CAT 2023 Slot 3 Answer Key, Question Paper Analysis (Available): Check Difficulty Level of DILR, VARC & QA Sections

Q: Is the CAT syllabus difficult?

Yes CAT syllabus is difficult to crack if you do not have enough time. There are three subjects in CAT- VARC, DILR and Quantitative Aptitude. Most of candidates find RC passages tough to crack. In Quants, Arithmetic, Algebra and Geometry pose significant challenge during preparation. In DILR, Reasoning questions often turnout to be tricky and confusion.

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Saumya Jain

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Updated on Dec 5, 2023 09:13 IST

CAT 2023 slot 3 answer key and question paper analysis is available here. Candidates can check their responses by downloading the CAT response sheet. CAT 2023 answer key and response sheet have been released by the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow. Check here CAT 2023 slot 3 question paper analysis.

CAT 2023 slot 3 answer key and question paper analysis is available here. Candidates can check their responses by downloading the CAT response sheet. Check here CAT 2023 slot 3 question paper analysis.

CAT 2023 slot 3 question paper analysis is available here. The CAT exam was conducted on November 26, 2023, in the computer-based test mode. The CAT question paper will be released by the CAT exam conducting IIM, IIM Lucknow along with the official CAT answer key in about a week after the exam is conducted. There is no change in the CAT exam pattern from the previous years, but this year the last slot, i.e. CAT 2023 Slot 3 was difficult. CAT 2023 Slot 1 DILR was moderate, VARC were easy, whereas CAT 2023 Slot 1 Quantitative Ability was difficult. Overall, the difficulty was moderate. CAT 2023 slot 2 was also moderately difficult. CAT 2023 slot 3 was difficult. Read the article below to know more.

The official CAT 2023 answer key and response sheet was released on December 5, 2023 at the iimcat.ac.in website.

CAT_Answer Key_Question_Paper_Slot_3

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CAT 2023 response sheet and answer key release live updates: Check latest updates, link, process

Table of contents

CAT 2023 Slot 3 Question Paper Analysis: Highlights
CAT 2023 Questions And Answer Keys (Memory Based)
CAT 2023 Slot 3 VARC Question-wise Breakup
CAT 2023 Slot 3 DILR Question-wise Breakup

CAT 2023 Slot 3 Question Paper Analysis: Highlights

Check below the sectional breakup and difficulty level of CAT 2023 Slot 3 DILR, VARC and QA sections.

CAT 2023 Sections	Questions	Difficulty Levels
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)	24	Easy
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning & (DILR)	20	Difficult
Quantitative Aptitude (QA)	22	Difficult
Total/Overall	66	Difficult

Also Read:

CAT 2023 Questions And Answer Keys (Memory Based)

Reading Comprehension Breakdown (16 Questions):

1. RC Passage 1: Colonialism and Pollution - This passage was rated as 'Doable'

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2. RC Passage 2: Rationalization -It was considered 'Easy' in terms of language and overall 'Doable’

3. RC Passage 3: Romanticism - Easy

4. RC Passage 4: History - Moderate

DILR Sets
Set 1: Routes and Network - Doable (2 Hidden Conditions): Moderate
This set involved routes and network calculations with two hidden conditions. While manageable, candidates needed a keen eye for hidden patterns.
Set 2: Contradictory Conditions - ACs Scenario: Tricky
This set, involving contradictory conditions related to air conditioners, raised doubts among candidates. The conditions seemed inconsistent, impacting the overall feel of the set.
Set 3: 12 Months Students Subscribed: Easy to Moderate
This set required candidates to calculate the mean and median based on students' subscriptions for offline and online exams over 12 months. It was generally manageable with a moderate difficulty level.
Set 4: Grouping, Students, Project Scores, and Test Scores - Weighted Average - Difficult

Commonly asked questions

Q: Is the CAT syllabus difficult?

Yes CAT syllabus is difficult to crack if you do not have enough time. There are three subjects in CAT- VARC, DILR and Quantitative Aptitude. Most of candidates find RC passages tough to crack. In Quants, Arithmetic, Algebra and Geometry pose significant challenge during preparation. In DILR, Reasoning questions often turnout to be tricky and confusion.

Q: Is CAT exam tough for an average student?

CAT is a speed-based test of analytical aptitude, logical reasoning skills, data interpretation and English comprehension. Now, it may sound tough, but these are the skills which we are taught in school so there is nothing new to learn. What is required is to learn these subjects at advanced level. If you are an average student but have studied Science or Commerce in Class-12 and graduation, you will find a lot of familiar topics in Data Interpretation, Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning. All you will need is brush up the basics and practice the concepts on advanced-level problems.

However, since the competition is so high in CAT and less than 95 percentile can break your dream of joining a top college like IIM, the preparation for CAT requires a lot of focus, dedication, discipline and diligence. If you can do that, despite being an average student, you can crack the CAT exam.

Hope it was helpful!!!

Q: Why is CAT considered a difficult MBA entrance exam?

