CAT 2023 Slot 1 Exam Analysis: Check Overall & Sectional Exam Pattern, Key Changes, Difficulty Level, likely Cut offs

CAT 2023 Analysis Slot-1: Key Highlights

• Overall Exam Difficulty Level: Moderate to Difficult
• Total Questions: 66
• Number of Sections: 3 (VARC; DILR; QA)
• Scoring Pattern: +3 Marks for Correct Answer
• Negative Marking (MCQs): -1 Mark for each wrong answer
• Negative Marking (Non-MCQs): No Negative Marks for wrong answer
• Total Score: 198 Marks
• Sectional Time Duration: 40 Minutes for each Section

CAT 2023 Slot 1 Exam Analysis: Sectional Analysis and Highlights
Below is shared section wise CAT 2023 Analysis Slot 1 for VARC, DILR and Quant:  

• Quantitative Ability (QA): More Algebra Based Questions than last year
• Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC): 4 RC passages of 500-700 words; Questions based on Para jumbles; Odd one Out; Para Summary
• Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR): No Pie Chart, Graph Related Questions

CAT 2023: Total Questions	Total questions	MCQs	Non-MCQs
Section-1: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)	24	20	4
Section-2: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)	20	14	6
Section-3: Quantitative Ability (QA)	22	15	7
Total Questions	66	49	17

CAT 2023 Slot-1 Analysis: Question Paper Pattern
The CAT 2023 slot-1 question paper with key changes had the following pattern and sectional composition.

CAT 2023 Exam Components	CAT 2023 Pattern
Test duration	2 hrs (120 Minutes)
Total questions	66
Total score	198
Number of Sections in CAT question paper	3 (VARC; DILR; QA)
Time Allotted for Each Section in CAT exam	40 Minutes
Total questions in VARC Section	24
Total Questions in DILR section	20
Total Questions in QA section	22

Source: MBAUniverse.com CAT Paper Analysis 

CAT 2023 Analysis by IMS
The first slot of CAT 2023 took place today between 8.30 am and 10:30 AM. The structure of CAT 2023 remained largely the same as in 2022, with 66 questions in all. However, the DILR and Verbal sections saw some changes in segmentation and the number of MCQs and TITA. Verbal Section saw a minor change in segmentation with the Odd Sentence Questions coming back after 2021. The VA Section had 2 questions each of Summary, Paragraph Jumbles, Paragraph Completion, and Odd Sentence questions.

Section No.	Section Name	Duration	MCQs	TITA	Total
I	VARC	40 min	20	4	24
II	DI and LR	40 min	12	8	20
III	QA	40 min	15	7	22
Total		120 min	49	17	66

The marking scheme was +3 for every correct and -1 for incorrect. There was no negative marking for TITA Qs.

Based on the feedback received from several candidates who have appeared in the first slot, our initial estimate of the percentiles and scores*** is as follows. These estimates will be suitably revised soon after the CAT releases the response sheets.

Percentile	Score VA-RC	Score DI-LR	Score QA	Overall Score
99.9 %ile	48	36	48	106
99.5 %ile	44	32	32	89
99 %ile	40	28	28	80
98 %ile	36	25	24	71
95%ile	30	19	19	57

 

Percentile	Score VA-RC	Score DI-LR	Score QA	Overall Score
90%ile	25	16	15	49
85%ile	21	13	12	40
80%ile	19	11	10	36
75%ile	17	10	9	31
70%ile	15	9	8	29

*** Students are advised not to take any B-School application decision based on these initial estimates. They serve only as the first indicator of likely performance.

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

The VA-RC section consisted of 16 Reading Comprehension questions and 8 Verbal Ability questions. As in the past several years, there were no direct Grammar or Vocabulary questions. The passages were mainly Easy except for the one on Modern Materialism. About 12 RC questions could be attempted with high accuracy. The out-of-context-sentence (Odd Sentence) questions made a comeback this year, replacing one each of Summary and Paragraph Jumbles. So, the section had 2 questions each of Summary (MCQ), Paragraph Jumbles (TITA), Paragraph Completion (MCQ), and Odd Sentence questions (TITA). In VA, 6 or 7 attempts with high accuracy were possible. Overall, the section was Easy.

