CAT 2023 Slot 2 Exam Analysis: Check Overall & Sectional Exam Pattern, Key Changes, Difficulty Level, likely Cut offs

CAT 2023 Exam Slot-2 has got over on November 26, 2023 at 2.30 PM. The exam is being conducted in three slots on the same day in 160+ Cities. MBAUniverse.com expert team took the Slot-2 exam from 12.30 PM to 2.30 PM, to assess the key changes in exam pattern, difficulty level, likely changes in cut offs for top B-schools Check Complete CAT Exam Analysis 2023 Below.

CAT 2023 Slot 2 Exam Analysis: Key Highlights
Slot-2 of CAT 2023 exam was conducted from 12.30 PM to 2.30 PM on November 26, 2023. Following are the key highlights of CAT Exam analysis 2023 Slot-2

CAT 2023 Slot 2 Exam Analysis: Key Highlights
Slot-2 of CAT 2023 exam was conducted from 12.30 PM to 2.30 PM on November 26, 2023. Following are the key highlights of CAT Exam analysis 2023 Slot-2

• 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 2 Exam Analysis: Sectional Highlights
• Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC): 4 RC passages of 500-700 words
• VA Questions based on Para jumbles; Odd one Out; Para Summary; Sentence completion
• Odd Sentence Questions have come back in CAT 2023 after CAT 2021
• Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR): 4 problem sets followed by 5 questions each
• Quantitative Ability (QA): Heavy Algebra Based Questions than last year 

CAT 2023 Exam Slot 2 Analysis: Sectional Composition
CAT Exam 2023 Section Wise Analysis 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	12	8
Section-3: Quantitative Ability (QA)	22	15	7
Total	66	49	17

Source: MBAUniverse.com analysis 

Section Wise CAT 2023 Slot-2 Analysis in Detail
Below is shared detailed section wise CAT 2023 Slot-2 Analysis

CAT 2023 Analysis Slot 2 Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
CAT 2023 Slot 2 VARC Analysis with number of questions, difficulty level, good attempts is given below:
The CAT 2023 Slot 2 VARC 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 Historical Fact. 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). One question in the Verbal Ability section was marked with an alert icon and indicated that it was a Mandatory Question.

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: Second-hand Shopping and Fast Fashion	4	MCQ	Easy
RC-2: Translated Streaming on Netflix in Europe	4	MCQ	Easy
RC-3: Why Liberalism Failed (Book Review)	4	MCQ	Medium
RC-4: What is Historical Fact	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 17 to 19 questions with accuracy of approximately 70% will be a good performance in VARC.

CAT 2023 Slot 2 Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning Analysis
CAT 2023 Analysis Slot 2 DILR as compared to last year with number of questions, difficulty level and good attempts is given below:
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 CAT 2023 slot 2 DILR section was Medium to Difficult.

Set No.	Area	Set Description	No. of Questions	Question Type	LOD
	Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning		20	MCQ and TITA	Medium to Difficult
1	Data Interpretation	5 firms - Funds raised in consecutive years	5	4 MCQ, 1 TITA	Easy to Medium
2	Data Interpretation	Draw competition	5	3 MCQ, 2 TITA	Medium to Difficult
3	Logical Reasoning	3 friends visited a park. Many rides. Scheduling questions.	5	3 MCQ, 2 TITA	Medium to Difficult
4	Data Interpretation	Nine Boxes - sudoku type puzzle	5	2 MCQ, 3 TITA	Medium to Difficult

Overall, an attempt of 10 to 12 questions with accuracy of approximately 75-80% will be a good performance.

CAT 2023 Analysis Slot 2 Quantitative Ability
CAT 2023 Slot 2 Quant section was tougher than last year in terms of level of difficulty compared to CAT 2022. Following was the composition of CAT 2023 Slot 2 Quant section: 

• In Arithmetic, the questions were on SICI, Time and Work, Time-Speed-Distance, Averages, Mixtures & Allegations and Profit & Loss
• In Algebra, the questions were dominated by Quadratic equations, Linear Equations, Modulus, Maxima -Minima, Inequality & Polynomials
• In Modern Math, the questions were on Logarithms, Sequences
• In Geometry, the questions were on Triangle, Rectangle, Coordinate Geometry & Parallelogram
• In Number system, questions were on indices and number of factors
• Number of TITA (8 questions) and MCQ (14 questions) in this section:

