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.
Explore colleges based on CAT
Want better recommendations?
There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.
- Chat with our counselor
- Get your personalised list of colleges & exams matching your preferences
Also Read:
- 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 |
Also Read:
- CAT score vs percentile and marks vs percentile
- Understanding CAT normalization process
- CAT 2021 - How Scaled CAT Score will be Calculated for Three Slots?
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.
Explore more MBA exams with upcoming dates
8 Jul '26
30 Aug '26
1 Nov '25 - 31 Aug '26
22 Jun '26 - 7 Sep '26
29 Sep '26 - 30 Sep '26
8 May '26 - 11 Jul '26
2 Jul '26 - 12 Jul '26
1 Mar '26 - 15 Jul '26
2 Apr '26 - 15 Jul '26
20 Aug '26
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.
Read More:
News & Updates
Explore Other Exams
Jul '26 | XAT 2027 registration dates |
Sep '26 | XAT 2027 mock test |
Aug '26 | SNAP 2026 Registration Process |
Nov '26 | SNAP 2026 admit card session 1... |
Aug '26 | NMAT 2026 Registration Window |
Aug '26 | NMAT 2026 Scheduling Window |
17 Oct '24 - 5 Dec '24 | IIFT 2025 registration and app... |
22 Jun '26 - 7 Sep '26 | MAT September 2026 Registratio... |
22 Jun '26 - 14 Sep '26 | MAT September 2026 Registratio... |
Dec '26 | IBSAT 2026 Exam Date |
18 Jun '26 | IBSAT 2026 Registration Start |
Oct '26 | CMAT 2027 registration and app... |
Jan '27 | CMAT 2027 exam |
2 Jul '26 - 12 Jul '26 | MAH MBA CAP 2026 Registration |
3 Jul '26 - 13 Jul '26 | MAH MBA CAP 2026 Registration ... |
15 Jul '26 | TANCET Rank List 2026 Release ... |
15 Jul '26 | Release of TANCET rank list fo... |
Mar '25 | IRMASAT 2025 Final Result Anno... |
Feb '25 | IRMASAT Personal Interviews |
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 12 hours ago
No, CAT is not compulsory to get admission in TITE - Templecity Institute of Technology and Engineering. The college accepts entrance exams such as: OJEE/ATMA/CAT/MAT. Candidates wishing to get admission into this programme should have passed graduation with at least 50% marks.
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
No, CAT is not compulsory to get admission in MBA at College of Engineering, Pune. The college consider svalid score of entrance exams such as:
- MAH-CET (The primary state-level exam considered for Maharashtra students)
- CAT
- CMAT
- XAT
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
Yes, personal interview round for MBA admission is mandatory for all candidates regardless of which exam they apply through. Candidates applying through CAT result for PP Savani University can only skip SLMET written test during MBA admission process.
Their final evaluation will be based on combined
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
Xavier Institute of Management and Informatics does accepts CAT scores for admission in MBA programme. However, it is not compulsory. Aspirants can also get admission based on their qualifying exam scores and performance in the PI round.
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered 2 days ago
Candidates preparing for CAT may not need to prepare for KLMAT Management separately, as the syllabus is the same and the test structure is also similar. However, one should make sure they practice KLMAT sample papers from a month before the exam as the question type and difficulty level will be dif
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
Candidates who want to apply for Sharda University, Greater Noida MBA course must secure a CAT/ XAT percentile of 65% to skip SUAT. For MAT applicants, this score stands at 75% for MBA admissions at Sharda, Greater Noida.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
Yes, you can get scholarship for MBA in Adamas University based on CAT score according to the following criteria:
CAT Score | Scholarship |
|---|---|
80 percentile & above | 50% of the 1st Semester Fee |
70 percentile to 79.99 percentile | 25% of the 1st Semester Fee |
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
No, CAT is not compulsory to get admission in MBA at IILM University Gurgaon. Candidates wishing to get admission in MBA should have passed Graduation with at least 50% marks. The university offer admission based on entrance exam score such as:
- CAT
- XAT
- MAT
- NMAT
- CMAT
- GMAT
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
As per my knowledge, Yes If you've worked hard for your CAT score and you're now wondering whether DBS Global University will accept it For MBA admission at DBS Global University, a valid CAT score is accepted alongside MAT, CMAT, XAT, GMAT, and the DBS Global University Entrance Examination. Regist
P
Beginner-Level 4
Answered 6 days ago
The CAT 2026 cutoff has not been released yet. However, as per the 2025 cutoff, for admission to PGDM International Business at FORE School of Management, the last round cutoff percentile stood at 75 for the General AI category.
Additionally, the XAT cutoff 2026 for the same course also stood at 75
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
Read Full Bio