Area / Questions	No of Qs.	Type	LOD
Reading Comprehension	16	MCQ	Overall: Easy to Medium
RC-1: Return of wolves’ predation in a French regio	4	MCQ	Easy
RC-2: Current economies of North and South Korea.	4	MCQ	Easy
RC-3: “Indian Ocean Literature"	4	MCQ	Medium
RC-4: Modern materialism versus ancient societies	4	MCQ	Difficult

 

Verbal Ability	8	MCQ & TITA	Overall: Easy
Para jumbles (4 sentences)	2	TITA	1 Easy, 1 Medium
Para-completion	2	MCQ	2 Easy
Summary	2	MCQ	1 Easy, 1 Medium
Odd Sentence Questions	2	TITA	1 Easy, 1 Medium

An attempt of 16 to 18 questions with accuracy of approximately 70% will be a good performance in VARC.

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
Last year, there were a total of four sets, each comprising five questions. This pattern has been maintained in CAT 2023. 
Overall, the Level of difficulty of the section was Medium to Difficult.
Overall, the level of difficulty of this section was on par with the DILR Section of Slot 1 of CAT 2022.

Set No.	Area	Set Description	No. of Questions	Question Type	LOD
	Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning		20	MCQ and TITA	Medium to Difficult
1	Logical Reasoning	(Arrangements) Professors in departments	5	5 MCQ	Easy to Medi
2	Data Interpretation	(Reasoning based DI) Gig workers and Restaurants, Mathematical Reasoning Involved Measures of central tendency	5	1 MCQ, 4 TITA	Medium to Difficult
3	Logical Reasoning	Houses on sale	5	3 MCQ, 2 TITA	Medium to Difficult
4	Data Interpretation	Visa Office Special Equation handling	5	3 MCQ, 2 TITA	Medium to Difficult

Overall, an attempt of 9 to 11 questions with accuracy of approximately 75-80% will be a good performance.

Quantitative Ability
This section was tougher in terms of level of difficulty compared to last year’s slots and was dominated by Algebra (8 questions), followed by Arithmetic (7 questions). There were 4 questions on Geometry, 2 questions on Modern Math and one on Numbers. In Algebra, the questions were dominated by Quadratic equations, Linear Equations, Modulus Functions & Polynomials etc. In Arithmetic, the questions were on SICI, Time and Work, Time-Speed-Distance, Clocks, Averages, Mixtures & Allegations and Profit & Loss. In Modern Math, the questions were on Logarithms, Sequences etc. In Geometry, the questions were on Triangle, Coordinate Geometry, Cyclic Quadrilateral etc. There was a question on Indices.

Number of TITA (7 questions) and MCQ (15 questions) in this section.

Area/Q Type	No of Questions
Quantitative Ability	15 MCQs, 7 TITA Overall LOD: MEDIUM
Arithmetic	7
Algebra	8
Geometry	4
Modern Math	2
Numbers	1

Selecting the right questions to attempt was the key.
Overall, an attempt of 9 to 11 questions with accuracy of approximately 75-80% will be a good performance.

THE PROCESS
At many centers, shoes and metallic objects (including metal) jewelry were not allowed. Only the admit card and the ID proof were allowed. As in the previous years, the authorities took possession of the admit cards. The candidates were given a small pad with IIM CAT Logo on the cover for rough work, and a pen – which were also taken away at the end of the exam.

TEST INTERFACE
The test interface was user-friendly and exactly the one provided in the official CAT Mock Test. There were no subdivisions within each section. A simple calculator was provided, and not a scientific one. There was an arrow provided near the question palette which when clicked expanded the question window to full-screen view by hiding the question palette & vice versa
At the end of the test, a summary of the number of questions attempted, visited, and not visited was displayed for each section.

There was a button marked ‘Question Paper’ that opened up a screen containing all the questions of the section. This was used by students for planning their approach for the section.

*** The scores and percentiles mentioned in this analysis are indicators based on the feedback from students and IMS experts. They are in no way related to the results which IIMs are expected to declare in January 2024. You are advised to wait for the results.

