Abhishek
Abhishek Dhawan
Assistant Manager – Editorial Content
Updated on Aug 20, 2025 12:04 IST
IIM Calcutta has conducted CAT 2024 exam in three slots on November 24. Candidates can download the CAT 2024 question paper PDF to know the sectional weightage and difficulty level. IIM Calcutta released CAT 2024 question paper along with the answer key and response sheet on November 29, 2024 .

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

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:

Table of contents
  • CAT 2024 Official Question Papers
  • CAT Question Paper PDF 2024 (Memory Based)
  • Steps to Download CAT 2024 Question Paper PDF
  • How to use CAT 2024 Question Paper?
  • CAT 2024 Question Paper Pattern
  • CAT Answer Key 2024
  • Previous Year’s CAT Question Papers
  • CAT 2024 Analysis by Experts
View More

CAT 2024 Official Question Papers

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.

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   Which CAT slot has the toughest question paper?
A: 
There is no pattern to which CAT question paper can be the toughest. The CAT question paper of every slot has unique questions. The examination body strives to maintain the same difficulty level of the paper across all slots but it may happen that a question can be more difficult from another. It is seen that, to keep the uniqueness of the question paper intact, the examination authority also changes the topic wise weightage a little bit across the exam slots. In most of the previous years, it is seen that the morning slot of the CAT exam is tougher than the rest two. However, candidates must not worry about the difficulty level of the slots as, the scores of all the candidates are normalised on a common scale to root out the possibility of advantage or disadvantage to any student due to difference in difficulty level. To know how the CAT scores are normalised, read this article: 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. 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.

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.

CAT Question Paper PDF 2024 (Memory Based)

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

Check Here

CAT 2024 Slot 2 answer key, question paper, and exam analysis

Check Here

CAT 2024 Slot 3 answer key, question paper, and exam analysis

Check Here

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Steps to Download CAT 2024 Question Paper PDF

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:

  1. Visit the official CAT website, iimcat.ac.in
  2. Click on the login button available on the homepage.
  3. Enter CAT login credentials, including the registration number and password.
  4. Navigate to the relevant link for CAT 2024 response sheet and answer key.
  5. Download the response sheet and check all the questions in CAT and the responses recorded on the exam day.
Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   What was the key change in CAT question paper 2024?
A: 

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. 

Q:   Is it mandatory to attempt all the questions in CAT?
A: 

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. 

Q:   How many vocabulary questions are asked in CAT?
A: 

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.

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How to use CAT 2024 Question Paper?

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.

CAT Score Calculation Process using Question Paper, Answer Key, Response Sheet

Candidates must follow the steps mentioned below to calculate their CAT 2024 raw score using the question paper, answer key and response sheet:

  1. Calculate the total number of correct responses recorded in the CAT 2024 exam.
  2. Calculate the number of incorrect MCQ responses recorded in the CAT exam.
  3. Add 3 marks for each correct response.
  4. Deduct 1 mark for each incorrect MCQ response recorded.
  5. No marks will be deducted for unattempted responses or incorrect TITA responses.
  6. The outcome of the above calculations will provide the raw score in the CAT exam.

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 Percentile predictor prepared by Shiksha.com helps students to get their predicted CAT 2024 percentile on the basis of their expected exam score. So, predict your CAT 2024 score by clicking the link below:

CAT Percentile Predictor

CAT 2024 Question Paper Pattern

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

  • Morning: 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM
  • Afternoon: 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM
  • Evening: 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM

Total questions in CAT exam

68

CAT sectional composition

3 sections with the following composition:

  • Quantitative Aptitude (QA): 24 questions
  • Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation (LRDI): 22 questions
  • Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC): 22 questions

CAT total marks

204

CAT marking scheme

  • +3 marks for each correct response
  • -1 marks for each incorrect response (for MCQs only)
  • No negative marking for incorrect response in TITA type questions
  • No negative marking for unanswered questions

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.

CAT Answer Key 2024

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

Previous Year’s CAT Question Papers

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

Download PDF Here

CAT 2022 Question Paper

Download PDF Here

CAT 2021 Question Paper

Download PDF Here

CAT 2020 Question Paper

Download PDF Here

CAT 2019 Question Paper

Download PDF Here

CAT 2018 Question Paper

Download PDF Here

CAT 2017 Question Paper

Download PDF Here

Also Check: Last 5 Year CAT Question Paper PDF Free Download

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About the Author
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Abhishek Dhawan
Assistant Manager – Editorial Content

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

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Answered 16 hours ago

CAT is a national-level exam that is conducted for MBA admission at PG level in colleges. CAT is a computer-based-test. The test duration is 120 minutes. It consists of 68 questions that are divided in the following 3 sections:

  1. VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension)
  2. DILR (Data Interpretation

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Saumya Gairola

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 20 hours ago

To get admission in IIM Kashipur MBA, students have to clear the CAT cutoff. The cutoff for the general category AI quota was 95. For NC-OBC candidates, it is 81 percentile, for SC candidates it is 66 percentile whereas for SC and PwD candidates, it is 40 percentile. Students can check the official

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A

Anangsha Aggarwal

Contributor-Level 10

Answered Yesterday

No, the application fee for Amrita CAT can only be paid online. There is no provision of offline payment. 

R

Rashmi Chatterjee

Contributor-Level 6

Answered 2 days ago

CAT exam conducted only once a year in the month of November. It is conducted in three shifts on a single day.

M

Manisha Singh

Contributor-Level 7

Answered 2 days ago

CAT exam is conducted in computer based test mode. Candidates have to visit a designated test centre to give the exam on a computer system. They have to login their answers with the help of computer mouse.

78439174
Vipra Shrivastava

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 days ago

Maximum marks in CAT is 204. There are 68 questions each carrying 3 marks. VARC is of 72 marks and DILR and Quants are of 66 marks each.

P

Pallavi Gupta

Contributor-Level 7

Answered 2 days ago

CAT exam is of 120 minutes. Each section is of 40 minutes. PwD candidates get extra time of 53 minutes and 20 seconds per section.

N

Nitesh Vimal

Contributor-Level 7

Answered 2 days ago

Yes, CAT exam is MCQ type, meaning there are no subjective type questions wherein you have to write a lot. In CAT every question is to be answered in one word or option. However, all questions don't have MCQ options, some are Type In The Answer (TITA) questions.

J

Jasleen Dixit

Contributor-Level 7

Answered 2 days ago

Yes, students can prepare for the KMAT exam along with the CAT exam. However, CAT is comparatively a difficult MBA exam. The difficulty level of KMAT is easy to moderate, but CAT retains high difficulty levels. Students can use CAT books for KMAT preparation

A

Abhishek Kumar

Contributor-Level 6

Answered 4 days ago

Yes, IBSAT syllabus is based on CAT syllabus. The IBSAT question paper covers similar topics as of CAT exam. However, IBSAT is comparatively an easier exam whereas, CAT exam has exhaustive syllabus and difficulty level is moderate to hard. IBSAT exam is conducted for a duration of duration of two ho

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Nishtha Bhandari

Contributor-Level 6