Common Admission Test 2025 ( CAT )
IIM Calcutta conducted the CAT exam in three slots on November 24. CAT 2024 question paper PDF along with official answer key and candidate response sheet is out for Slot 1, 2 and 3.
CAT 2024 Question Paper PDF Download for Slot 1, 2 and 3
CAT 2024 Question Paper PDF: IIM Calcutta conducted the CAT 2024 exam in three slots. CAT 2024 slot wise question papers are available here. Candidates can download the CAT 2024 question paper PDF to know the sectional weightage and difficulty level. IIM Calcutta has released CAT question paper PDF officially along with the official answer key and response sheet on the exam website, iimcat.ac.in.
CAT 2024 question paper was designed with a total of 66 questions divided across three different sections. Three sections of CAT question paper include Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) and Quantitative Ability (QA). Candidates can use CAT question paper PDF along with the answer key and response sheet to evaluate their probable score.
Also Check:
IIM Calcutta releases the answer key, response sheet along with the CAT question paper PDF 4-5 days after the exam date. The table below mentions the CAT question paper PDF for slot 1, 2 and 3.
| CAT Exam Slots | Question Paper PDF Download* |
|---|---|
| CAT 2024 slot 1 question paper | Download PDF Here |
| CAT 2024 slot 2 question paper | Download PDF Here |
| CAT 2024 slot 3 question paper | Download PDF Here |
*NOTE: CAT question paper PDF links in the table above will be updated as soon as IIM Calcutta releases the same.
CAT question papers are released within a week of the exam in the form of a PDF as a response sheet and answer key. Candidates who have appeared for the test are able to access the CAT question paper and answer key. The question paper of every slot is released on the same day along with candidate response sheet and official answer to all question. If any candidate needs previous year CAT question papers for preparation purpose, then they can download them from Shiksha website. We have hosted last five years' CAT question papers for aspirants to download and practice. These official CAT question papers are available for download free. You can download the CAT question paper PDFs at this link: https://www.shiksha.com/mba/cat-exam-question-papers Candidates must check and practice the latest CAT question paper to know the latest exam pattern and difficulty level.
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.
The table below mentions the direct links to access the CAT 2024 memory based questions, answer keys, and exam analysis:
| CAT 2024 Slots |
CAT Answer Key, Question Paper, & Exam Analysis |
|---|---|
| CAT 2024 Slot 1 answer key, question paper, and exam analysis |
|
| CAT 2024 Slot 2 answer key, question paper, and exam analysis |
|
| CAT 2024 Slot 3 answer key, question paper, and exam analysis |
6 Oct '25 - 26 Jan '26
26 Jan '26
25 Nov '25 - 29 Jan '26
29 Jan '26
9 Feb '26
30 Jan '26
10 Jan '26 - 12 Feb '26
IIM does not release the CAT question paper separately. Candidates get to access the CAT questions while checking the response sheet and the CAT 2024 answer key. The space below mentions the steps to check the CAT question papers, answer key and response sheet:
Candidates who took the CAT 2024 exam can use these question papers to evaluate their probable scores before the declaration of results. The marking scheme, answer key, response sheet, and CAT 2024 question paper help candidates calculate their probable scores to reduce the result anxiety.
The key change in CAT question paper 2024 was increase in number of questions in DLIR section. Till 2023, the DILR section used to have 20 questions. In 2024, it had 22 questions. The time limit for it was the same and no other section had less questions. Which means, in CAT 2024, candidates had to attempt 68 questions instead of 66 to solve in the same time (120 minutes). DILR sectional time limit was 40 minutes as in previous years. There was no other change in CAT 2024, the difficulty level was same as previous years.
No, it is not mandatory to attempt all the questions in CAT. Candidates can choose to attempt questions as per their preparation. It is not possible also to attempt all the questions due to time limitation and difficulty level. Reading dense RC passages often take up a lot of time. In DILR and QA too, some questions are time taking and calculation intensive due to which not much time is left in hand to attempt all questions. The aim of every test taker should be to attempt about 2/3rd of the total questions in all the sections of CAT.
There are no straight forward vocabulary questions in CAT. Out of the total of 24 questions in VARC section, 12-14 questions are Reading Comprehension based and rest of them comprise parajumbles, para completion and odd sentence. CAT is the only MBA entrance exam, which does not have direct vocabulary and grammar questions. However, one needs to have strong vocabulary and grammar to be able to solve RC, parajumble, para completion and odd sentence questions.
Candidates must follow the steps mentioned below to calculate their CAT 2024 raw score using the question paper, answer key and response sheet:
Also Check: CAT Score vs Percentile
NOTE: IIM Calcutta will use the CAT normalisation process to equalise the performance of all test takers across three slots. Admissions based on CAT will be done as per the normalised score mentioned in the CAT scorecard.
CAT 2024 exam pattern was kept similar to the past exam sessions. The table below mentions the CAT question paper pattern in brief:
| CAT Test Pattern Elements |
CAT Exam Pattern |
|---|---|
| CAT exam mode |
Computer Based Test |
| CAT exam duration |
120 minutes (divided equally across sections) |
| CAT exam slots |
3 exam slots as mentioned below
|
| Total questions in CAT exam |
68 |
| CAT sectional composition |
3 sections with the following composition:
|
| CAT total marks |
204 |
| CAT marking scheme |
|
| Question paper medium |
English |
| Type of questions |
MCQs and TITA (Type in The Answer) questions |
CAT question paper pattern saw a change in 2024 with increase in the number of questions to 24.