CAT 2023 Exam Slot 1 Analysis: Sectional Composition
CAT Exam 2023 Section Wise Analysis with sectional order from Section-1 to Section-3, number and type of questions in each section, questions with and without negative marking and total maximum marks available for each section for the 2 hours CAT exam is shared below:

CAT 2023 exam components	Total questions	Total MCQs (With negative marking)	Total Non-MCQs (Without negative marking)
Section-1: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)	24	20	4
Section-2: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)	20	14	6
Section-3: Quantitative Ability (QA)	22	15	7
Total	66	49	17

Source: MBAUniverse.com analysis

Sectional CAT 2023 Exam Analysis
CAT 2023 Exam Sectional Analysis for each section by experts at MBAUniverse.com is as below:

Key Highlights of CAT Exam 2023 Sectional Analysis

• Each of the 3 Sections with 40 Minutes Individual Time Duration
• Candidates Not allowed to move to next section till 40 minutes are over
• No change in Order of Sections in CAT 2023 with Section-1 VARC, Section-2 DILR, Section-3 Quant
• Candidates found it difficult to use CAT On Screen Calculator and preferred own calculation methodology

Section Wise CAT Analysis at a Glance:
Below is shared the section wise CAT analysis at a glance followed by detailed Sectional CAT Analysis

Section-1: CAT 2023 Analysis Slot 1 VARC
CAT 2023 Slot 1 VARC had following key highlights

• Total No of Questions: 24
• 4 RC Passages followed by 16 Questions
• VA questions include fill in the blanks and Odd Sentence, Para summary, Para Jumbles
• Difficulty Level: Moderate with 2-3 questions difficult

Section-2: CAT 2023 Analysis Slot 1 DILR
CAT 2023 Slot 1 DILR had following key highlights

• Total No of Questions: 20
• LR 2 Sets: Each set followed by 5 Questions
• DI 2 Sets: Each set followed by 5 Questions
• Difficulty Level: Moderate

Section-3: CAT 2023 Analysis Slot 1 Quantitative Ability
CAT 2023 Slot 1 Quant had following key highlights:

• •Total No of Questions: 22
• •Arithmetic commanded major part
• •Difficulty Level goes from Easy to Difficult

Section wise CAT 2023 Analysis in Detail
Watch for Detailed section wise CAT exam 2023 analysis
Overall Predictions for 95 -98 Percentile: Good Attempts, Accuracy Level
The table below displays the required good attempts in CAT with Accuracy level needed for 95 -98 percentile range:

Section in CAT exam 2023	Good Attempts	Accuracy Level	Raw Score	Likely percentile in CAT 2023
Section-1: VARC	13-15	85	34-38	95
Section-2: DILR	8-10	90	26-30	95
Section-3: QA	14-16	85	35-40	95
Overall	35-41	85	95-108	95

Previous Year CAT Paper Analysis for CAT 2022

CAT Exam 2022 Slot 1 Analysis
CAT 2022 Slot 1 Exam got over at 10.30 AM across 150+ Cities in India on November 27. As per information shared by candidates and our expert team who took the exam in Delhi NCR, this year’s CAT question paper had 66 total questions as were last year. CAT 2022 slot-1 was rated as moderate difficulty level with a few questions at higher difficulty level.

CAT 2022 Slot 1 Paper Analysis: Key Highlights

• CAT 2022 Overall Exam Difficulty Level: Moderate with few questions difficult
• Total Questions: 66 Same as last year
• Questions split (MCQs and Non-MCQs): MCQ 51; Non MCQs 15            

CAT 2022 Slot-1 Analysis: Question Paper Pattern
The CAT 2022 slot-1 question paper with key changes had the following pattern and sectional composition.

CAT 2022 Exam Components	CAT 2022 Pattern
Test duration	2 hrs (120 Minutes)
Test sessions/Slots	3 (Morning, Afternoon and Evening)
Total questions	66
Total score	198
Number of Sections in CAT question paper	3 (VARC; DILR; QA)
Time Allotted for Each Section in CAT exam	40 Minutes
Total questions in VARC Section	24
Total Questions in DILR section	20
Total Questions in QA section	22

 Source: MBAUniverse.com CAT Paper Analysis

CAT 2022 Exam Slot 1 Analysis: Sectional Composition
CAT Exam 2022 Section Wise Analysis shares below the CAT exam 2022 section wise analysis with sectional order from Section-1 to Section-3, number and type of questions in each section, questions with and without negative marking and total maximum marks available for each section for the 2 hours CAT exam.

