CAT 2023 Exam Analysis by Career Launcher and TIME: Slot 1, 2, and 3

CAT 2023 exam analysis is now available slot wise today. The paper analysis includes sectional difficulty level, topic wise weightage, number of good attempts and expected CAT cut offs. Check out CAT exam analysis 2023 for slot 1, 2, and 3 by Career Launcher and TIME.

CAT 2023 exam analysis - IIM Lucknow conducted the CAT 2023 exam today at various exam centres. The CAT was conducted in three sessions. The CAT question paper 2023 was moderately tough. In terms of sectional difficulty, CAT VARC and DILR were easy to moderate whereas CAT Quantitative Aptitude section was tough. As per the experts, an overall raw score of around 98 to 99 should fetch a 99%ile in Common Admission Test.

Shiksha has provided detailed CAT 2023 analysis for slot 1, 2 and 3 which will include section wise analysis of difficulty level, weightage of topics, types of questions, number of good attempts and expected CAT 2023 cut offs. Check below CAT exam analysis for slot 1, 2, and 3 by Career Launcher and TIME.

CAT 2023 Exam Analysis: Exam Highlights

Given below are the key highlights of CAT 2023 exam. The CAT exam pattern will be common to all the three sessions, but the difficulty level will vary.

CAT 2023 Particulars	Details
Total number of questions	66
Difficulty level	Moderate
Sectional break up	VARC: 24 DILR: 20 QA: 22
Total marks	198
Good attempt	98-99 for 99%tile

Also read:

• CAT cut offs
• CAT answer key and response sheet
• CAT result
• CAT syllabus
• CAT previous year question paper

CAT 2023 Exam Analysis by Career Launcher

Given below is the overall analysis of the CAT 2023 question paper by Career Launcher. Read to know the key highlights of the exam this year.

CAT 2023 Analysis Slot 1 VARC

The RC passages were around 400-450 words each.4 questions were Non-MCQs or TITA questions. Odd-sentence-out questions and para completion were both included in the section this year.

In the VA sub section, 2 questions each were asked from para summary, parajumble, odd sentence and para-completion. All 8 questions were moderate.

Passage Topic/ Area	No. of Questions	Difficulty Level
Wolf → Environmentalists vs Farmer (400 words) 2 Questions- Fact based 2 Questions- Inference based	4	Easy read
Philosophy → Change in Work Culture (400 words)	4	Difficult read, Easy to solve
Indian Ocean-based Geographical Literature (400 words)	4	Difficult read
Human Behavior (450 words)	4	Easy read

CAT 2023 Analysis, Slot 1 DILR

The DILR section of CAT 2023 slot 1 had 4 sets with 5 questions each. The number of non-MCQs or TITA questions was 6.

Topic	No. of Questions	Difficulty Level
College Elections (LR)	5	Moderate - Difficult
Visa Applications (LR) (Time & Sequence set)	5	Moderate
12 Houses (LR-DI) Rectangular diagram (3*2)	5	Moderate - Difficult
Restaurant→ Rating (Mean, Median, Mode)	5	Moderate
	20	Moderate - Difficult

Also Read:

• CAT 2023 slot 1 answer key and question paper analysis
• CAT 2023 slot 2 answer key and question paper analysis
• CAT 2023 Slot 3 Answer Key and question paper analysis
• CAT 2023 student reactions and reviews

CAT 2023 Analysis, Slot 1 Quantitative Aptitude

The Quantitative Aptitude section of CAT 2023 slot 1 had 6 non-MCQs questions. And as always, Arithmetic dominated the section followed by Algebra.