Area/Q Type	No of Questions
Quantitative Ability	14 MCQs, 8 Non MCQs
Arithmetic	7
Algebra	8
Modern Math	2
Geometry	3
Numbers	2

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

Slot-2 CAT 2023 Cut offs
Below are the expected CAT 2023 slot-2 score cut offs for different percentile range:

Slot -2 CAT 2023 Percentile	VARC Score	DILR Score	QA Score	Overall CAT score
99.5 %ile	46	34	30	91
99 %ile	42	30	26	81
98 %ile	38	26	23	73
95%ile	32	20	18	59
90%ile	26	17	14	50
85%ile	22	13	12	41
80%ile	20	11	10	36
75%ile	18	10	9	32
70%ile	16	9	8	30

CAT 2023 Analysis by IMS - Slot 2
The second slot of CAT 2023 took place today between 12.30 pm and 2:30 pm. The structure of CAT 2023 Slot 2 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. The 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	14	8	22
Total		120 min	49	20	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	50	38	46	108
99.5 %ile	46	34	30	91
99 %ile	42	30	26	81
98 %ile	38	26	23	73
95%ile	32	20	18	59
90%ile	26	17	14	50
85%ile	22	13	12	41
80%ile	20	11	10	36
75%ile	18	10	9	32
70%ile	16	9	8	30

*** 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 Historical Fact. 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). One question in the Verbal Ability section was marked with an alert icon and indicated that it was a Mandatory Question.

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: Second-hand Shopping and Fast Fashion	4	MCQ	Easy
RC-2: Translated Streaming on Netflix in Europe	4	MCQ	Easy
RC-3: Why Liberalism Failed (Book Review)	4	MCQ	Medium
RC-4: What is Historical Fact	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 17 to 19 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 2023.

Set No.	Area	Set Description	No. of Questions	Question Type	LOD
	Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning		20	MCQ and TITA	Medium to Difficult
1	Data Interpretation	5 firms - Funds raised in consecutive years	5	4 MCQ, 1 TITA	Easy to Medium
2	Data Interpretation	Draw competition	5	3 MCQ, 2 TITA	Medium to Difficult
3	Logical Reasoning	3 friends visited a park. Many rides. Scheduling questions.	5	3 MCQ, 2 TITA	Medium to Difficult
4	Data Interpretation	Nine Boxes - sudoku type puzzle	5	2 MCQ, 3 TITA	Medium to Difficult

Overall, an attempt of 10 to 12 questions with accuracy of approximately 75-80% will be a good performance.

Quantitative Ability
This section was slightly tougher in terms of level of difficulty compared to CAT 2023 Slot 1 QA and was dominated by Algebra (8 questions), followed by Arithmetic (7 questions). There were 3 questions on Geometry, 2 questions on Modern Math and 2 questions on Numbers. In Arithmetic, the questions were on SICI, Time and Work, Time-Speed-Distance, Averages, Mixtures & Allegations and Profit & Loss. In Algebra, the questions were dominated by Quadratic equations, Linear Equations, Modulus, Maxima -Minima, Inequality & Polynomials etc. In Modern Math, the questions were on Logarithms, Sequences etc. In Geometry, the questions were on Triangle, Rectangle, Coordinate Geometry & Parallelogram etc. In Numbers , questions were on indices and number of factors.

Number of TITA (8 questions) and MCQ (14 questions) in this section:

Area/Q Type	No of Questions
Quantitative Ability	14 MCQs, 8 TITA Overall LOD: MEDIUM
Arithmetic	7
Algebra	8
Modern Math	2
Geometry	3
Numbers	2

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 Analysis by Career Launcher Slot 2 
CAT 2023 Slot 2 followed the pattern of CAT 2023 slot 1. However, this slot had one mandatory Verbal Ability question in the VARC section. The VARC section comprised 24 questions, DILR had 20 questions and QA had 22 questions with 40 minutes allotted to attempt each section.

