Why You Should Solve Last Year CAT Paper? 6 Reasons
Common Admission Test 2025 ( CAT )
Admit Card - 5 Nov '25 - 30 Nov '25
Last year CAT question paper is the key source of preparation at this juncture. With the exam due in about 2 months, you need to know how was the CAT last year question paper. There are six key benefits of it. Know here and download CAT 2023 question paper PDFs with solutions.
Why practice CAT last year papers
Any candidate who is preparing for the CAT 2024 exam, must get hold of CAT last year paper and solve it now. It is an important exercise as last year CAT paper will provide you insights and experience of the latest exam pattern and difficulty level. It will also provide an insight into topic-wise break up so that you can strategise accordingly to optimise exam performance.
Explore colleges based on CAT
Want better recommendations?
There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.
- Chat with our counselor
- Get your personalised list of colleges & exams matching your preferences
With the CAT 2024 exam date getting closer, it is time for you to start focusing on the exam day strategy and you can do so only if you can anticipate the question paper. That is possible only if you know what was the last year CAT paper was like.
Solving the CAT question paper is very important from preparation point of view. Since CAT is a speed based test where candidates have to read long passages, tables and charts, do multiple calculations and solve tricky puzzles, one needs to have prior practice of the same. The CAT mock tests serve this purpose. However, to know what type of passages and puzzles are there in the CAT exam, you need to solve previous years' question papers. Some of the benefits of solving previous years' CAT question paper are:
- With the help of previous year's CAT question paper, you can understand the latest CAT exam pattern and marking scheme
- Practicing CAT question papers improves speed and accuracy in solving the questions, which is critical to a speed based exam like CAT
- Practicing CAT question papers improves time management skills as you would get to know which type of questions take how much time.
- When you practice CAT question papers, you gain confidence that you can solve all types of CAT questions. This confidence helps in performing better in the exam.
CAT 2023 question paper was of medium to high difficulty level. There were maximum questions from Arithmetic and Algebra which were moderate. Reading Comprehension and Data Interpretation questions were difficult in the CAT last year question paper. The exam was held in three slot and CAT exam last year papers of all three slots had the same topic wise composition and weightage. The difficulty level however varied a bit.
Explore more MBA exams with upcoming dates
NMAT
1 Aug '25 - 19 Oct '25
29 Oct '25 - 1 Nov '25
4 Nov '25
CMAT
1 Aug '25 - 20 Nov '25
30 Sep '25 - 20 Nov '25
1 Jul '25 - 19 Dec '25
21 Dec '25
17 Dec '25
CAT previous year question paper
Here’s a brief overview of the last year’s CAT exam paper. The time limit for solving the questions was 40 minutes per section. Overall, there were not much surprises and the CAT question paper 2024 can be expected to be of the same difficulty level.
| CAT Exam Sections |
Number of Questions |
Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Aptitude (QA) |
24 |
Easy to Moderate |
| Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation (LRDI) |
20 |
Moderate to High |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) |
22 |
Moderate |
Why You Should Solve Last Year CAT Paper?
Now, let’s discuss the main point. Why you should solve last year CAT paper. There are six key reasons behind the need for solving last year’s CAT question paper. They are listed below:
- CAT previous year question paper help in understanding the latest CAT exam pattern, sectional weightage, topic-wise weightage and difficulty level. This in turn helps you in making a CAT exam day plan.
- If you know the possible topic-wise distribution and difficulty level, it will be easy for you in the last few days of preparation to focus on topics that can fetch marks
- Practicing CAT last 10 years question papers improves speed and accuracy as well as help you master all types of questions- easy, moderate, tough, tricky and lengthy.
- Practicing CAT exam paper improves time management skills. You will know how much time to spend on reading questions, calculations, making notes or taking a decision of skipping a question.
- Practicing CAT exam last year papers (all three slots) give you confidence of cracking CAT, in which the competition is high and scoring 99 percentile is not everybody’s cup of tea.
- Just like CAT mock tests or sample papers helps in discovering tricks and shortcuts to solving the questions faster, previous years CAT papers too will help you in that.
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 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.
Also Read:
| CAT Syllabus 2024 | CAT preparation tips 2024 | CAT mock test 2024 |
Shiksha provides free last year CAT paper with solution. Use the CAT last year paper PDF to prepare for the exam which is to be held on November 24, 2024. You can download the CAT last year paper PDF below:
CAT Question_Paper 2023 with Solutions PDF- Slot 1
CAT Question Paper 2023 with Solutions PDF - Slot 3
CAT Question Paper 2022 with Solutions PDF – Slot 1
CAT Question Paper 2022 with Solutions PDF – Slot 3
Practice Shiksha CAT Mock Tests
Shiksha has prepared free CAT mock tests for aspirants to practice and check their control on the exam. The questions used in these mock tests are on par with actual CAT questions.
