Download CAT 2020 Question Paper (PDF Available) for Slot 1, 2, & 3

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CAT previous year question papers are an important resource of exam preparation. Get free CAT 2020 question paper and know section wise topics, questions, difficulty level, topic-wise weightage and RC topics of slot 1, 2 and 3. Read all about CAT question paper 2020.

CAT 2020 question papers for slot 1, 2, & 3 is available below. Candidates can download CAT exam previous year papers to prepare for the upcoming session of CAT exam.

CAT 2020 question paper is available for download below. Candidates preparing for the upcoming CAT exam can access and practice CAT slot 1, 2, and 3 question papers. CAT 2020 exam had a total of 76 questions, including the MCQs and TITA questions. Candidates get to know their strengths as well as weaknesses when practising actual CAT exam papers. Solving CAT Question Papers 2020 of all slots will increase the familiarity of candidates with the pattern, type of questions, and difficulty level.

CAT 2020 question paper had a moderate difficulty level. CAT 2020 exam was held in three slots of 2 hours each. Find CAT 2020 question paper of slot 1, slot 2 and slot 3 to prepare for CAT 2026 exam.

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CAT 2020 Question Paper with Answers Slot-2

Table of contents

CAT 2020 Question Paper: Highlights
CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 1
CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 1: VARC
CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 1: DILR
CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 1: Quantitative Ability
CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 2
CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 2: VARC
CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 2: DILR
CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 2 Quantitative Ability
CAT 2020 Question Paper: Slot 3
CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 3: VARC
CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 3: DILR
CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 3: Quantitative Ability

CAT 2020 Question Paper: Highlights

CAT previous year question papers are an important resource of exam preparation. CAT 2020 question papers of slot 1, 2 and 3 are structured in the same manner. Check the key highlights of CAT question paper 2020.

Features	Details
Sections	1.VARC (26 questions) 2.DILR (24 questions) 3.QA (26 questions)
Total number of questions	76
Total time duration	120 minutes
Sectional time limit	40 minutes
Marking scheme	+3 for every right attempt -1 for every wrong attempt No negative marking for non-MCQs
Total marks	228

Benchmark Prep Against the Real CAT Exam

Over 3 Lakh candidates compete annually. The most direct way to pinpoint your performance gaps and prevent surprise pattern shifts is by practising real slot-wise papers.

⬇️ Download CAT Exam Previous Year Papers

Commonly asked questions

Q: Which CAT slot has the toughest question paper?

Difficulty level in CAT exam is not specific to any of the three slots. The difficulty level across slots may vary every year. Know how the CAT scores are normalised: https://www.shiksha.com/mba/articles/understanding-cat-normalization-process-blogId-9386.

Q: From where can I download CAT question papers?

CAT question papers are released within a week of the exam in the form of a PDF as a response sheet and answer key. Response sheet hosts CAT exam questions and answers.

Q: What is the marking scheme of CAT?

CAT has 68 questions. Each question carries three marks. There is negative marking of minus one for incorrect attempts. There is no deduction of marks for unanswered questions. Total marks in 204.

Q: What is the sectional time limit in CAT?

In CAT exam, each candidate gets 120 minutes to solve the paper. There are three sections in CAT Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude. For each section 40 minutes are allotted as sectional time limit. For PwD candidates, the sectional time limit is 53.20 minutes per section. Candidates have to complete each section within the given time limit. Since the CAT is an online mode exam, the test screen will move from first section to the next section automatically as soon as the time limit gets over. Thus candidates have to be mindful of the on-screen timer and pre-decide the number of questions to solve in each section. The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section of CAT has 24 questions, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section has 22 questions and Quantitative Aptitude section has 22 questions. It is not mandatory to solve all the questions in CAT so candidates can devise a strategy to use 40 minutes per section as per their strength and weakness.

CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 1

Now let’s look at the CAT question paper 2020 slot-wise. The first slot question paper has 57 MCQs and 19 non-MCQs. All the three sections are moderate to tough, with VARC being the toughest among all three. Section-wise number of questions and distribution is mentioned below:

CAT 2020 Sections	No. of Questions	MCQs	Non-MCQs
Quantitative Aptitude (QA)	26	21	5
Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation (LRDI)	24	18	6
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)	26	18	8
Total	76	57	19

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CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 1: VARC

There are four RC passages in CAT question paper 2020 . While two passages are of medium difficulty, the other two are tough. There are only eight questions on Verbal Ability Check the break up of VARC section of CAT 2020 slot 1 paper:

Area / Questions	No. of Questions	Type	Level of Difficulty
Reading Comprehension	18	MCQ	Moderate to Difficult
RC-1: Currency in Tang Empire	4	MCQ	Easy to Moderate
RC- 2: Elephant Seal Migration	5	MCQ	Moderate to Difficult
RC-3: Importance of Grammar	5	MCQ	Easy to Moderate
RC-4: Subsets of Anarchist philosophy	4	MCQ	Moderate to Difficult
Verbal Ability	08	MCQ & TITA	Overall: Moderate
Parajumbles ( 4 sentences)	3	TITA	Moderate to Difficult
Out of Context sentence	2	TITA	Easy to Moderate
Summary	3	MCQ	Easy to Moderate
Overall	26	--	Moderate to Difficult

Download: CAT 2020 Question Paper VARC Questions

Commonly asked questions

Q: Is the structure of CAT mock test same as the actual exam?

CAT mock tests are a replica of the actual CAT exam. It is so because the purpose of the mock test is to prepare the candidate for a speed based test which requires quick decision making and quick calculation with 100 per cent accuracy. This can be achieved only if the candidates has been in such an environment multiple times. In the CAT mock test, candidate has to solve equal number of questions as the CAT exam, in the same time limit. This, helps them in mastering the art of solving 66 questions in 120 minutes with much ease and confidence. The CAT mock tests have questions of same or higher difficulty level than the actual exam. In many unofficial mock tests, the questions are of previous CAT exams. Candidates must solve a variety of mock tests so that they are well versed with CAT questions of all types and varieties.

Q: What's new in CAT exam?

In CAT 2025, the following changes were seen:

The fee amount increased from INR 2,500 to INR 2,600 for General category candidates and from INR 1,250 to INR 1300 for Reserved category candidates.
In DILR section, number of questions increased from 20 to 22.
Total marks of CAT DILR section increased from 60 to 66.
Total marks of CAT exam increased from 198 to 204.
Candidates can select five cities instead of six.

Q: What is the best time to practice CAT mock test?

Candidates should practice CAT mock test during the day. Once, CAT admit card is released, they should practice CAT mocks at the same time as their exam slot. This will help them align their mind and body to 2 hours of rigorous test so that they can utilize their time in the CAT exam well. For example, CAT exam starts are early as 8:30 am. So, those who are not used to studying early morning will face difficulty in performing optimally if they get morning slot.

Q: How many questions are asked from Profit and Loss in CAT?

Profit and Loss is one the main topics of CAT Arithmetic, which dominates the question paper every year. About 2-4 questions are asked from Profit and Loss every slot of CAT exam.

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CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 1: DILR

The 24 questions of DILR section of CAT question paper 2020 slot 1 are divided into three Data Interpretation sets and two logical reasoning sets. Check the break up of this section below:

Area	No. of Questions	Level of Difficulty	Question Type
Data Interpretation– 6 students appearing for exam in 5 subjects	6	Moderate	4 MCQ + 2 TITA
Logical Reasoning–4 companies competing for Contracts	6	Difficult	6 MCQ
Data Interpretation–1,000 patients getting treated with 4 different drugs	4	Easy to moderate	4 TITA
Data Interpretation–10 musicians	4	Moderate to difficult	4 MCQ
Logical Reasoning–Payment to taxi drivers	4	Moderate to difficult	4 MCQ
Overall	24	Moderate to difficult	--

Download: CAT 2020 Question Paper DILR Questions

CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 1: Quantitative Ability

In the Quantitative Ability section of CAT question paper 2020 slot 1, you will find maximum questions from Arithmetic and Algebra. Check the break up of this section below.