CAT 2022 exam components	Total questions	Total MCQs (With negative marking)	Total Non-MCQs (Without negative marking)	Highlights
Section-1: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)	24	21	3	4 RC Passages with 16 Qs; VA had 8 Qs divided in 3 MCQs & 5 Non MCQs on Para jumbles, Para Summary, and Out of Context Sentences
Section-2: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)	20	16	4	LR – 10 Ques DI – 10 Ques All in Sets of 3 & 4 Qs
Section-3: Quantitative Ability (QA)	22	14	8	High on Arithmetic. Other on Log, Geometry, Roots, Algebra
Total	66	51	15	--

Source: MBAUniverse.com analysis

Sectional CAT 2022 Paper Analysis
CAT 2022 Exam Sectional Analysis for each section by experts at MBAUniverse.com is as below:

Key Highlights of CAT Exam 2022 Sectional Analysis

• Each of the 3 Sections with 40 Minutes Individual Time Duration
• Candidates Not allowed to move to next section till 40 minutes are over
• No change in Order of Sections in CAT 2022 with Section-1 VARC, Section-2 DILR, Section-3 Quant
• Candidates found it difficult to use CAT On Screen Calculator and preferred own calculation methodology

Section Wise CAT Analysis at a Glance:
Below is shared the section wise CAT analysis at a glance followed by detailed Sectional CAT Analysis

Section-1: VARC

• Total No of Questions: 24
• No of MCQS – 3
• No of NMCQs – 21
• 4 RC Passage with 16 Questions
• New Type of VA questions to fill in the sentence in the blanks appeared
• Odd sentence out type questions not appeared
• Difficulty Level: Moderate with 2-3 questions difficult

Section-2: DILR

• Total No of Questions: 20
• No of MCQS – 14
• Non MCQS – 4
• LR 2 Sets: Each set was followed by 5 Questions
• DI 2 Sets: Each set was followed by 5 Questions
• Difficulty Level: Moderate

Section-3: Quantitative Ability

• Total No of Questions: 22
• No of MCQS – 14
• Non MCQS – 8
• Arithmetic commanded major part

Section wise CAT 2022 Analysis in Detail
Detailed section wise CAT exam 2022 analysis is shared below:

Section-1: VARC Analysis for CAT 2022
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension was the first section in CAT 2022 question paper. Key highlights of the section are:

• VARC section had 24 Questions
• Total Maximum marks allotted for the section were 72
• Number of MCQs were 21
• Number of TITA questions (Non-MCQs) were 3 (Reduced from 5 last year)
• Number of RC Passages: 4 passages,
• Number of RC Based questions: 16, each passage was followed by 4 questions  
• Type of RC Based Questions: MCQs asking to explain and draw inference from the passages,  phrases, vocabulary,  Synonyms/Antonyms, Statement/Argument as used in RC passages,
• Difficulty Level: Overall difficulty level was moderate. 2 RC Passages were found of a little higher difficulty level
• Good Attempts of 14 to 16 questions with 85% accuracy can fetch a high percentile
• Cut off Expected for 99 Percentile: Score of 36-40 marks

Question Composition in VARC Section 

Question Topics	No. of Questions	Type of Questions
RC-1: Stoicism Founded in 300 BC	4	MCQs
RC-2: Critical Theory of Technology	4	MCQs
RC-3: Chinese have two different Concepts	4	MCQs
RC-4: Stories Concerning Undead	4	MCQs
Verbal Ability: Para summary	3	MCQs
Jumbled Para	3	Non MCQs
Fill in the Sentence in the blank at correct place in the para	2	MCQ
Odd Sentence Out from Jumbled Paragraph	No, Missing in CAT 2022	--

Section-2: DILR Analysis for CAT 2022
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning was the second section in CAT 2022 question paper. The section, which is known for its tricky language and time consuming process, was found moderate by the test takers. Key highlights of DILR section analysis in CAT 2022 are

• DILR section had 20 Questions
• Total Maximum Marks assigned for the section were 60 in CAT 2022
• Number of MCQs were 16
• Number of TITA questions (Non-MCQs) were 4 (Reduced from 5 last year)
• Number of DI Problems: 2 Sets
• Number of DI Questions: Each problem set followed by 5 questions
• Type of DI Based Questions: All questions were based on Text and Data, True and False Statements, Mathematical calculations  
• Number of LR Problems: 2 Sets
• Total LR Questions: 10 (5 for each problem set)
• Type of LR Based Questions: Two problem sets and each followed by 5 questions
• Difficulty Level: Moderate
• Good Attempts of 11 to 13 questions with 85% accuracy can fetch a high percentile
• Cut off Expected for 99 Percentile: 32 to 34 marks

