CAT 2021 (Slot 1, 2, 3) DILR, VARC & Quant Questions PDF with Answers

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In the last week before CAT 2025, practice DILR, VARC and Quants questions of previous years. Shiksha has shared in this article, sectional details of CAT 2021 question paper and downloadable PDFs of Slot 1, Slot 2 and Slot 3. Practice these CAT 2021 DILR, VARC & Quant Q

In the last week before CAT 2025, practice DILR, VARC and Quants questions of previous years. Get here CAT 2021 (Slot 1, 2, 3) DILR, VARC & Quant Questions PDF with Answers.

CAT 2021 question paper and answers PDF slot 1, 2, 3

CAT 2021 question paper and answers PDF slot 1, 2, 3

CAT 2021 question paper was moderately difficult and on the same lines as the exam usually is. The 66 questions were divided into VARC (24), DILR (20) and QA( 22). The question papers of all three slots had questions from same topics. Candidates, who will be appearing for CAT exam 2025, should check out the CAT 2021 (Slot 1, 2, 3) DILR, VARC & Quant Questions as part of their exam strategy. Practicing old questions will help them strengthen grip over CAT topics and instill confidence.

Shiksha has shared in this article, sectional details of CAT 2021 question paper and downloadable PDFs of Slot 1, Slot 2 and Slot 3. Practice these CAT 2021 DILR, VARC & Quant Questions and know your strength and weakness.

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Table of contents
  • CAT 2021 (Slot 1, 2, 3) Sectional Breakup
  • CAT 2021 (Slot 1, 2, 3) DILR Questions PDF with Answers
  • CAT 2021 (Slot 1, 2, 3) VARC Questions PDF with Answers
  • CAT 2021 VARC section Slot 1
  • CAT 2021 (Slot 1, 2, 3) Quants Questions PDF with Answers

CAT 2021 (Slot 1, 2, 3) Sectional Breakup

Check below sectional break up of the CAT 2021 question paper of slot 1, 2 and 3 combined:

CAT section

Number of questions

Important topics

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension

24

Reading comprehension, parajumbles parasummary, para completion

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning

20

Reasoning based DI, Arrangement, Sets, Tables

Quantitative Aptitude

22

Remainder, Indices, Log, Equations, Functions, Maxima-Minima, Sequence & Series, Algebraic Expression, TSD-, T&W-, SI-CI, Percentage, PLD, Mixture, Averages, Ratios, P&C, Circle, Cuboid/Square, Coordinate Geometry

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   Which CAT slot has the toughest question paper?
A: 

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?
A: 

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?
A: 

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?
A: 

In CAT exam, each candidate gets 120 minutes to solve the paper. There are three sections, all three sections have a fixed sectional time limit of 40 minutes.

CAT 2021 (Slot 1, 2, 3) DILR Questions PDF with Answers

Check below slot wise DILR questions asked in CAT 2021 and get free PDF for practice with answers.

CAT 2021 DILR questions Slot 1

Here’s a brief overview of CAT 2021 DILR section Slot 1:

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

CAT 2021 DILR questions slot 2

Here’s a brief overview of CAT 2021 DILR section Slot 2

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

CAT 2021 DILR questions Slot 3

Here’s a brief overview of CAT 2021 DILR section Slot 3

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

You can download CAT 2021 DILR questions PDF with answers below.

CAT 2021 Question Paper DILR Questions PDF with Answers

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CAT 2021 (Slot 1, 2, 3) VARC Questions PDF with Answers

Check below slot wise VARC questions asked in CAT 2021 and get free PDF for practice with answers.

CAT 2021 VARC section Slot 1

Here’s a brief overview of CAT 2021 VARC section Slot 1:

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

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   Is the structure of CAT mock test same as the actual exam?
A: 
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:   How many RC questions does CAT have?
A: 

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.

Q:   What's new in CAT exam?
A: 

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?
A: 

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.

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CAT 2021 VARC section Slot 1

Here’s a brief overview of CAT 2021 VARC section Slot 2:

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

CAT 2021 VARC section Slot 3

Here’s a brief overview of CAT 2021 VARC section Slot 3:

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

You can download CAT 2021 VARC questions PDF with answers below.

CAT 2021 Question Paper VARC Questions PDFs with Answers

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CAT 2021 (Slot 1, 2, 3) Quants Questions PDF with Answers

Check below slot wise Quantitative Aptitude questions asked in CAT 2021 and get free PDF for practice with answers.

CAT 2021 Quants questions Slot 1

Here’s a brief overview of CAT 2021 Quants section Slot 1:

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

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CAT 2021 Quants questions Slot 2

Here’s a brief overview of CAT 2021 Quants section Slot 2:

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

CAT 2021 Quants questions Slot 3

Here’s a brief overview of CAT 2021 Quants section Slot 3:

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

You can download CAT 2021 Quants questions PDF with answers below.

CAT 2021 Question Paper QA Questions PDF with Answers

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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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