Candidates will find the CAT 2024 answer key, response sheet and question papers inside the login dashboard. Answer key for CAT 2024 slot 1, 2 and 3 will be released for candidates who took the exam in that particular slot. Candidates will have to access the CAT login dashboard to access the answer keys. Candidates will be allowed to raise objections against the CAT answer key. IIM Calcutta will draft the CAT final answer key after reviewing challenges against the preliminary answer key.
CAT 2024 answer key for slot 1, 2 and 3 also helps candidates prepare for CAT 2025 exam.
Also Check: CAT 2024 Exam Analysis
Besides helping the CAT 2024 test takers, candidates can use the CAT 2024 question paper PDF to prepare for the subsequent exam session. Previous year’s CAT question papers help prepare for the exam with a holistic approach as it provides deep understanding of the pattern, syllabus, etc. Candidates can access the CAT previous year’s question paper from the table below:
| CAT Exam Session |
Question Paper PDF Download |
|---|---|
| CAT 2023 Question Paper |
|
| CAT 2022 Question Paper |
|
| CAT 2021 Question Paper |
|
| CAT 2020 Question Paper |
|
| CAT 2019 Question Paper |
|
| CAT 2018 Question Paper |
|
| CAT 2017 Question Paper |
Also Check: Last 5 Year CAT Question Paper PDF Free Download
| CAT Experts |
CAT 2024 Analysis Page Links |
|---|---|
| CAT 2024 analysis by CATKing |
|
| CAT 2024 analysis by Career Launcher and T.I.M.E |
|
| CAT 2024 analysis by IMS |
Read More:
Abhishek is a content writer and editor with 7+ years of experience in education journalism. He completed his graduation from University of Delhi with a BA Degree. At Shiksha.com, he handles content for MBA, BBA, an
Read Full Bio29 Jan '26 | XAT 2026 Cut Offs Release |
16 Jan '26 | XAT 2026 result |
9 Jan '26 | SNAP 2025 result announcement |
20 Dec '25 | SNAP 2025 session 3 |
13 Jan '26 - 17 Jan '26 | NMAT 2025 Exam Date (Additiona... |
5 Jan '26 - 10 Jan '26 | NMAT 2025 Scheduling (Addition... |
17 Oct '24 - 5 Dec '24 | IIFT 2025 registration and app... |
23 Feb '26 | MAT Feb 2026 PBT Registration ... |
26 Feb '26 | MAT Feb 2026 PBT admit card |
14 Feb '26 - 22 Feb '26 | IBSAT 2025 Selection Process |
30 Dec '25 | IBSAT 2025 Result |
25 Jan '26 | CMAT 2026 exam |
21 Jan '26 | CMAT 2026 exam admit card |
10 Jan '26 - 12 Feb '26 | MAH MBA CET 2026 registration |
7 Apr '26 - 8 Apr '26 | MAH MBA CET 2026 exam |
Jan '26 | TANCET registration window |
Mar '26 | TANCET admit card download |
Mar '25 | IRMASAT 2025 Final Result Anno... |
Feb '25 | IRMASAT Personal Interviews |
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 3 days ago
No, CAT scores are not important for enrollment into Masters of Business Administration course at Chitkara University. Because CAT is not the only scores which are considered by the university, it also accepts the scores of MAT/ XAT/ NMAT/ CMAT.
K
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
Minimum qualifying cut off for IIM Ahmedabad is 95 percentile whereas for IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta, it is 85. However final cut offs for these three top IIMs are between 99 to 100 percentile.
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 5 days ago
GIBS is pretty flexible when it comes to entrance exams. They accept almost all the common management tests — CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA, State CET, and even GMAT. In my batch itself, we had students who came through different exams, not just CAT.
Honestly, that's one thing I liked about GIBS — they d
M
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 5 days ago
Yes, you can join Adarsh Institute of Management and Information Technology without appearing for CAT. This is because, the institute also accepts other tests. The accepted exams include CAT/ XAT/ MAT/ CMAT/ KMAT/ PGCET/ GMAT. Hence, if you have appeared for any of these, you can still apply.
M
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
Yes, Myra School of Business does offer CAT scores based Scholarships upto INR 1.5 lakh. In recognition of outstanding performance in CAT, MSB awards special scholarships as follows:
h
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
LISAA School of Design, Bangalore BDes admission is done based on performance in the in-house entrance test. LISAA CAT is conducted at the LISAA centres. Candidates need to connect with the admission team to set up a time slot. Besides, it is important that the eligibility criteria is fulfilled.
M
Contributor-Level 9
Answered a week ago
Yes, you can absolutely get admission into the MBA programme without clearing CAT or MAT, because the university follows a flexible admission pathway that allows students to apply through its own entrance exam called CUCET. This exam acts as the primary route for MBA admissions, and it is designed t
s
Beginner-Level 3
Answered a week ago
No, CAT is not mandatory for School of Business and Management, Christ University MBA admissions. Students can alternatively submit scores of other national-level management exams. These include MAT/ XAT/ CMAT/ ATMA and GMAT/ GRE are also accepted.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
You can download your CDAC C-CAT 2026 response sheet by logging in to the official C-DAC Candidate Portal using your form number and password.
R
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 2 weeks ago
Yes, JAGSoM accepts CAT scores as part of its multi-stage admission process. Candidates are shortlisted for selection rounds based on their entrance exam scores.
B
Contributor-Level 6
