CAT 2017 Question Paper PDF with Answer Key & Solutions
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CAT 2017 question paper PDF with answer key & solution is provided here to help the candidates understand the test structure and analyse the types of questions asked in the CAT exam.
CAT 2017 Question Paper can be considers moderately difficult. The first slot of CAT question paper IS however, a bit more difficult than the question paper of second slot. CAT 2017 question paper with solutions is provided in this article below for candidates to practice and analyses their hold over various CAT topics. Thos who are preparing for the CAT 2025 exam must solve previous years' question papers as part of their study plan. Apart from covering the syllabus with CAT books and practicing CAT mock tests, aspirants must ensure they practice at least last 10 years' CAT question papers.
The structure of CAT 2017 question paper is same as that of CAT previous year papers, i.e. there are three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) and Quantitative Ability (QA). Given below is the overall structure of CAT question paper. Also get the CAT 2017 question paper PDF (downloadable).
- CAT Question Paper 2017
- CAT 2017 Question Paper: Slot 1
- CAT Mock Test
- CAT 2017 Question Paper, Slot 2
CAT Question Paper 2017
CAT question paper 2017 has 100 questions. Given below is the table indicating section wise difficulty level and number of good attempts.
| Section |
No. of Questions |
Difficulty Level |
Good Attempts |
|---|---|---|---|
| VARC |
34 |
Easy-moderate |
26-27 |
| DILR |
32 |
Difficult |
12-14 |
| QA |
34 |
Easy-Moderate |
25-26 |
| Total |
100 |
Moderate |
63-67 |
CAT 2017 Question Paper: Slot 1
The first slot of CAT question paper 2017 is of a higher difficulty level. Among the three sections, DILR section was the toughest and most time consuming. Discussed below are all three sections of CAT 2017 question paper slot 1.
Section wise break up of CAT 2017 question paper, slot 1
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension |
|
|---|---|
| No. of Questions |
34 |
| No. of MCQ questions |
24 |
| No. of non-MCQ questions |
7 |
| Difficulty Level |
Easy-Moderate |
| Good Attempts |
26-27 |
| Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning |
|
| No. of Questions |
32 |
| No. of MCQ questions |
24 |
| No. of non-MCQ questions |
8 |
| Difficulty Level |
Difficult |
| Good Attempts |
12-14 |
| Quantitative Ability |
|
| No. of Questions |
34 |
| No. of MCQ questions |
22 |
| No. of non-MCQ questions |
12 |
| Difficulty Level |
Easy-Moderate |
| Good Attempts |
25-26 |
Download CAT previous year question paper PDFs
- CAT 2024 Question Paper
- CAT 2023 Question Paper
- CAT 2022 Question Paper
- CAT 2021 Question Paper
- CAT 2020 Question Paper
- CAT 2018 question paper
- CAT 2017 question paper
CAT Mock Test
Check below free Shiksha CAT Mock Test for practice. These CAT mock tests are prepared from original CAT questions.
| CAT_Mock_Test_1 | CAT_Mock_Test_1_Solutions |
| CAT_Mock_Test_2 | CAT_Mock_Test_2_Solutions |
CAT 2017 question paper, slot 1: VARC section
The VARC section of CAT question paper 2017, slot 1 has five RC passages; three passages of 539-600 words and two passages of 299 and 363 words each. Out of five RC passages have six questions and two passages have three questions, each. Three questions are information based and three other are inferential in nature. Overall, six RC questions are easy; and six questions are difficult as there are close choices for answer. The remaining 18 questions are easy to moderate.
| CAT Sections |
CAT VARC Topics |
No. of Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension |
Reading Comprehension |
24 |
| Verbal Ability |
Para-jumble |
4 |
| Summary |
3 |
|
| Para-jumble (Odd sentence out) |
3 |
CAT 2017 question paper, slot 1: DILR section
The questions of DILR section of CAT question paper 2017, slot 1 range from sets on survey of students, burgers & fries, routes between two cities, flight operations and square matrix of pillar heights. DI questions do not require much calculation; however, one question is difficult to crack. Logical Reasoning questions are of easy to moderate level.
| CAT Sections |
CAT DI Topics |
No. of Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Data Interpretation |
Happiness index- difficult |
4 |
| Matrix- moderate |
4 |
|
| Routes - moderate |
4 |
|
| Flight operation - Moderate |
4 |
|
| Logical Reasoning |
Projects - Difficult |
4 |
| Burgers/Fries - Easy |
4 |
|
| Children survey - Easy |
4 |
|
| PCM - difficult |
4 |
Practice:
- CAT Verbal Ability (VA) questions with solutions PDFs
- CAT Parajumble questions with solutions PDFs
- CAT Quantitative Aptitude (QA) questions with solutions PDFs
- CAT Data Interpretation (DI) questions with solutions PDFs
- CAT Logical Reasoning (LR) questions with solutions PDFs
CAT 2017 question paper, slot 1: QA section
In the third and final section of CAT question paper 2017, slot 1, there are 34 questions. The questions of this section are easier than the ones of 2016 and 2015 papers. Most of the questions test the fundamentals of maths. Algebra questions were on Inequalities and Quadratic equations and Arithmetic questions on Profit Loss and TSD.
| CAT Sections |
CAT Quants Topics |
No. of Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Ability |
Number System |
4 |
| Algebra |
10-11 |
|
| Arithmetic |
11 |
|
| Modern Math |
2 |
|
| Geometry and Mensuration |
6-7 |
| Free VARC Questions with Answers for Practice | Free DILR Questions with Answers for Practice | Free Quantitative Aptitude Questions with Answers for Practice |
CAT 2017 Question Paper, Slot 2
The difficulty level of CAT question paper 2017, Slot 2 is a bit more difficult than the slot 1 question paper. Overall, the question paper can be considered moderate in terms of difficulty level with VARC on the easier side but with close options, DILR tricky and QA easy. Take a look at the overall break-up of the question paper.
