CAT Exam Analysis – Trends Over Last 5 Years

0
232

Common Admission Test (CAT) is conducted by IIM for admission to various management programmes (MBA/PGDM) in top B-schools in India. Over the past years, as per the CAT exam analysis the level of the question paper has been moderately difficult. There have also been changes in the CAT exam pattern, including the number of questions, maximum marks, and exam duration. Last year, the CAT 2024 exam consisted of 68 questions, which needed to be attempted within 120 minutes. Candidates who are planning to participate in the upcoming CAT 2025 exam must check last year CAT Exam Analysis to understand the past exam trends and formulate their strategy accordingly. It typically reveals the weightage of the section along with the changes in difficulty level in the past decades. In this article, we have compiled CAT Exam Analysis of the last few years and other crucial information to simplify the candidate’s preparation journey.

Join this free whatsapp group to get the latest information about CAT exam along with the strategies by CAT experts

Last Year CAT Exam Analysis Highlights

Understanding the last year CAT Exam Analysis helps candidates gain insights into subject-wise difficulty level, number of questions asked, and overall exam toughness. This allows them to establish realistic targets and improve their strategy for achieving a 99+ percentile in the exam. Check the overview of last year CAT Exam Analysis shared below for reference purposes:

CAT Questions Trend

YearVerbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)Quantitative Ability (QA)Total
202424222268
202324202266
202224202266
202124202266
202026242676

CAT Exam Difficulty Level- Section-Wise

SectionCAT 2024 Difficulty LevelCAT 2023 Difficulty LevelCAT 2022 Difficulty LevelCAT 2021 Difficulty LevelCAT 2020 Difficulty Level
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)ModerateModerate to DifficultModerateModerate to DifficultModerate to Difficult
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)ModerateEasy to ModerateDifficultDifficultDifficult
Quantitative Ability (QA)ModerateDifficultModerateModerateModerate
OverallModerateDifficultModerate-DifficultModerate-DifficultModerate-Difficult

Last Year CAT Exam Analysis

The CAT exam paper consists of three sections, i.e. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA). Analysing the section-wise difficulty level of the CAT exam over the past years can help you understand topic-wise weightage and boost your preparation. To help, we have shared below last year’s CAT Exam Analysis from 2021 to 2024 for the guidance of the candidates.

CAT Exam Analysis 2024

As per the feedback of students, the difficulty level of the CAT 2024 exam was moderate across all the slots. Most of the questions in the Quant section were asked from Arithmetic and Algebra. The sets asked in LRDI were moderately difficult. On the other hand, reading comprehension questions asked in VARC were moderate to tough level. 

CAT Exam Analysis 2024 for Quantitative Ability (QA)

TopicSlot 1Slot 2Slot 3
Arithmetic7-87-87-8
Modern Math2-32-3
Algebra6-74-56-7
Numbers1-22-31-2
Geometry2-32-32-3

CAT Exam Analysis 2023

According to the review collected from the candidates, the questions asked in the CAT 2023 exam were difficult in nature. In summary, the VARC exam level ranged from moderate to difficult, questions in DILR were easy to moderate,  while the Quantitative Ability section was challenging. Check the section-wise CAT exam analysis 2023 shared below for reference purposes.

CAT Exam Analysis 2023 for Quantitative Ability

CAT QA TopicsNumber of Questions
Arithmetic7-9
Geometry & Mensuration2-4
Algebra5-9
Moderate Math1-3
Number System2-3

CAT Exam Analysis 2023 for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)

CAT VARC TopicsNumber of Questions
Reading Comprehension15-16
Para Summary2-3
Para Jumbles2-3
Odd One Out/Para Completion1-2

CAT Exam Analysis 2023 for Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)

CAT DILR TopicsNumber of Questions
Matrix and Grid6-7
Misc10-11
Matrix Arrangement6-7
Reasoning-based DI9-10
Order and ranking2-3
Arithmetic Caselet2-3
Venn Diagram6-7
Scheduling and Matrix5-6
Logic Based Table2-3
Mathematical AR3-4

CAT Exam Analysis 2022

As per the feedback of students who participated in the exam, the CAT 2022 exam level was moderately difficult. In brief, the VARC section was moderate, questions in DILR were difficult, and the Quantitative Ability section was moderate. Learn about the section-wise CAT exam analysis 2022 discussed below for reference purposes.

CAT Exam Analysis 2022 for Quantitative Ability

TopicsSlot 1Slot 2Slot 3
Arithmetic7-87-87-8
Geometry3-43-44-5
Algebra5-66-75-6
Numbers3-21-22-3
Modern Math3-44-53-4

CAT Exam Analysis 2021

Based on expert analysis and feedback received from test-takers, the CAT 2021 exam level was moderately difficult. In brief, the VARC section was moderate to difficult, questions in DILR were difficult, and the Quantitative Ability section was moderate. Here is the section-wise CAT exam analysis 2021 for different sections tabulated below for reference purposes.

CAT Exam Analysis 2021 for Quantitative Ability

CAT Quant SectionNumber of Questions (Slot 1)
Arithmetic10
Algebra5-6
Modern Maths4-5
Geometry3-4

CAT Exam Analysis 2021 for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)

CAT VARC SectionNumber of Questions (Slot 1)
Reading Comprehension16
Out of Context sentence2-3
Parajumbles3-4
Summary3-4

Join the Largest CAT Preparation Community in India

iQuanta CAT Course 2025

CAT 2025

CAT Exam Analysis – FAQs

Which year was the CAT toughest?

According to the sources, the questions asked in the CAT 2021 and CAT 2023 exams were the toughest.

Is the CAT Exam Tough?

Yes, the overall level of the CAT question paper has been moderately tough in recent years.

Why should I check last year CAT Exam Analysis?

Candidates must check last year CAT Exam Analysis to gain insights into past exam trends, set realistic targets and refine their strategy accordingly.