Topic	Total Questions	Difficulty Level
Number System Surds-1	1	Easy
Algebra Log-1 Equations-3 Surds-1 Sequence & Series-2	8	Moderate- Difficult
Arithmetic TSD-2 T&W-1 Ratio-1 SI CI-1 PLD-1 Mixture-1 Clock-1	9	Easy- Moderate
Modern Math P&C-1	1	Easy
Geometry & Mensuration Triangle-1 Quadrilateral- 1 Coordinate Geo Circle - 1	3	Moderate
Total	22

CAT 2023 Expected Cut Off Percentiles. slot 1

As per the experts of Career Launcher, the expected CAT cut offs 2023 will be:

Percentile	VARC	DILR	QA	Overall
99	40	25-27	25-28	80
95	28-30	18-20	20-22	55
90	22-24	15-17	15-17	45-48
85	20-22	13-14	12-14	39-41
80	18-20	11-12	10-12	35-37

Read More:

• CAT score vs percentile
• CAT normalisation process
• MBA colleges accepting CAT score range of 50-60 percentile
• MBA colleges accepting CAT score range of 60-70 percentile
• MBA colleges accepting CAT score range of 70-80 percentile
• MBA colleges accepting CAT score range of 80-90 percentile
• MBA colleges accepting CAT score range above 85 percentile

CAT 2023 Analysis slot 2 VARC

In the VARC section of CAT 2023 slot 2, four questions were non-MCQs or TITA questions. There were four RC passages of 400-450 words each.

In the VA sub section, 2 questions each were asked from para summary, parajumble, odd sentence and para-completion, like slot 1. All 8 questions were moderate.

Passage Topic/ Area	No. of Questions	Difficulty Level
Garments, Fashion Industry & Pollution (400 words)	4	Easy to moderate
Netflix Dubbing of titles for Europe→ Good or Bad for Europe? (400 -450 words)	4	Easy to moderate
Liberalism is Dying (400 words)	4	Moderate to Difficult
Facts & Interpretation in History (450 words)	4	Easy

CAT 2023 Analysis slot 2 DILR

The DILR section of CAT 2023 slot 2 was same as slot 1. It had 4 sets with 5 questions each. There were TITAs and test takers could attempt 8-9 questions.

Topic	No. of Questions	Difficulty Level
Arrangement → Scores → two days average	5	Moderate - Difficult
Missing Values Based Table→ Company Starting/ Closing Years	5	Easy - Moderate
Rides & Timings	5	Moderate - Difficult
Grid Based→two 3*3 tables (Mean, Median, Mode)	5	Difficult
	20	Moderate - Difficult

CAT 2023 Analysis, Slot 2 Quantitative Aptitude

The Quantitative Aptitude section of CAT 2023 slot 2 had 7 non-MCQs questions. And like slot 1, Arithmetic dominated the section followed by Algebra.

Topic	Total Questions	Difficulty Level
Number System Factors-2 Divisibility -1	3	Easy
Algebra Log-1 Equations-1 Maxima Minima-2 Sequence & Series-2 Inequalities - 1	7	Moderate- Difficult
Arithmetic TSD-2 T&W-1 Ratio- 2 SI CI-1 PLD-2 Mixture-1 Average-1	9	Easy- Moderate
Geometry & Mensuration Rectangle-1 Circle- 1 Coordinate Geo - 1	3	Moderate
Total	22	Difficult

CAT 2023: Expected Cut Off Percentiles, slot 2

Given below is the expected percentile for CAT 2023, slot 2 as estimated by Career Launcher.

Percentile	VARC	DILR	QA	Overall
99	40-42	25-26	28-30	82-83
95	30-33	18-20	20-22	57-58
90	24-26	14-15	15-17	46-48
85	20-22	12-13	12-14	40-43
80	18-20	10-11	10-12	36-39

CAT 2023 Analysis Slot 3

The question paper of CAT 2023 Slot 3 was same as CAT 2023 slot 1 in terms of structure. Unlike slot 2, this slot did not have any mandatory VA question. At the same time, CAT 2023 slot 3 was the only slot which had a Trigonometry question. The overall cutoff for a 99 percentile in CAT 2023 Slot 3 is expected to be nearly 94-95.

CAT 2023 Analysis, Slot 3 VARC

The CAT 2023 Slot 3 VARC was difficult in slot 3 as compared to the previous slots. There were 4 questions were Non-MCQs or TITA questions. In VA subsection there were 2 questions each from para summary, para completion, para jumbles and odd sentence out.

