CAT 2021 exam analysis is out. The question paper was of moderate difficulty and had only 66 questions to be solved in 120 minutes. Read here in-depth CAT 2021 exam analysis by experts for slot 1, slot 2 and slot 3.
CAT 2021 exam is being held today in three slots. The first slot fo exam was conducted from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM. The second slot will be held from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM and the third slot will be conducted frm 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Shiksha will bring to you slot-wise CAT exam analysis by experts along with student reactions from the exam centre. Analysis of the first slot of CAT exam is available now.
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The CAT 2021 question paper of the first slot was easy with only 66 questions to answer in 120 minutes. Read below in-depth CAT 2021 analysis, which includes section-wise distribution of topics, difficulty levels, number of good attempts, sectional cut off and expected scoring pattern.
- 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 the first slot of CAT 2021 exam:
CAT 2021 Sections |
Questions |
Difficulty Levels |
---|---|---|
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) |
24 |
Easy to Moderate |
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning & (DILR) |
20 |
Moderate |
Quantitative Aptitude (QA) |
22 |
Moderate to Tough |
Total/Overall |
66 |
Moderate |
CAT 2021 Analysis: VARC
The VARC section of CAT 2021 was as usual tougher from rest of the sections. Out of 24 questions, 16 were based on Reading Comprehension passages. The passages were inference based and doable. In the Verbal Ability part, the questions were from Parajumbles, Parasummary and Odd Sentence Out.
Overall, 24-25 score can be considered enough for a 85%ile and 35-38 marks can be considered ideal for a 99%ile.
CAT 2021 Analysis: DILR
The DILR section of CAT 2021 had 20 questions divided into 4 sets (4+4+6+6). The questions were based on sets: Smoothies- DI, Bar Graph, Arrangement - Researchers, Publishing and Arrangement - Friends, Strangers, Acquaintances. The sectional difficulty level ws moderate to high and score of 27-30 marks can be considered ideal for a 99+ percentile in DILR.
CAT 2021 Analysis: Quantitative Aptitude
Like last year, the Quantitative Aptitude section was dominated by Arithmetic. Sectional difficulty level can be termed as easy as it had only 22 straight forward questions to be solved in 40 minutes. A score of 40-42 will be considered ideal for a 99+ percentile in this sectio of CAT 2021.
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?
Read below CAT 2021 analysis of slot 1, 2 and 3 by various MBA experts:
CAT Experts |
CAT 2021 Analysis Page Links |
---|---|
CAT 2021 analysis by CATKing |
|
CAT 2021 analysis by Career Launcher |
Available Now |
CAT 2021 analysis by IMS India |
Available Now |
CAT 2021 analysis by T.I.M.E. |
Available Now |

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Student Forum
Answered 6 days ago
With a 300 SC category rank in CAT, your chances for NIT Trichy MBA are relatively high. Based on 2025 data, NIT Trichy generally shortlists SC candidates with CAT percentiles around 60-65. To achieve a 300 rank under SC category, you would need about a 65-70 percentile, or a score of roughly 60-65
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
PGCET and CAT serve distinct purposes. The PGCET is primarily conducted for MBA admissions in colleges in the state of Karnataka, specifically for government colleges and private universities with lower fees. CAT is a national level exam for top-ranking B-schools and colleges such as the IIMs that h
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
That's a wonderful goal to push your son toward right at the start. To obtain previous CAT model papers, you can check many available popular exam preparation books in any bookstore or online store. Coaching interest such as TIME, IMS, Career Launcher, etc., usually have mock tests and sample papers
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
Yes, you can get admission to Jaypee Business School (JBS), Noida for MBA even if you don't have CAT. JBS accepts scores from several other exams such as MAT, CMAT, XAT, GMAT, ATMA, and also CUET-PG. Just make sure you have a bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks, then apply with any of those va
Answered 2 weeks ago
I
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 2 weeks ago
For candidates pursuing MBA, the eligibility criteria includes merit and entrance based selection. Whereas, for BBA, candidates must qualify Class 12 with a minimum aggregate. JIIT CDOE MBA on the other hand, is offered based on the minimum aggregate of graduation. However, for the final admission,
M
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 2 weeks ago
Yes, students can get MBA admission into Galgotia University without CAT. The university accepts other national entrance exams for MBA programme. The university accepts entrance exams such as MAT, CMAT, XAT, SAT, and other. It is mandatory to qualify one of the entrance exams.
K
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 2 weeks ago
Yes, students can get admission in Greater Noida Institute of Technology without CAT. CAT is one of the accepted entrance exams at Greater Noida Institute of Technology. The other accepted entrance exams are MAT, NMAT, XAT, CMAT, and others. If a student's CAT score is not good, worry not other acce
A
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 3 weeks ago
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi offers various programmes and specilisations across various streams. For obtaining IIFT Delhi admission, candidates are required to appear for the prescribed entrance tests. Students can visit the official website of the IIFT Delhi to learn more regarding the
U
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 3 weeks ago
No, candidates can not get into Management Development Institute, Gurgaon without CAT as the college offers admissions to students on the basis of their entrance exam scores. The college accepts various national level exams such as CAT, MAT, XAT, GMAT, etc. for admission to its PGDM programmes, foll
A
Contributor-Level 8