CAT 2021 Analysis by T.I.M.E.: Check Difficulty Levels of VARC, DILR and Quantitative Ability
Common Admission Test 2025 ( CAT )
Admit Card - 12 Nov '25
According to CAT 2021 exam analysis by T.I.M.E. the exam was of moderate difficulty level. Check out more details on CAT exam analysis and question paper review.
Overall, the CAT 2021 question paper was of moderate difficulty level
CAT 2021 exam held today was on the same lines as last year with the only difference being reduction in the total number of questions. This year, there were only 66 questions in total to solve in 120 minutes. Here's an in-depth CAT 2021 analysis by T.I.M.E.
The overall question paper was moderately difficult. According to CAT 2021 analysis by T.I.M.E., the Reading Comprehension passages were not easy to crack. Out of the four passages only one was easy thus candidates faced a tough time viz. choosing which passages to attempt. In the DILR section, there were four sections and again it was difficult to choose as only one set was easy. In fact, the set on bar-graphs was the easiest across the CAT DILR over the past few years. The Quantitative Aptitude section on the other hand was a complete surprise with easy and straightforward questions.
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- CAT 2021 Exam Analysis Highlights
- CAT 2021 Analysis: VARC
- CAT 2021 Analysis: DILR
- CAT 2021 Analysis: Quantitative Aptitude
CAT 2021 Exam Analysis Highlights
Given below is the section-wise difficulty level of CAT 2021 exam:
| CAT 2021 Sections |
Questions |
Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) |
24 |
Moderate To Tough |
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning & (DILR) |
20 |
Moderate |
| Quantitative Aptitude (QA) |
22 |
Easy |
| Total/Overall |
66 |
Moderate |
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CAT 2021 Analysis: VARC
VARC section of CAT 2021 was dominated by RC, as usual. According to CAT 2021 analysis by T.I.M.E. , all the four passages challenged the students as only one of them was easy. The readability of the passages was not easy either. All of the passages were inference-based. Many of the questions required candidates to choose the options "except". The options were close and many of them were difficult to relate directly to the question.
The VA part of this section was easier but had only eight questions. There were three Parajumble questions which were moderately difficult, two Odd One Out questions which were difficult and three parasummary questions were moderately difficult.
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Difficulty levels of RC passages in slot 1 of CAT 2021:
| Passage |
Number of Questions |
Readability |
Overall Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayan Civilisation |
4 |
Difficult |
Difficult |
| Utopia and Dystopia |
4 |
Difficult |
Very Difficult |
| Marshmallow experiment |
4 |
Moderate |
Difficult |
| Evolution of Tea as a drink |
4 |
Moderate |
Moderate |
A score of 21-23 can fetch 85 percentile (sectional cut-off) in this section of CAT 2021.
Difficulty levels of RC passages in slot 2 of CAT 2021:
| Passage |
Number of Questions |
Readability |
Overall Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Language/ Indigenous people |
4 |
Difficult |
Difficult |
| Why Fiction Trumps Truth |
4 |
Moderate |
Moderate |
| Colonialism/Nationalism |
4 |
Difficult |
Difficult |
| Knowledge and problems of knowledge is a scandal to philosophy |
4 |
Very Difficult |
Very Difficult |
A score of 20-22 can fetch 85 percentile (sectional cut-off) in this section of CAT 2021.
Difficulty levels of RC passages in slot 3 of CAT 2021:
| Passage |
Number of Questions |
Readability |
Overall Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nanotechnology |
4 |
Moderate |
Moderate |
| Language Instinct |
4 |
Moderate |
Moderate |
| Time Accuracy Entropy |
4 |
Moderate |
Difficult |
| Unconscious and Psychoanalysis |
4 |
Difficult |
Very Difficult |
A score of 23-25 can fetch 85 percentile (sectional cut-off) in this section of CAT 2021.
Also Read:
CAT 2021 Analysis: DILR
According to CAT 2021 analysis by T.I.M.E., the DILR section was as difficult as that of last year. There were only 20 questions divided into four Sets. Two Sets had six questions each and the other two has four questions each. The reduction Sets from five last year to four this year may have posed a challenge in choice of sets available to the students. Moreover, only one set was easy.
