CAT 2023 Exam Analysis

Let’s start with the big picture trends:

• Same Exam Pattern: There was No Change in CAT 2023 Exam Pattern. It was same as CAT 2022. Total Questions remain same at 66 like last year. Sectional composition of MCQs and Non MCQs have changed.
• More Difficult Exam Paper: CAT 2023 Exam is rated as more difficult than last year by Experts. Check details below.
• Lower Cut Offs for IIMs: Given the higher difficulty level of the paper, Cut Offs for IIMs are expected to go down. Check details below.

Summarizing CAT 2023 exam, Mr Arun Sharma, regarded as one of India’s top CAT experts, said: “This year while the overall exam pattern was same as last year, the questions in the Quantitative section in CAT 2023 exam paper were the toughest in last 5 Years!” His take on section wise CAT 2023 difficulty level on a scale of 1-10 is as below: 

CAT 2023 Difficulty Level Compared to CAT 2022 (Difficulty Score Out of 10)

CAT 2023 Score Vs Percentile: Predication by Leading Experts  

Students can check expected Cut off scores for different CAT 2023 percentile range as predicted by CAT experts: 

Now it’s time for a detailed CAT 2023 Analysis for each of the slot. This analysis is based on inputs shared by IMS Learning.   

• Slot-1 of CAT 2023 exam was held from 8.30AM to 10.30 AM. Following are the key highlights of CAT 2023 Slot-1 Exam
• Total Questions: 66
• Number of MCQs: 47
• Number of Non-MCQs: 19
• Marks for each correct answer: +3
• Negative Marking for Wrong Answer (MCQs): -1
• Negative Marking for TITA Questions: Nil
• Difficulty Level: VARC Moderate, DILR & Quant Difficult
• Overall: Difficult
• Expected cut off for 99%ile: 80-82

CAT 2023 Exam Slot 1: Sectional Composition

Section Wise CAT 2023 Slot-1 Analysis in Detail

Below is shared detailed section wise CAT 2023 Slot-1 Analysis in detail

CAT 2023 Slot-1 Analysis - Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)

• VARC had 4 RC passages of 500 to 700 words with 16 Questions
• Verbal Ability questions were based on 4 topics as below with total 8 questions
• VARC was moderate to difficult section with VA questions slightly more difficult
• An attempt of 15 to 17 questions with accuracy of approximately 80% is a good performance in VARC.

CAT 2023 Slot-1 Analysis - Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)

• DILR section in CAT 2023 slot-1 had 4 sets – 2 on DI and 2 on LR
• The section was rated as difficult

CAT 2023 Slot-1 Analysis - Quantitative Ability (QA)

• QA was dominated by Algebra with 8 questions on Quadratic equations, Linear Equations, Modulus Functions & Polynomials
• Arithmetic had 7 questions on SICI, Time and Work, Time-Speed-Distance, Clocks, Averages, Mixtures & Allegations and Profit & Loss
• 4 questions on Geometry on Triangle, Coordinate Geometry, Cyclic Quadrilateral
• 2 questions on Modern Math and one on Numbers.
• 1 question was on Indices
• The section was rated a bit mor difficult

CAT 2023 Slot-1: CAT Score Vs Percentile Cut Off

The table below displays the required score needed for 80 to 99+ percentile range:

Source: IMS Learning

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 2023 Slot-2 Exam

• Total Questions: 66
• Number of MCQs: 46
• Number of Non-MCQs: 20
• Marks for each correct answer: +3
• Negative Marking for Wrong Answer (MCQs): -1
• Negative Marking for TITA Questions: Nil
• Difficulty Level: VARC Moderate, DILR & Quant Difficult
• Overall: Moderate to Difficult
• Expected cut off for 99%ile: 81-83

CAT 2023 Slot 2: Sectional Composition

Section Wise CAT 2023 Slot-2 Analysis in Detail

Below is shared detailed section wise CAT 2023 Slot-2 Analysis in detail

CAT 2023 Slot-2: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

• RC passages were Easy to moderate with one bit difficult
• One question in the Verbal Ability section was marked with an alert icon and indicated that it was a Mandatory Question.
• 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

• Last year pattern is maintained this year also with 2 DI and 2 LR problem sets
• Level of difficulty of the section was Medium to Difficult.
• An attempt of 10 to 12 questions with accuracy of approximately 75-80% will be a good performance.

CAT 2023 Slot-2: Quantitative Ability

This section was tougher than last year in terms of level of difficulty compared to CAT 2022. Following was the composition of QA 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 MCQs were 14 and TITA questions were 8
• An attempt of 9 to 11 questions with accuracy of approximately 75-80% will be a good performance.

CAT 2023 Cut offs: Slot-2

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

Source: IMS Learning

Slot-3 of CAT 2023 exam was conducted from 4.30 PM to 6.30 PM on November 26, 2023. Following are the key highlights of CAT 2023 Slot-3 Exam

• Total Questions: 66
• Number of MCQs: 46
• Number of Non-MCQs: 20
• Marks for each correct answer: +3
• Negative Marking for Wrong Answer (MCQs): -1
• Negative Marking for TITA Questions: Nil
• Difficulty Level: VARC Moderate, DILR & Quant Difficult
• Overall: Difficult
• Expected cut off for 99%ile: 80-81

CAT 2023 Slot 3: Sectional Composition

Section Wise CAT 2023 Slot-3 Analysis in Detail

Below is shared detailed section wise CAT 2023 Slot-3 Analysis in detail

CAT 2023 Slot-3: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

• No direct Grammar or Vocabulary based questions
• RC passages were not very reader friendly
• Rationality by Steven Pinker passage posed some challenge.
• Difficulty Level: Moderate
• An attempt of 16 to 18 questions with accuracy of approximately 70% will be good 

CAT 2023 Slot-3: Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning

• There were 2 DI and 2 LR Problem sets followed by 5 question each
• Difficulty level: Difficult
• An attempt of 9 to 11 questions with accuracy of approximately 75-80% is good

CAT 2023 Slot-3: Quantitative Ability

• This section was more difficult
• Dominated by Arithmetic with 8 questions), followed by Modern Math with 4 questions.
• Arithmetic questions were on Time and Work, Time-Speed-Distance, Averages, Mixtures & Allegations, Averages, Percentages and Profit & Loss
• Algebra questions were on Quadratic equations, Linear Equations, Modulus, Maxima -Minima, Inequality & Polynomials etc.
• Modern Math questions were on Logarithms, Sequences
• Geometry questions were on Triangle, Rectangle and Polygon
• In Numbers, questions were on indices and number of factors
• An attempt of 9 to 11 questions with accuracy of approximately 75-80% is good

Slot-3 CAT 2023 Cut offs

Below are the expected CAT 2023 slot-3 score cut offs for different percentile range:

MBAUniverse.com has also separately published the CAT Analysis 2023 from top CAT coaching institutes & CAT experts like TIME, IMS, CL with their take on exam difficulty level, sectional and overall changes and expected cut offs. Check the analysis and predictions of IMS, CL and T.I.M.E below