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Updated on Nov 26, 2023 22:09 IST

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 by Career Launcher and T.I.M.E.

CAT 2023 Exam Analysis

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 wwere 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 CAT 2023.

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Shiksha has perovided here 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 2023 for slot 1, 2, and 3 by Career Launcher and TIME. 

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Table of content
  • CAT 2023 Exam Analysis: Exam Highlights
  • CAT 2023 Exam Analysis by Career Launcher
  • CAT 2023 Analysis Slot 1 VARC
  • CAT 2023 Analysis, Slot 1 DILR
  • CAT 2023 Analysis, Slot 1 Quantitative Aptitude
  • CAT 2023: Expected Cut Off Percentiles, slot 2
  • CAT 2023 Analysis Slot 3
  • CAT 2023 Analysis, Slot 3 VARC
  • CAT 2023 Analysis, Slot 3 DILR
  • CAT 2023 Analysis, Slot 3 Quantitative Aptitude
  • CAT 2023 Slot 3: Expected Percentile
  • CAT 2023 Analysis by T.I.M.E.
  • CAT 2023 Slot 2 Analysis: VARC
  • CAT 2023 Slot 2 Analysis: DILR
  • CAT 2023 Slot 2 Analysis: Quantitative Ability
  • CAT 2023 Slot 3 Analysis: VARC
  • CAT 2023 Slot 3 Analysis: DILR
  • CAT 2023 Slot 3 Analysis: Quantitative Ability
View More

CAT 2023 Exam Analysis: Exam Highlights

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

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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 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.

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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 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 Percentile predictor prepared by Shiksha.com helps students to get their predicted CAT 2023 percentile on the basis of their expected exam score. So, predict your CAT 2023 score by clicking the link below:

CAT Percentile Predictor

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

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Vipra Shrivastava
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