Also Read:
| CAT Sections |
No. of Questions |
Difficulty Level |
Good Attempts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Ability and Reading comprehension |
34 |
Easy-moderate |
25-27 |
| Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning |
32 |
Difficult |
12-14 |
| Quantitative Ability |
34 |
Easy-Moderate |
25-26 |
| Total |
100 |
Moderate |
64-68 |
CAT 2017 Question Paper, Slot 2: Section-wise break-up
Take a look at the section wise break up of CAT question paper 2017 of second slot.
| CAT Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension |
|
|---|---|
| No. of Questions |
34 |
| No. of MCQ questions |
24 |
| No. of non-MCQ questions |
7 |
| Difficulty Level |
Easy-Moderate |
| Good Attempts |
25-27 |
| CAT Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning |
|
| No. of Questions |
32 |
| No. of MCQ questions |
24 |
| No. of non-MCQ questions |
8 |
| Difficulty Level |
Difficult |
| Good Attempts |
12-14 |
| CAT Quantitative Ability |
|
| No. of Questions |
34 |
| No. of MCQ questions |
26 |
| No. of non-MCQ questions |
8 |
| Difficulty Level |
Easy-Moderate |
| Good Attempts |
25-26 |
CAT 2017 question paper, slot 2: VARC section
The VARC section of CAT question paper 2017, slot 2 is on the easier side. The Reading Comprehension (RC) passages are easy to read but the questions carry close options that may deceive candidates. There are five passages and 24 questions. Three passages are of 500-550 words and two are of 25-350 words. Out of 24 questions, around 16 are inference based and the rest are fact based. Check the table below for more details.
| CAT Sections |
CAT VARC Topics |
No. of Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension |
Reading Comprehension |
24 |
| Verbal Ability |
Para-jumble |
4 |
| Summary |
3 |
|
| Para-jumble (Odd sentence out) |
3 |
CAT 2017 question paper, slot 2: DILR section
The DILR section of CAT question paper 2017, slot 2, has questions in the form of sets. Two sets are easy and one is lengthy. Rest of the sets are solvable but requires concentration. Check the table below for topic wise weightage of questions.
| CAT Sections |
CAT DILR TopicS |
No. of Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Data Interpretation |
Chess |
4 |
| Pizza |
4 |
|
| Dorms |
4 |
|
| Asset Management |
4 |
|
| Airplane |
4 |
|
| Biometric |
4 |
|
| Tea |
4 |
|
| Elective |
4 |
CAT 2017 question paper, slot 2: QA section
The QA section of CAT question paper 2017, slot 2 comprises questions, which test the candidate’s grasp of fundamentals of Mathematics. Arithmetic and Algebra dominate this section with 22 questions. Geometry and Mensuration together have 4-5 questions.
| CAT Sections |
CAT Quants Topics |
No. of Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Ability |
Number System |
4 |
| Algebra |
12 |
|
| Arithmetic |
12 |
|
| Modern Math |
2 |
|
| Geometry and Mensuration |
4 |
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 days ago
Some frequent traps in CAT exam are:
- Confusing the counts of original and new members in replacement vs. inclusion problems.
- Weighting by values instead of quantities or frequencies in weighted average setups.
R
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 days ago
Yes. Most CAT-level problems involving replacements, group additions, or combinations are designed to test logical shortcuts rather than heavy calculations.
N
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 days ago
Direct questions on Averages typically range from 1 to 2 per slot in the CAT exam. However, the concept appears across several other topics, including Mixtures & Alligations, etc.
R
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 3 days ago
Candidates can refer to How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for CAT by Arun Sharma and DILR for CAT by Nishit K. Sinha.
P
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
Yes, Routes and Networks is an important topic for CAT DILR. It tests logical thinking, visualisation and the ability to analyse connections and pathways.
P
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
CAT does not have a fixed number of questions from Routes and Networks. The topic may appear as part of a DILR set, usually comprising 4-5 questions.
P
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
Candidates should spend no more than 1.5 to 2 minutes on an Odd One Out question.
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
Many top scorers spend the first 8-10 minutes tackling independent VA questions, including Odd One Out and Para Summary, before settling into long RC passages.
Candidates preparing for CAT must devise a exam day plan based on how they perform during mocks.
V
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 3 days ago
In most of the recent CAT exam sessions, Odd One Out questions have appeared as TITA (Type In The Answer) questions with no negative marking.
L
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 3 days ago
Candidates can refer to How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for CAT by Arun Sharma and DI & LR for CAT by Nishit K. Sinha.
P
Contributor-Level 10
Vipra Shrivastava is MA in English Literature from Delhi University with extensive experience in content writing of over 14 years. She has been handling content for Management, Accounting and Commerce streams for 8
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