The CAT is conducted as a difficult MBA entrance exam because it is the main national level test for MBA Admission in India. Over 2 Lacs candidates appear for it every year. Thus, the competition is high. The question paper is set by the IIM. Even though the score is accepted by over 1300 colleges the top colleges accept above 90 percentile. The Iims have cut offs above 95 percentile. It has been seen that out of the total number of test takers which is usually around 2 Lacs, only about 20 candidates are able to score 99-100 percentile. The difficulty level of CAT is the highest among all the MBA entrance exams in India. It is conducted for 2 hours and has 66 questions in total to solve. However, the difficulty level of all the questions from VARC DILR and Quantitative Aptitude is high. The VARC has tough and long Reading Comprehension passages. The Data Interpretation tables and charts are dense and calculation intensive. Logical Reasoning questions are also on the tougher side. Moreover, there is sectional time limit of 40 minutes for each section. Candidates have to complete a section in the given time limit only.

Q: Can I prepare for CAT within 3 months?

Hi Swaleha, 3 months are not enough for CAT as there many students with brilliant mind applying for CAT, you have to compete with them. So, at least, you have to start preparing for CAT before 6 months of exam. Rest of the information is given below. Exam preparation tips for CAT: Rather than focusing on all the topics, students need to try and select those topics with which they are more comfortable. Even on the exam day, with the question sheet in hand, students shouldn't try to solve each and every question and waste their energy, they should rather spend 5 minutes in scanning a section and selecting questions from their area of expertise and skill. In order to ace CAT, students should look at questions from the previous year's CAT paper and understand its syllabus. They should assess whether they are proficient, average or need improvement in each of the areas. The areas that fall in the third category should be focused on first followed by the second and third. CAT aspirants should always start early in preparing for the exams as an early start would benefit them in gaining knowledge about the kind of questions to be asked. Another advantage to it can be spending time in developing extra reading habits and increasing vocabulary. The best way to go on with the CAT preparations is to evaluate oneself in every 10-15 days, which is done by mock tests. But one thing that students should be careful about is to not to repeat the mistakes made by them in either the mock CAT or while practising at home or the whole purpose of taking mock tests would be lost. While preparing for the CAT question paper, one must keep in mind that management schools seek to test understanding of basic concepts that the student possesses. So, students should stop looking for the toughest material to practice and realize that their understanding of concepts is not as good as they think it is. Some things which CAT aspirants must do on an everyday basis are- Minimum 10 hours study everyday, especially before the 6 months of CAT exams. Preparation of minimum 10,000 words to enhance Vocabulary, study of newspapers and editorials for 2 hour's everyday and reading at least two magazines and one novel each week. Time management is an essential ingredient to crack the CAT exam and make it to your favorite college. Managing one's time includes balancing speed with accuracy, handling the pressure and you.

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CAT 2023 Slot 3 Quantitative Aptitude quesrioins and answers - Memory Based

Q: Find the sum of two smallest natural numbers with number of factors as 15.

A: 468

Q: A rectangle with the largest possible area is inscribed in a semi-circle. Find the ratio of larger side to smaller side.

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Q: In a regular polygon, each interior angle is 120 more than each exterior angle. Find the number of diagonals of the polygon.

A: 54

Q: A and B can do work in 20 days. When A works at 60% capacity, B has to work at 150% capacity to finish the work. Find how many days the faster one will finish the work along?

A: 36

Q: In mixture A, the ratio of coco and sugar is 3:2 and in mixture B, the ratio of coffee and sugar is 7:3. These two were mixed together in ratio 2:3 to make mixture C. Now equal quantities of C and milk is mixed. Find the percentage of sugar in mixture.

A: 17%

Q: In 2021, the population was 1 lakh. In 2022, it decreased by x %. In 2023 , it increased by y%. The population in 2023 is more than that of 2021 and difference between x and y is 10. Minimum population in 2021 was?

A: 73,000

Note: These memory based questions and answers have been collated through various sources and Shiksha cannot cofirm their authenticity. The questions should be seen as reference only.

CAT 2023 Slot 3 VARC Question-wise Breakup

Given below is the for topic wise break up of CAT 2023 Slot 3 VARC section.

VARC Topics	No. of Questions
Reading Comprehension	16
Verbal Ability - Para jumbles	2
Verbal Ability - Summary	2
Verbal Ability - Paracompletion	2
Verbal Ability - Odd One Out	2

CAT 2023 Slot 3 DILR Question-wise Breakup

Given below is the table for topic wise break up of CAT 2023 Slot 3 DILR section.

Subject	Topics	No. of Questions
Data Interpretation + Logical Reasoning	Routes and Networks	5
	AC sales in a city	5
	Mean, Median, Mode	5
	Team of Students and Patterns	5

Also Read: CAT 2023 question paper PDF download

CAT 2023 Slot 3 Quantitative Ability Questions- wise Breakup

Given below is the table for topic-wise break up of CAT 2023 Slot 3 Quantitative Ability section.

Topics	No. of Questions
Arithmetic	8
Algebra	7
Geometry	3
Number System	4
Modern Math	0

Read More:

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About the Author

Saumya Jain

Assistant Manager- Content

Saumya Jain is an English Literature graduate from the University of Delhi. She has over 8 years of editorial and content writing experience. At Shiksha.com, she has spent more than six years creating research, stud

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