Please feel free to write back to us if you require any other information. For help with admission to MBA colleges in India, please fill our Common Application Form (CAF) or call our helpline number 18005729877.
Thank you.
READ MORE...Dear Student,
You have to submit any available certificates with the CAT 2020 undertaking. However, CAT 2020 exam dates have now been revised and the deadline to submit the CAT 2020 application form has been extended to 23rd September to help candidates get sufficient time to arrange any certificates.
Please feel free to write back if you have any other queries,
Thank you.
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In the third shot of CAT 2021, Quantitative Aptitude (QA) was the most difficult section. The questions were quite lengthy but doable. The sections of VARC and DILR were moderate.
The overall difficulty level of CAT 2021 Slot 2 was moderate. The sections of QA and DILR were moderately difficult whereas VARC was easy to moderate.
The overall difficulty level of CAT 2021 Slot 1 was Moderate. Students reported that the difficulty was a bit on the easier side compared to last here. However, the paper was lengthy and students faced issues with time management.
CAT 2021 had a reduced number of questions as compared to last year. The total no. of questions in the CAT 2021 question paper were 66 with 24 questions in VARC, 20 in DILR and 22 in QA.
Yes, the difficulty level of CAT 2021 is considered as one of the major factors while calculating the CAT cutoff. The cutoff of CAT also depends on the number of candidates who appeared for the examination and the past year cutoff.
If we were to go by the past trends, CAT 2021 is going to be moderate in terms of the difficulty level.
73-74 correct answers out of 100 will be considered to be a good attempt in CAT. Candidates should aim to answer at least 73 questions correctly to have a chance of getting 90 to 100 percentile.
Yes, there is a separate question paper for slot 1, slot 2 and slot 3. No questions from any slot will be repeated in the other slot of CAT examination.
Quantitative Aptitude section of CAT examination is considered as the most difficult section because this section involves calculations. Candidates need to work on learning shortcut techniques to crack this section.