CAT 2023 slot 2 was difficult in comparison to CAT 2022 and CAT 2023 slot 1. The QA section also increased in the level of difficulty as compared to slot 1. The section-wise level of difficulty was as follows:

VARC: Moderate; It was easier than last year and the same as CAT 2023 slot 1
DILR: Moderate - Difficult; Difficulty was same as last year and CAT 2023 slot 1
QA: Difficult; It was difficult compared to CAT 2022 and CAT 2023 slot 1

CAT 2023 Paper Pattern & Section-wise expected score for 99%ile+

Section	Total questions	Non MCQ Questions	Difficulty Level	No. of Doable Questions
VARC	24	4	Moderate	14-15
DILR	20	6	Moderate - Difficult	8-9
QA	22	7	Difficult	9-10
Total	66	17	Moderate - Difficult	30

CAT 2023 Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) Analysis

IN CAT 2023 Slot 2, there was a mandatory VA question that had to be attempted by the aspirants. Overall, the level of difficulty of CAT 2023 slot 2 was similar to sot 1.

There were a total of 24 questions to be attempted in 40 minutes.

4 questions were non-MCQs or TITA questions.

The RC passages were around ~400-450 words each.

CAT 2023 Slot 2 Analysis: Reading Comprehension

Passage Number	Passage – Topic/ Area	No. of Questions	Difficulty Level	Description/ Doable
1	Garments/ fashion Industry & Pollution	4	Easy to Moderate	400-450 words 4- Doable
2	Netflix Dubbing of titles for europe→ Good or Bad for Europe?	4	Easy to Moderate	400-450 words  3 Doable
3	Liberalism is Dying	4	Moderate to Difficult	400-450 words 2- Doable, 2- Difficult
4	Facts & Interpretation in History	4	Easy	400-450 words 2 - Doable, 2- Difficult
Total		16	Moderate	Easier than CAT 2022

CAT 2023 Slot 2 Analysis: Verbal Ability

Question Type	Easy	Moderate	Difficult	Total
Para Summary	1	1	0	2
Odd Sentence	0	1	1	2
Para Completion	0	2	0	2
Para Jumbles	1	1	0	2
Total	2	5	1	8

CAT 2023 Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) Analysis

Section of CAT 2023 Slot 2 was similar to Slot 1 and CAT 2022.

• The DILR section had 4 sets with 5 questions each, much like slot 1.
• Again, the number of non-MCQs or TITA questions was 6.
• 2 sets were doable and aspirants could aim to attempt 8-9 questions.

CAT 2023 Slot 2 DILR Question-wise Breakup:

Set Number	Topic	No of Questions	Difficulty Level	Description/ Doable
1	Arrangement → Scores → two days average	5	Moderate - Difficult	2- Doable, 3- Tough
2	Missing Values Based Table→ Company Starting/ Closing Years	5	Easy - Moderate	4- Doable, 1- Tough
3	Rides & Timings	5	Moderate - Difficult	3- Doable, 2- Tough
4	Grid Based→two 3*3 tables (Mean, Median, Mode)	5	Difficult	0- Doable, 5-Tough
Total		20	Moderate - Difficult	8-9 Questions Doable

CAT 2023 Quantitative Aptitude (QA) Analysis

The QA section of CAT 2023 Slot 2 was difficult compared to CAT 2022 while there was only a slight increase in difficulty compared to CAT 2023 slot 1.

• Of the 22 questions, 9-10 questions were doable for the section.
• The section had 7 non-MCQs or TITA questions.
• Muck like in Slot 1, the Slot 2 QA section was dominated by Arithmetic followed by Algebra.

CAT 2023 Slot 2 QA Questions-wise Breakup:

Topic	Description/ Doable	Total Questions	Difficulty Level
Number System	Factors-1, Divisibility-1,	3	Easy
Algebra	Log-1, Equations- 1, Sequence & Series-2, Maxima & Minima - 2 , Inequalities-1	7	Moderate- Difficult
Arithmetic	TSD-1, T&W-1, Ratio-2, SI CI-1, PLD-2, Mixture-1, Averages - 1	9	Easy- Moderate
Modern Math	-	0	-
Geometry & Mensuration	Rectangle-1, Circle- 1, Coordinate Geo - 1	3	Moderate
Total		22	Difficult

CAT 2023: 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	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