RC Passage	No. of Questions	Difficulty Level
Romantic Aesthetics/ Philosophy (400-450 words)	4	Difficult to comprehend/read
Cultural Property Law → Exploration of Sites (400-450 words)	4	Easy to Moderate
Nutmeg Curse→ Environment Degradation (400-450 words)	4	Moderate
Rational Thinking (400-450 words)	4	Moderate

CAT 2023 Analysis, Slot 3 DILR

The DILR section of CAT 2023 slot 3 was similar to slot 1 and slot 2. Out of 20 questions, there were 6 MCQs. About 8-10 questions were doable in this section.

Topic	No. of Questions	Difficulty Level
Girls / Boys (LR Caselet) Tests	5	Moderate- Difficult
Caselet→ Window/ Split AC	5	Difficult
Route Based Diagram	5	Easy
Online Sites (Mean, Median, Mode, Max/Min)	5	Easy- Moderate

CAT 2023 Analysis, Slot 3 Quantitative Aptitude

The Quantitative Aptitude section of CAT 2023 Slot 3 was same as slot 1 and slot 2 in composition, but more difficult. There were 8 non-MCQs or TITA questions.

Topic	Description/ Doable	Total Questions	Difficulty Level
Number System	Factors-1 Indices-1 Integral Values-1	4	Easy - Moderate
Algebra	Log-1 Equations- 2 Functions-1 Sequence & Series-2 Algebraic Expression-1	7	Moderate
Arithmetic	TSD-1 T&W-2 SI CI-1 Percentage-1 PLD-1 Mixture-1 Averages - 1	8	Easy- Moderate
Geometry & Mensuration	Circle- 1 Polygon-1 Triangle-1 Coordinate Geo - 0	3	Moderate

CAT 2023 Slot 3: Expected Percentile

Based on the overall and section-wise scores, level of difficulty and good attempts, given below are the score required for various percentiles:

Percentile	VARC	DILR	QA	Overall
99	38-40	27-28	27-28	78-80
95	28-30	18-20	18-20	57-58
90	24-25	15-17	15-17	46-48
85	20-22	12-14	12-14	40-41
80	18-20	10-11	10-11	36-37

CAT 2023 Analysis by T.I.M.E.

Given below is the overall analysis of the CAT 2023 question paper by T.I.M.E. Read to know the key highlights of the exam this year.

CAT 2023 Slot 1 Analysis: VARC

The VARC section of CAT 2023 slot 1 was easy. About 12 RC questions could be attempted with high accuracy. In VA sub section, 6 or 7 attempts with high accuracy were possible. Overall, an attempt of 16 to 18 questions with 70 % accuracy will be considered good performance in VARC.

Area / Questions	No. of Questions	Question Type	Difficulty level
Reading Comprehension	16	MCQ	Overall: Easy to Moderate
RC-1: Return of wolves’ predation in a French region	4	MCQ	Easy
RC-2: Current economies of North and South Korea.	4	MCQ	Easy
RC-3: Indian Ocean Literature	4	MCQ	Moderate
RC-4: Modern materialism versus ancient societies	4	MCQ	Difficult
Verbal Ability	08	MCQ & TITA	Overall: Easy
Para jumbles (4 sentences)	2	TITA	1 Easy, 1 Moderate
Para-completion	2	MCQ	2 Easy
Summary	2	MCQ	1 Easy, 1 Moderate
Odd Sentence Questions	2	TITA	1 Easy, 1 Moderate

CAT 2023 Slot 1 Analysis: DILR

The composition of DILR section of CAT 2023 was same as last year. There were 4 sets with 5 questions each. And the difficulty level was moderate to high and there were TITA questions as well. Overall, 9 to 11 questions with 75-80% accuracy will be considered a good performance in this section.

Area	Set Description	No. of Questions	Difficulty Level
LR	(Arrangements) Professors in departments	5 (MCQ)	Easy to Moderate
DI	(Reasoning based DI) Gig workers and Restaurants, Mathematical Reasoning Involved Measures of central tendency	5 (1 MCQ, 4 TITA)	Moderate to Difficult
LR	Houses on sale	5 (3 MCQ, 2 TITA)	Moderate to Difficult
DI	Visa Office Special Equation handling	5 (3 MCQ, 2 TITA)	Moderate to Difficult

CAT 2023 Slot 1 Analysis: Quantitative Aptitude

CAT 2023, slot 1 quantitative analysis was moderate in terms of difficulty level but tougher than last year’s exam. It was dominated by Algebra (8 questions), followed by Arithmetic (7 questions). Out of 22 questions, 7 were TITA type. An an attempt of 9 to 11 questions with 75-80% accuracy will be considered a good performance.

