Download CAT 2023 Question Paper PDF for Slot 1, 2, 3 with Solutions
Common Admission Test 2026 ( CAT )
CAT 2026 application start date
3 Aug '26
CAT 2023 question paper PDFs for all three slots is now available. CAT 2023 question paper was set by IIM Lucknow. Download CAT 2023 question paper PDFs to know the sectional weightage and difficulty level.
Download CAT 2023 Question Paper PDF for Slot 1, 2, 3
CAT 2023 question paper PDF is now available for all three slots. CAT 2023 paper was among the toughest in recent years of the MBA entrance exam history. Check CAT question paper for slot 1, slot 2 and 3, below. Candidates preparing for CAT exam can use previous years' CAT papers to analyse different themes of questions, paper pattern, syllabus weightage, and more. Every year, CAT exam is scheduled to be held on last Sunday of November; one must practice as many past papers as possible. Find the downloadable PDF for CAT question paper 2023 below.
- Download CAT 2023 Question Paper PDF with Answers
- CAT 2023 Question Paper: Sectional Composition
- CAT 2023 Question Paper: Marking Scheme
- CAT 2023 Question Paper: VARC
- CAT Mock Test
- CAT 2023 Question Paper: DILR
- CAT 2023 Slot 1 Question Paper: Quantitative Aptitude
- CAT 2023 Slot 2 Question Paper: Quantitative Aptitude
- CAT 2023 Slot 3 Question Paper: Quantitative Aptitude
Download CAT 2023 Question Paper PDF with Answers
CAT 2023 papers for slot 1, 2 and 3 were out with the release of response sheets. Candidates can access CAT question paper 2023 PDF files for all three slots below:
| CAT Question Paper PDF - Download Link | Overall Difficulty Level |
|---|---|
| CAT 2023 Slot 1 Question Paper PDF | Moderate to Difficult |
| CAT 2023 Slot 2 Question Paper PDF | Difficult |
| CAT 2023 Slot 3 Question Paper PDF | Very Difficult |
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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 2023 Question Paper: Sectional Composition
The CAT question paper 2023 of every slot is the same in terms of structure, sectional breakup and weightage. However, the difficulty level will vary. Given below is the section wise break-up of CAT question paper 2023 Slot 1, Slot 2 and Slot 3:
| Section | 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 |
CAT 2023 Question Paper: Marking Scheme
Every question carries 3 marks for correct entry and minus 1 mark for incorrect entry. There is no negative marking for unanswered questions and incorrect attempts in non-MCQ.
| CAT 2023 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 |
🎯 Crack the CAT: Download Official Past Papers (2017–2025)
95% of the top percentiles start here. Access actual question papers, complete with official answer keys. Free instant download for slot 1, 2, 3.
CAT 2023 Question Paper: VARC
The VARC section of CAT paper 2023 as usual, 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 2023:
| Module | Total Questions | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 16 Questions | 4 RC Passages | Moderate to Tough |
| Odd One Out | 2 Questions | Easy to Moderate |
| Parasummary | 2 Questions | Easy to Moderate |
| Parajumbles | 2 Questions | Moderate to Tough |
| Paracompletion | 2 Questions | Easy |
| Total | 24 Questions | Good Attempts 15+ |
CAT Mock Test
Check below free Shiksha CAT Mock Test for practice. These CAT mock tests are prepared from original CAT questions.
| CAT Mock Test | CAT Mock Test Solutions |
|---|---|
| CAT Mock Test 1 | CAT Mock Test 1 Solutions |
| CAT Mock Test 2 | CAT Mock Test 2 Solutions |
RC Passages of CAT Question Paper 2023
Check the table below for topics of the Reading Comprehension passages of CAT question paper 2023, slot 1, 2 and 3. All the passages are inference based.