Area/Question Type	No. of Questions	Level of Difficulty
Numbers	2	Moderate
Arithmetic	10	Easy to moderate
Algebra	8	Moderate
Geometry	3	Easy to moderate
Modern Maths	3	Moderate
Overall	26	Moderate to Difficult

Download: CAT 2020 Question Paper QA Questions

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Commonly asked questions

Q: How many questions are Fill in the Blanks-based in CAT?

There are no direct Fill in the Blanks-based questions in CAT exam. Candidates must however practice FIB questions to improve word usage in sentence.

Q: How many questions are asked from Binary Logic in CAT?

There is no specific number of questions asked on Binary Logic in CAT exam. There can be 1-2 standalone questions in Logical Reasoning section of the exam.

Q: How many questions are asked from Quadratic Equations in CAT?

Candidates can expect 1 to 2 questions from Quadratic Equations in the CAT exam. CAT Algebra section has about 7 to 9 questions.

Q: How many questions are asked from Mensuration in CAT?

About 2-4 questions can be asked from Mensuration section in CAT. Candidates can must practice this topic extensively.

CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 2

The overall difficulty level of CAT question paper 2020 slot 2 was slightly higher than that of slot 2 with QA and DILR bordering on the difficult side. VARC was on par with slot 1.

Section Name	MCQs	TITA	Total
VARC	21	5	26
DI and LR	18	6	24
QA	18	8	26
-	57	19	76

CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 2: VARC

The VARC section of CAT question paper 2020 slot 2 is similar to slot 1 in segmentation and difficulty level. It has four RC passages – two tough and two easy. The Verbal Ability section has only eight questions. Check the break up of VARC section of CAT 2020 slot 2 question paper:

Area / Questions	No. of Questions	Type	Level of Difficulty
Reading Comprehension	18	MCQ	Overall: Moderate to Difficult
RC-1: Piracy in International Waters	4	MCQ	Easy to Moderate
RC- 2: Renewable Energy Technologies	5	MCQ	Moderate to Difficult
RC-3: The Study of Visual Culture	5	MCQ	Easy to Moderate
RC-4: Aggression - Theories and Models	4	MCQ	Moderate to Difficult
Verbal Ability	08	MCQ & TITA	Overall: Moderate
Para jumbles ( 4 sentences)	3	TITA	Moderate to Difficult
Out of Context sentence	2	TITA	Easy to Moderate
Summary	3	MCQ	Easy to Moderate
Overall	26	--	Moderate to Difficult

Commonly asked questions

Q: How many questions are asked from Venn Diagrams in CAT?

Venn Diagram questions are not fixed every year in CAT, but when they appear in the DILR section, they usually form a single complete set of 4 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.

Q: How many RC questions does CAT have?

The CAT VARC section is dominated by RC questions. Out of 24 questions about 14-16 are based on Reading Comprehension passages and the rest of them are based on parajumbles, para completion, etc.

CAT has about 12-16 RC question. Since, it is not mandatory to solve all the questions, candidates can maximize their scores by leaving out the questions related to the passage they find the toughest. There is negative marking in CAT so candidates must ensure that they mark only the correct options or do not mark any option at all.

CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 2: DILR

The CAT question paper 2020 of slot 2 also had 12 questions each on DI and LR. There were two DI sets and three LR sets. Check the break up of this section below:

Area	No. of Questions	Level of Difficulty	Question Type
Data Interpretation–Elections	6	Moderate	4 MCQ + 2 TITA
Logical Reasoning–Set on scheduling of seminars	6	Difficult	6 MCQ
Data Interpretation–Apparel and home decor of 4 cities over two years	4	Moderate	4 MCQ
Logical Reasoning–Parking lot	4	Easy to Moderate	4 MCQ
Logical Reasoning–Matrix arrangement set on beads of different colours	4	Moderate to difficult	4 TITA
Overall	24	Moderate	--

CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 2 Quantitative Ability

Like slot 1, the QA section of slot 2 of CAT question paper 2020 also has maximum questions from Arithmetic (nine questions) and Algebra (seven questions). This section also has eight TITA questions. Students will find this section of CAT 2020 question paper slightly more difficult that CAT 2019 question paper.