Question Composition in DILR Section

Question Topics	No. of Questions	Difficulty Level
DI Set1: Five interviewers in a process	5	Moderate
DI Set 2:  15 girls and some boys in graduating class planning get together	5	Moderate
LR Set-1: Metro Lines in a City	5	Moderate to High
LR Set-2: University Holding Team Evaluation Performance of 4 women players	5	Moderate

Section-3: Quantitative Ability Analysis in CAT 2022
Quantitative Ability (QA) was the 3^rd and last section in CAT 2022 question paper. This section had more number of questions based on Arithmetic with highest number of Non-MCQs. Many candidates, especially from Non-Mathematics and Non-Engineering background, who are not well versed with Trigonometry, Solid Geometry, Algebra, Integers had an opportunity to crack the QA section by solving Arithmetic questions with 90% accuracy level to cross the IIM cut offs.  Key highlights of the QA section in CAT 2022 were:  

• QA section had 22 Questions in CAT 2022
• Total Maximum marks allotted for the section were 66
• Number of MCQs: 14
• Number of TITA questions (Non-MCQs): 8 (Same as last year)
• More Questions were based on Arithmetic
• Type of Arithmetic Based Questions: Percentage, Ratio, Interest, Number System, Time, Speed
• Other QA Question topics: Algebra, Geometry, Modern Math, Trigonometry
• Difficulty Level: Moderate to high
• Good Attempts: 14 to 16 questions with 85% accuracy can fetch high percentile to clear the cut offs
• Cut off Expected for 99 Percentile: A score of 36 to 40 marks can get 99 sectional percentile

Question Composition in Quant Section

Question Topics	No. of Questions	Difficulty Level
Arithmetic: Interest, Profit & Loss, Ratio, Time-Speed-Distance, Time and Work, Averages	11	Moderate
Algebra	3	Moderate
Geometry/Solid Geometry/Coordinate Geometry	4	Moderate to High
Number system & Modern Math	4	Moderate

Overall Predictions for 95 -98 Percentile: Good Attempts, Accuracy Level
The table below displays the required good attempts in CAT with Accuracy level needed for 95 -98 percentile range:

Section in CAT exam 2022	Good Attempts	Accuracy Level	Raw Score	Likely percentile in CAT 2022
Section-1: VARC	13-15	85	34-38	95
Section-2: DILR	8-10	90	26-30	95
Section-3: QA	14-16	85	35-40	95
Overall	35-41	85	95-108	95

Watch for MBAUniverse.com detailed Overall & Sectional CAT 2022 Analysis for Slot-2 and Slot-3

MBAUniverse.com CAT 2022 Exam Analysis Slot-2, Slot-3 Soon: Key Coverage Areas
MBAUniverse.com CAT 2022 Analysis Slot 2, Slot 3 and overall will also be published and it covers the following:

1. CAT Exam Pattern key changes
2. Variation as compared to last year in Topics, Type of Questions for each section
3. Changes in questions split (MCQs and Non-MCQs) 
4. Surprise elements in CAT 2022 Exam paper
5. Exam Difficulty Level: Overall & Section wise Analysis by Experts
6. Required Good Attempts: Overall and Section wise
7. Sectional Cut off Predictions
8. Overall CAT 2022 cut offs predictions by Experts to help the aspirants to assess their performance and check their call chances by top B-schools
9. Percentile Predictions & Cut off CAT score range

CAT Exam Slot 1 Analysis by Top CAT Coaching Institutes & Experts
MBAUniverse.com also separately publishes the CAT Exam Slot 1 Analysis  from top CAT coaching institutes & CAT experts like TIME, IMS, CL, Arun Sharma with their take on exam difficulty level, sectional and overall changes and expected cut offs. The time schedule for release of CAT Test Slot 1 Analysis from top coaching institutes is as given below:

CAT 2022 Exam Slot-1: Nov 27, 2022	Slot 1 CAT 2022 Exam Analysis by IMS -Release Time	Slot 1 CAT 2022 Exam Analysis by CL – Release Time	Slot 1 CAT 2022 Exam Analysis by T.I.M.E. – Release Time
CAT Exam Analysis 2022 Slot 1: 8.30 AM to 10.30 AM	12.00 Noon	1.00 PM	1.30 PM

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates for CAT 2023 Exam