Difficulty levels of DILR Sets slot 1 of CAT 2021:
| DILR |
Set Type |
No. of Questions |
Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bar graph on sales |
DI |
4 |
Moderate |
| Friends & Acquaintances |
LR |
6 |
Difficult |
| Smoothies |
DI |
4 |
Difficult |
| Journals |
LR |
6 |
Very Difficult |
If a student can score 16-18 in this section, they would be able to get 85 percentile (sectional cut-off).
Difficulty levels of DILR Sets in slot 2 of CAT 2021:
| DILR |
Set Type |
No. of Questions |
Difficulty level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bar graph on Delivery times |
DI |
4 |
Easy-Moderate |
| Games & Tournaments/Distribution |
LR |
4 |
Moderate-Difficult |
| Pizza delivery ratings |
LR |
6 |
Difficult |
| Objects, Bundles & Values |
DI |
6 |
Very Difficult |
A net score of 17-19 would fetch 85 percentile (sectional cut-off).
Difficulty levels of DILR Sets in slot 3 of CAT 2021:
| DILR |
Set Type |
No. of Questions |
Difficulty level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bar graph on Employee Schedules |
DI |
4 |
Easy-Moderate |
| Purity of Solutions |
LR |
4 |
Moderate |
| Javelin Throw |
LR |
6 |
Very Difficult |
| Question Evaluation |
DI |
6 |
Moderate-Difficult |
A score of 17-19 can fetch 85 percentile (sectional cut-off) in this section of CAT 2021.
CAT 2021 Analysis: Quantitative Aptitude
In the CAT 2021 exam, the Quantitative Aptitude section surprised students with a lesser number of questions than VARC section. In the last few years, the number of QA section has been same as VARC.
Out of 22 questions, 11 were from Arithmetic, According to CAT 2021 analysis by T.I.M.E., many questions seemed doable but demanded conceptual clarity for solving them. The questions were cleverly framed to test candidate’s conceptual clarity and approach. A few questions also allowed substitution from the options to help students save time.
Difficulty levels of Quantitative Aptitude questions in slot 1 of CAT 2021:
| Topic |
No. of Questions |
Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| ERPV |
3 |
Moderate |
| Percentages, Profit & Loss |
2 |
Moderate |
| SI-CI |
1 |
Easy |
| Time & Distance |
1 |
Easy |
| Time & Work |
2 |
Moderate |
| Numbers |
1 |
Moderate |
| Geometry |
3 |
Easy - Moderate |
| Progressions |
2 |
Difficult |
| Logarithms and Indices |
1 |
Moderate |
| Functions & Graphs |
1 |
Moderate |
| Quadratic Equations |
2 |
Moderate - Difficult |
| Inequalities & Modulus |
1 |
Moderate |
| AMA |
2 |
Moderate |
A score of about 21-23 would fetch the test taker 85 percentile (sectional cut-off) in this section.
Difficulty levels of Quantitative Aptitude questions in slot 2 of CAT 2021:
| Topic |
No. of Questions |
Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Time & Work |
2 |
Easy-Moderate |
| Time & Distance |
1 |
Moderate |
| Logarithms |
1 |
Easy |
| Progressions |
2 |
Moderate-Difficult |
| Mensuration |
3 |
Moderate |
| Quadratic Equations |
1 |
Moderate |
| Functions & Graphs |
1 |
Moderate |
| Inequalities & Modulus |
1 |
Moderate |
| Percentages, Profit & Loss |
3 |
Moderate |
| Indices |
1 |
Difficult |
| Miscellaneous |
1 |
Difficult |
| AMA |
3 |
Easy-Moderate |
| P&C |
1 |
Difficult |
| Special Equations |
1 |
Difficult |
A score of 22-24 can fetch 85 percentile (sectional cut-off) in this section of CAT exam.
Difficulty levels of Quantitative Aptitude questions in slot 3 of CAT 2021:
| Topic |
No. of Questions |
Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| AMA |
1 |
Moderate |
| Averages |
1 |
Moderate |
| ERPV |
4 |
Moderate - Difficult |
| Function |
1 |
Moderate |
| Geometry & Mensuration |
4 |
Moderate-Difficult |
| Indices & Logs |
2 |
Difficult |
| Inequalities |
1 |
Difficult |
| Special Equations |
1 |
Difficult |
| Percentages |
2 |
Moderate |
| sequence |
1 |
Difficult |
| SI CI |
1 |
Difficult |
| Time & Work |
2 |
Moderate |
| Time & Distance |
1 |
Moderate |
A core of 19-21 can fetch 85 percentile (sectional cut-off) in this section of CAT 2021.
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