CAT 2022 question paper PDF for all three shifts are available for download. Candidates preparing for the upcoming shift of CAT exam can now download CAT 2022 paper to know the difficulty standards, syllabus weightage, and more.
CAT 2022 Question Papers: Candidates preparing for the upcoming shift of CAT exam can use previous year's CAT question papers to prepare for the exam. Checking CAT previous year question papers help candidates know the paper pattern, syllabus weightage, and different types of questions. CAT 2022 question paper had a total of 66 questions. VARC section had 24 questions, DILR had 20 questions and Quantitative Ability had 22 questions. While VARC had only MCQ, DILR and Quantitative Aptitude section had a few non-MCQs.
Those preparing for CAT 2025 exam must practice CAT 2022 question paper to understand the types of questions asked previously. Candidates must ensure that they solve previous year CAT question papers in the last month of exam preparation. CAT 2022 question papers of slot 1, slot 2 and slot 3 with the CAT answer key can be downloaded on this page, further below.
- CAT 2022 Question Paper PDFs for Slot 1, 2, & 3
- CAT 2022 Question Paper: Sectional Composition
- CAT 2022 Question Paper: Marking Scheme
- CAT 2022 Question Paper: VARC
- CAT 2022 Question Paper: DILR
- CAT 2022 Question Paper: Quantitative Ability
CAT 2022 Question Paper PDFs for Slot 1, 2, & 3
Candidates can find CAT 2022 question papers downloadable below:
| CAT Exam Slot | CAT Question Paper Download Link |
|---|---|
| CAT Slot 1 Paper | ⬇️ CAT 2022 Slot 1 Question Paper PDF |
| CAT Slot 2 Paper | CAT 2022 Slot 2 Question Paper PDF |
| CAT Slot 3 Paper | ⬇️ CAT 2022 Slot 3 Question Paper PDF |
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 PapersCAT 2022 Question Paper: Sectional Composition
The CAT question paper 2022 of every slot was same in terms of pattern and structure; however, the difficulty level varied slightly. Given below is the section wise break-up of CAT question paper 2022:
| CAT 2022 Paper |
Number of Questions |
Allotted Time-Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Aptitude (QA) |
24 |
40 minutes |
| Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation (LRDI) |
20 |
40 minutes |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) |
22 |
40 minutes |
| Total |
66 |
120 minutes |
Commonly asked questions
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.
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.
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.
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 2022 Question Paper: Marking Scheme
Each question of the CAT question paper 2022 carried three marks for correct entry and minus one mark for incorrect entry. Unanswered questions and incorrect attempts in non-MCQ carried zero marks.
| CAT 2022 Sections |
Number of Questions |
Total Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Aptitude (QA) |
24 |
72 |
| Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation (LRDI) |
20 |
60 |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) |
22 |
66 |
| Total |
76 |
198 |
Also Read:
- IIM Shortlist 2025: Check dates, process and admission status
- CAT cut offs: Expected and Previous
- Campus-wise IIM selection criteria and admission process
- All MBA colleges accepting CAT score
CAT 2022 Question Paper: VARC
The VARC section of CAT question paper 2022 had more Reading Comprehension questions than Verbal Ability, which made it a tough section to crack. Given below is the break-up of VARC section of CAT question paper 2022:
| VARC Question Type |
Number of Questions |
Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension (4 passages) |
16 |
Easy to Moderate |
| Para Jumble Questions |
3 |
Easy to Moderate |
| Odd Sentence Out/Para Completion |
2 |
Moderate |
| Para Summary |
3 |
Moderate |
RC Passages of CAT Question Paper 2022
Check the table below for topics of the Reading Comprehension passages of CAT question paper 2022, slo1, 2 and 3. All the passages are inference based.
| CAT 2022 Slot 1 |
CAT 2022 Slot 2 |
CAT 2022 Slot 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Also Read:
| IIM Cut Offs: category wise | |
| Top colleges apart from IIMs which accept CAT | |
| How much CAT score is required for FMS? |
Commonly asked questions
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.