Area/Q Type	No. of Questions	Difficulty Level
Arithmetic	7	Moderate
Algebra	8	Moderate
Geometry	4	Moderate
Modern Math	2	Moderate
Numbers	1	Moderate

CAT 2023 Slot 2 Analysis: VARC

The VARC section of CAT 2023 slot 2 had 24 questions in the afternoon slot, 16 from Reading Comprehension and 8 from Verbal Ability. There was an odd one out question which was mandatory. The Passage on Liberalism was quite abstract and difficult to read. In VA subsection, there were two questions each on Para Formation, Para odd man out, Para Summary, and Sentence Placement. Overall, the VA part was of moderate difficulty level.

RC Passage	No. of Questions	Overall Difficulty Level
Fast Fashion	4	Moderate
History – Interpretation of Facts	4	Difficult
Netflix and European Culture	4	Moderate
Liberalism	4	Difficult

CAT 2023 Slot 2 Analysis: DILR

The DILR section of CAT 2023 slot 2 was slightly easier than slot 1. There were four sets of five questions each. A net score of 11–13 would be considered good in this section.

DILR	No. of Questions	Difficulty level
3 People drawing numbers	5	Moderate
5 Firms raising money – founded and closed in different years	5	Moderate-Difficult
9 Boxes in 3 x 3 tray	5	Difficult
Theme Park – 3 friends – 4 rides	5	Difficult

CAT 2023 Slot 2 Analysis: Quantitative Ability

In CAT 2023 slot 2, there were no questions from Modern Maths. Most questions in this section, required the student to go beyond simply substituting values in formulae, like it was in slot 1. Overall the section was more difficult than previous slots.

QA Topic	No. of Questions
ERPV	2
Percentages, Profit & Loss	2
SI-CI	1
Time & Distance	1
Numbers	3
Geometry	2
Progressions/Series	2
Quadratic Equations	2
Averages Mixtures & Alligations	2
Coordinate Geometry	1
Special Equations	1
Logarithms	1
Inequalities	2
Time and Work	1

CAT 2023 Slot 3 Analysis: VARC

The VARC section of CAT 2023 slot 3 was same as slot 1 and 2 in terms of difficulty level. In VA subsection, there were two questions each on Para Formation, Para odd man out, Para Summary, and Sentence Placement. Overall, the VA part was of moderate difficulty level.

RC Passage	No.of Questions	Overall Difficulty Level
Pinker’s Rationality	4	Difficult
Museum Artifacts and Patrimony Laws	4	Moderate to Difficult
Romanticism	4	Very Difficult
Climate Change and Nutmeg’s Curse	4	Difficult

CAT 2023 Slot 3 Analysis: DILR

The DILR section of CAT 2023 slot 3 was tougher than slot 1 and slot 2. There were four sets of five questions each. But three out of the four Reasoning sets were Quant based. And there were no sets that can be considered purely LR based. A net score of 12-14 would be considered good in this section.

DILR	No. of Questions	Difficulty level
A/C Split Window	5	Moderate-Difficult
Offline and Online Test Takers	5	Moderate-Difficult
Patrolling Routes	5	Difficult
Scores and Weightages	5	Difficult

CAT 2023 Slot 3 Analysis: Quantitative Ability

The CAT 2023 slot 3, Quantitative Ability questions were slightly tougher than slot 1 and slot 2. Overall, 7-9 questions with maximum accuracy will fetch 85 percentile (sectional cut off). Check topic wise break up below:

QA Topic	No. of Questions
ERPV	2
Percentages, Profit & Loss	3
Functions	1
Time & Distance	1
Numbers	1
Geometry	3
Progressions/Series	2
Quadratic Equations	1
Averages Mixtures & Alligations	2
Coordinate Geometry	1
Permutations & Combinations	1
Logarithms	1
Time and Work	2
Indices	3