Area/Question Type	No. of Questions	Level of Difficulty
Numbers	1	Moderate
Arithmetic	9	Easy to moderate
Algebra	7	Moderate to difficult
Geometry	5	Moderate
Modern Maths	4	Moderate
Overall	26	Moderate

Download CAT previous year papers pdf

CAT 2020 Question Paper: Slot 3

The CAT question paper 2020 of slot 3 has the same structure as the first two slots and the difficulty level is also same.

Section Name	MCQs	TITA	Total
VARC	21	5	26
DI and LR	18	6	24
QA	18	8	26
Overall	57	19	76

CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 3: VARC

The VARC section of slot 3 of CAT question paper 2020 was similar to slot 1 and 2 in difficulty level and structure. There were four RC passages – two tough and two easy. And, Like slot 1 and 2, there are eight questions from VA in slot 3 question paper too.

Area / Questions	No. of Questions	Type	Level of Difficulty
Reading Comprehension	18	MCQ	Overall: Moderate to Difficult
RC-1: On Travel Writing	5	MCQ	Moderate to Difficult
RC-2: Economic crises	4	MCQ	Easy to Moderate
RC-3: Views on Human Nature	5	MCQ	Moderate to Difficult
RC-4: Screen Time and class	4	MCQ	Easy to Moderate
Verbal Ability	08	MCQ & TITA	Overall: Moderate
Para jumbles ( 4 sentences)	3	TITA	Moderate to Difficult
Out of Context sentence	2	TITA	Moderate to Difficult
Summary	3	MCQ	Easy to Moderate
Overall	26	--	Moderate to Difficult

CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 3: DILR

The question paper of slot 3 of CAT 2020 also has a total five sets of DI and LR. Two sets have six questions while three have four questions each. Check the break up of this section of CAT 2020 question paper slot 3 below:

Area	No. of Questions	Level of Difficulty	Question Type
Data Interpretation–Four facilities in a school	4	Easy to Moderate	2 TITA + 2 MCQ
Data Interpretation–Organization delivering groceries	4	Moderate to Difficult	4 MCQ
Logical Reasoning–Game of six rounds	6	Moderate to Difficult	4 TITA + 2 MCQ
Logical Reasoning–Farmer and four daughters	6	Moderate to Difficult	6 MCQ
Logical Reasoning–Patients undergoing blood test	4	Easy to Moderate	4 MCQ
Overall	24	Moderate to Difficult	--

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CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 3: Quantitative Ability

Like slots 1 and 2, the QA section of slot 3 of CAT 2020 question paper is alos was dominated by Arithmetic (10 questions). However, the number of Algebra questions are lower than in slot 1 and 2 question papers. Take a look at the break up of this section below:

Area/Q Type	No. of Questions	Level of Difficulty
Numbers	3	Moderate
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Geometry	4	Moderate
Modern Maths	5	Moderate
Overall	26	Moderate

CAT Mock Test

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Abhishek Dhawan

Deputy Manager - MBA & BBA Content

Abhishek Dhawan is a content writer and editor with 7+ years of experience in education journalism. He holds a BA degree from the University of Delhi. At Shiksha, Abhishek primarily covers MBA and BBA entrance

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Download CAT 2020 Question Paper (PDF Available) for Slot 1, 2, & 3

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CAT 2020 Question Paper: Highlights

Commonly asked questions

CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 1

CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 1: VARC

Commonly asked questions

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CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 1: DILR

CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 1: Quantitative Ability

Commonly asked questions

CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 2

CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 2: VARC

Commonly asked questions

CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 2: DILR

CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 2 Quantitative Ability

CAT 2020 Question Paper: Slot 3

CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 3: VARC

CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot 3: DILR

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