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.
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.
CAT 2022 Question Paper: DILR
The DILR section of CAT question paper 2022 had sets of 4 and set of 5 questions across the exam slots. Check below the break-up of DILR section of CAT question paper 2022:
| DILR Topics |
Number of Questions |
Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Data Interpretation Set 1 |
4-5 |
Moderate-Difficult |
| Logical Reasoning Set 1 |
4-5 |
Moderate |
| Data Interpretation Set 2 |
5-6 |
Moderate-Difficult |
| Logical Reasoning Set 2 |
5-6 |
Moderate |
DILR topics of CAT 2022 Question Paper
Check the below table for areas and topics of DILR sets of CAT question paper 2022:
| CAT 2022 Slot 1 |
CAT 2022 Slot 2 |
CAT 2022 Slot 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Explore colleges based on CAT
CAT 2022 Question Paper: Quantitative Ability
The Quantitative Ability section of CAT 2022 was dominated by Arithmetic in all three slots. Given below is the Quantitative Ability sectional break up in CAT question paper 2022:
| Quantitative Aptitude Topics |
Number of Questions |
Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic |
8-9 |
Easy |
| Algebra |
7-8 |
Easy |
| Geometry & Mensuration |
3-4 |
Easy-Moderate |
| Number System |
1 |
Moderate |
| Modern Math |
1-2 |
Easy-Moderate |
Read More:
- CAT Question Paper Analysis of Previous Years
- CAT 2025 preparation tips and strategy
- CAT score vs percentile: What is the difference
- Understanding CAT normalisation process
CAT Percentile Predictor
Commonly asked questions
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.
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.
Candidates can expect 1 to 2 questions from Quadratic Equations in the CAT exam. CAT Algebra section has about 7 to 9 questions.
About 2-4 questions can be asked from Mensuration section in CAT. Candidates can must practice this topic extensively.
CAT College Predictor

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Student Forum
Answered 4 days ago
Yes, NISM offers scholarship on not just CAT percentile score but also on XAT, CMAT & MAT entrance scores. Currently they offer 50% scholarship on 1st year tuition fees if you score more than 75 percentile on CAT/XAT. For CMAT & MAT, the percentile score should be above 80 percentile. These may chan
D
Beginner-Level 1
Answered 5 days ago
Dedicate one focused hour in the morning to QA formulas or an RC passage, one hour in the evening to DILR sets, and reserve weekends for full-length mocks and thorough review.
L
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 5 days ago
It is not too late, provided you adjust your scope. Focus directly on core topics, start taking sectional tests immediately, and spend time learning through mock test analysis.
R
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 5 days ago
Focus on formula sheets, mental math tables, grammar pointers, and your accumulated test error log. Avoid attempting full-length tests during the final three days before the exam.
N
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 5 days ago
Enrolling in a classroom programme is rarely practical with two months left. However, a dedicated mock test series or a targeted crash course for specific weak subjects can provide structured practice material.
D
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 5 days ago
A beginner can build a respectable attempt by focusing strictly on high-yield areas such as Arithmetic, Algebra, core DI arrangements, and Reading Comprehension, rather than attempting the entire syllabus.
R
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 5 days ago
Taking 12 to 18 full-length mocks across the 60-day window is generally sufficient. Candidates must scatter these mocks into phases and dedicate at least three to four hours to analysing each test.
B
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 5 days ago
Yes, 60 days is adequate if you have a basic understanding of mathematics and reading skills. It provides sufficient time to revise concepts, complete timed sectional practice, and take 12 to 15 full mocks.
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
IIM Indore will release CAT admit card 2026 on November 4. Candidates will be able to download the admit card of CAT exam 2026 until the exam date, i.e. November 29.
R
Contributor-Level 7
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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