| CAT 2023 Slot 1 | CAT 2023 Slot 2 | CAT 2023 Slot 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
RC 1 Topic: Garments/ fashion Industry & Pollution - Easy to moderate RC 2 Topic: Netflix Dubbing of titles for Europe → Good or Bad for Europe? RC 3 Topic: Liberalism is Dying - Moderate to Difficult RC 4 Topic: Facts & Interpretation in History |
RC 1 Topic: Colonialism and Pollution RC 2 Topic: Rationalisation RC 3 Topic: Romanticism RC 4 Topic: History |
CAT 2023 Question Paper: DILR
Similar to past years, the DILR section of CAT question paper 2023 had set of 4 and set of 5 questions. Check below the break-up of DILR section of CAT question paper 2023:
| CAT DILR Topics | Number of Questions | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Data Interpretation Set 1 | 5 | Moderate-Difficult |
| Logical Reasoning Set 1 | 5 | Moderate |
| Data Interpretation Set 2 | 5 | Moderate-Difficult |
| Logical Reasoning Set 2 | 5 | Moderate |
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 2023 Paper: Slot wise DILR Topics
Check the table below for areas and topics of DILR sets of CAT question paper 2023:
| CAT 2023 Paper Slot 1 | CAT 2023 Paper Slot 2 | CAT 2023 Paper Slot 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
CAT 2023 Slot 1 Question Paper: Quantitative Aptitude
Just like last year, the Quantitative Ability section of CAT 2023 was dominated by Arithmetic in all three slots. Given below is the Quantitative Ability sectional break up in CAT question paper 2023:
| CAT Quantitative Aptitude Topics | Number of Questions |
|---|---|
| Arithmetic | 7 |
| Algebra | 7 |
| Geometry & Mensuration | 3 |
| Number System | 4 |
| Modern Math | 1 |
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CAT 2023 Slot 2 Question Paper: Quantitative Aptitude
The CAT 2023 question paper of slot 2 was similar to slot 1. In this slot, however, Algebra had more questions than Arithmetic.
| CAT Quantitative Aptitude Topics | Number of Questions |
|---|---|
| Arithmetic | 7 |
| Algebra | 8 |
| Modern Math | 2 |
| Geometry | 3 |
CAT 2023 Slot 3 Question Paper: Quantitative Aptitude
The quantitative aptitude section CAT 2023 question paper slot 3 was tougher than slot 1 and 2. Check the break up below:
| CAT Quantitative Aptitude Topics | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Arithmetic | 8 |
| Algebra | 4 |
| Modern Math | 4 |
| Geometry | 3 |
| Numbers | 3 |
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 14 hours ago
You can refer books such as Logical Reasoning by Arihant, Logical and Analytical Reasoning by Ashok Gupta, A Modern Approach to Logical Reasoning by RS Aggarwal and How To Prepare Logical Reasoning for CAT by Arun Sharma.
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 14 hours ago
Although not many questions are asked from Binary Logic, CAT exam aspirants must not ignore this section during preparation as each mark counts.
E
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 14 hours ago
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.
M
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 16 hours ago
To prepare for CAT VARC, candidates must refer How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT by Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay and Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis along with Wren & Martin High School English Grammar.
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 16 hours ago
FIB is not important for CAT VARC as no direct questions are asked. However, it plays a role in VARC preparation and practice.
P
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 16 hours ago
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.
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 17 hours ago
You can refer How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for the CAT by Arun Sharma and Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit K Sinha.
N
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 17 hours ago
Although syllogism rarely appears in CAT exam, you must not skip it thinking it is not important. Every topic included in CAT syllabus is important.
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 17 hours ago
In the past few years, hardly any direct question has been asked from Syllogism. However, since it is a part of Logical Reasoning, candidates can expect 3-4 set-based questions.
N
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 days ago
TANCET is enough for most Tamil Nadu MBA colleges, including many government and private options. But if your dream is IIM Trichy or the DoMS at IIT Madras, you will need a strong CAT score instead. So the real answer depends on which college you are aiming for. For a solid mid-range MBA college wit
T
Contributor-Level 10
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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