| CAT_Mock_Test_Set_1 | CAT_Mock_Test_Set_1_Solutions |
| CAT_Mock_Test_Set_2 | CAT_Mock_Test_Set_2_Solutions |
Read More:
News & Updates
Explore Other Exams
10 Jul '25 - 5 Dec '25 | XAT 2026 Exam registration |
29 Oct '25 - 1 Nov '25 | XAT 2026 mock test 2 |
1 Aug '25 - 20 Nov '25 | SNAP 2025 Registration Process |
28 Nov '25 - 6 Dec '25 | SNAP 2025 admit card session 1... |
1 Aug '25 - 18 Oct '25 | NMAT 2025 Registration Window |
1 Aug '25 - 25 Oct '25 | NMAT 2025 Scheduling Window |
17 Oct '24 - 5 Dec '24 | IIFT 2025 registration and app... |
28 Sep '25 | MAT CBT Exam 2025 (Sept ) |
25 Sep '25 - 28 Sep '25 | MAT CBT Admit Card 2025 (Sept ... |
1 Jul '25 - 19 Dec '25 | IBSAT 2025 Registration |
27 Dec '25 - 28 Dec '25 | IBSAT 2025 Exam Date |
17 Oct '25 - 18 Nov '25 | CMAT 2025 registration and app... |
Dec '25 | MAH MBA CET 2026 registration ... |
2 Sep '25 - 4 Sep '25 | MAH MBA CAP 2025: Reporting to... |
Jan '26 | Publication of TANCET notifica... |
Jan '26 | TANCET registration window |
Mar '25 | IRMASAT 2025 Final Result Anno... |
Feb '25 | IRMASAT Personal Interviews |
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 4 days ago
Candidates who did not appear for the CAT entrance exam can apply St. Xavier's College, Kolkata admissions as it is not a mandatory entrance exam. The candidates who wish to gain admissions into the MBA course of the institute have to appear for the Kolkata University entrance test for St. Xavier's
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
With a 300 SC category rank in CAT, your chances for NIT Trichy MBA are relatively high. Based on 2025 data, NIT Trichy generally shortlists SC candidates with CAT percentiles around 60-65. To achieve a 300 rank under SC category, you would need about a 65-70 percentile, or a score of roughly 60-65
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
PGCET and CAT serve distinct purposes. The PGCET is primarily conducted for MBA admissions in colleges in the state of Karnataka, specifically for government colleges and private universities with lower fees. CAT is a national level exam for top-ranking B-schools and colleges such as the IIMs that h
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
That's a wonderful goal to push your son toward right at the start. To obtain previous CAT model papers, you can check many available popular exam preparation books in any bookstore or online store. Coaching interest such as TIME, IMS, Career Launcher, etc., usually have mock tests and sample papers
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
Yes, you can get admission to Jaypee Business School (JBS), Noida for MBA even if you don't have CAT. JBS accepts scores from several other exams such as MAT, CMAT, XAT, GMAT, ATMA, and also CUET-PG. Just make sure you have a bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks, then apply with any of those va
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 4 weeks ago
I
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 4 weeks ago
For candidates pursuing MBA, the eligibility criteria includes merit and entrance based selection. Whereas, for BBA, candidates must qualify Class 12 with a minimum aggregate. JIIT CDOE MBA on the other hand, is offered based on the minimum aggregate of graduation. However, for the final admission,
M
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 4 weeks ago
Yes, students can get MBA admission into Galgotia University without CAT. The university accepts other national entrance exams for MBA programme. The university accepts entrance exams such as MAT, CMAT, XAT, SAT, and other. It is mandatory to qualify one of the entrance exams.
K
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 4 weeks ago
Yes, students can get admission in Greater Noida Institute of Technology without CAT. CAT is one of the accepted entrance exams at Greater Noida Institute of Technology. The other accepted entrance exams are MAT, NMAT, XAT, CMAT, and others. If a student's CAT score is not good, worry not other acce
A
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 4 weeks ago
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi offers various programmes and specilisations across various streams. For obtaining IIFT Delhi admission, candidates are required to appear for the prescribed entrance tests. Students can visit the official website of the IIFT Delhi to learn more regarding the
U
Contributor-Level 8
Till 2014, there were only two sections in CAT. Quantitative Aptitude was clubbed with Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning was clubbed with Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension. In 2015, the Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning were clubbed together and Quantitative Aptitude and Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension made two individual sections. Since 2015, the sectional segregation has remained the same but the number of questions have come down from 100 to 66. The exam duration has also been reduced. Until 2019, the CAT exam was of 180 minutes and the total number of questions were 100. However, in 2020, the question paper structure was revised due to COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the total number of questions came down to 76. In 2021 and 2022, the number of questions were further lowered to 66. For the last two years, CAT is conducted for 2 hours, and the number of questions is 66. In CAT 2024 however, the number of questions were increased to 68.
The latest CAT question paper structure is: Total questions: 68 Number of sections: 3 Order of sections - 1. VARC 2. DILR 3. Quantitative Aptitude Sectional time limit: 40 minutes VARC questions: 24 DILR questions: 22 Quantitative Aptitude questions: 22.