CAT Question Paper 2023 (Available): Download Slot-wise PDF with Solutions

Updated By Shivangi Ahirwar on 22 Aug, 2024 15:56

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CAT previous year papers PDF is available for download on this page. Solving the old papers is crucial as it helps one understand the exam pattern and the types of questions asked. Also, practising these papers within a time limit can significantly enhance time management skills, build confidence, and reduce exam anxiety, leading to better performance on the actual exam day.

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CAT Question Paper 2023

The CAT question paper 2023 has been made available on this page for aspirants who wish to prepare for the upcoming CAT 2024 exam. The CAT exam 2023 was conducted on November 26, 2023, in three different slots. The exam pattern, syllabus, and marking scheme for all three slots of the exam were identical whereas the questions asked in these three slots were different. The overall difficulty of the CAT 2023 exam was considered to be slightly higher than normal according to many students and CAT experts. Find the slot-wise CAT question paper 2023 PDF on this page along with the CAT answer key for all slots.

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CAT Question Paper 2023 Slot 1 PDF Download

The CAT 2023 Slot 1 exam was conducted on November 26, 2023, from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM. Check out the CAT 2023 slot 1 question paper PDF mentioned below:

Particulars

Download Link

CAT Question Paper 2023 Slot 1 PDF with Solutions

Click Here

CAT 2023 Slot 1 Section-wise PDF with Solutions

Section

CAT 2023 Question Paper PDFCAT 2023 Answer Key PDFCAT 2023 Solution PDF
QuantCheck Here

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VARCCheck Here

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DILRCheck Here

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CAT 2023 Slot 1 Exam Analysis

The overall difficulty level of CAT 2023 Slot 1 exam was moderate to difficult with each section of the question paper having varying levels of difficulty. Check out the CAT 2023 Slot 1 paper analysis mentioned below:

CAT 2023 Exam Sections

Difficulty Level

Good Attempts

Topics Asked

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)

Moderate

16-18

  • RC 1: Wolf
  • RC 2: Philosophy
  • RC 3: Indian Ocean/Geography
  • RC 4: Human Behaviour/Lifestyle
  • Para jumble: 2 questions- English words of numbers, Mind reading, AI, and murder mystery investigation
  • True/False questions
  • Odd one out: 2 questions
  • Paracompletion: 2 questions
  • Out of Context (OOC) Questions
  • Para summary: 2 questions

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)

Moderate to Difficult

9-11

  • Roots and Network
  • Mean, median, and mode: 1 question
  • Clocks and Calendars 1 question
  • Set 1: Professors and Departments
  • Set 2: VISA Office
  • Set 3: Statistics based)
  • Set 4: Arrangement

Quantitative Ability (QA)

Difficult

12-15

  • Algebra (8-7 questions)
  • Arithmetic (6- 7 questions)
  • Number System (2-3 questions)
  • Modern Math (1 AP question)
  • Geometry (2-3 questions)
  • Mixture and Allegation
  • Quadratic Equation
  • Modulus
  • In a single question, both Simple Interest and Compound Interest were asked.

Overall

Moderate to Difficult

37-44

-

CAT Question Paper 2023 Slot 2 PDF Download

The CAT 2023 Slot 2 exam was conducted on November 26, 2023, from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM. Check out the CAT 2023 slot 2 question paper PDF mentioned below:

Particulars

Download Link

CAT Question Paper 2023 Slot 2 PDF with Solutions

Click Here

CAT 2023 Slot 2 Section-wise PDF with Solutions

Section

CAT 2023 Question Paper PDFCAT 2023 Answer Key PDFCAT 2023 Solution PDF
QuantCheck Here

Check Here

Check Here
VARCCheck Here

Check Here

Check Here
DILRCheck Here

Check Here

Check Here

CAT 2023 Slot 2 Exam Analysis

The overall difficulty level of CAT 2023 Slot 2 exam was moderate to difficult and each section of the exam had different levels of difficulty. Check out the CAT 2023 Slot 2 paper analysis mentioned below:

CAT 2023 Exam Sections

Difficulty Level

Good Attempts

Topics Asked

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)

Easy to Moderate

14-15

  • Reading Comprehension (1): Culture and Lifestyle (Second-hand Clothing)
  • RC (2) Content Produced by Streaming Platform; Netflix (options were very close)
  • RC (3) Liberalism (Book Review)
  • RC (4) Positivists
  • Para jumble: 4 questions
  • Para summary: 2 questions

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)

Moderate to Difficult

12-13

  • Scheduling Amusement Park
  • Median (9 boxes, 3 Pouches, Coins)
  • Reasoning Based DI (Companies)
  • Mathematical AR (Balls)
  • Set 1: Arrangement- Scores- Two days average
  • Set 2: Missing Values Based Table- Company Starting/ Closing Year
  • Set 3: Rides and Timings
  • Set 4: Grid Based- 2 3*3 tables

Quantitative Ability (QA)

Moderate to Difficult

9-11

  • Algebra: 7 questions (Log; 1; Equations: 1; Sequence and Series:2, Maxima Minima: 2, Inequalities:1
  • Arithmetic: 9 questions (TSD:1, Time and work: 1; Ratio: 2)
  • Compound Interest: 1 question
  • Pipe and cistern: 1 question
  • Profit and Loss: 1 question
  • Time Speed and Distance: 1 question
  • Mixture and Allegation: 1 question
  • Geometry- 2 questions
  • Number System- 3 questions (Factors-1, Divisibility- 1)

Overall

Moderate to Difficult & Tricky & Lenghty

35-39

-

CAT Question Paper 2023 Slot 3 PDF Download

The CAT 2023 Slot 3 exam was conducted on November 26, 2023, from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Check out the CAT 2023 slot 3 question paper PDF mentioned below:

Particulars

Download Link

CAT Question Paper 2023 Slot 3 PDF with Solutions

Click Here

CAT 2023 Slot 3 Section-wise PDF with Solutions

Section

CAT 2023 Question Paper PDFCAT 2023 Answer Key PDFCAT 2023 Solution PDF
QuantCheck Here

Check Here

Check Here
VARCCheck Here

Check Here

Check Here
DILRCheck Here

Check Here

Check Here

CAT 2023 Slot 3 Exam Analysis

The CAT 2023 Slot 3 exam had a moderate level of difficulty overall however each section of the exam had varying levels of difficulty. Check out the CAT 2023 Slot 3 paper analysis mentioned below:

CAT 2023 Exam Sections

Difficulty Level

Good Attempts

Topics Asked

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)

Easy to Moderate

14-15

  • RC 1: Romantic Aesthetics/Philosophy
  • RC 2: Cultural Property Law- Exploration of Sites
  • RC 3: Nutmeg Curse- Environment Degradation
  • RC 4: Rational Thinking
  • Para Jumble: 2 questions
  • Odd One Out: 2 questions
  • Sentence Insertion: 2 questions

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)

Moderate to Difficult

9-10

  • Set 1: Girls/Boys (LRCaselet Tests)
  • Set 2: Caselet- Window/Split AC
  • Set 3: Route Based Diagram
  • Set 4: Online Sites (Mean, Median, Mode, Max/Min)

Quantitative Ability (QA)

Difficult

9-10

  • Algebra: 6 to 7 questions (Log: 1, Equations:2; Functions: 1, Sequence and Series:2; Algebraic Expression: 1)
  • Arithmetic: 6 questions (TSD:1, T&W:2, SI CI; 1: Percentage:1; PLD:1; Mixture 1; Averages 1)
  • Geometry: 3 questions (Isosceles Triangle, Polygon and Circle)
  • Number System: 4 questions (Factors:1; Indicies:1, Integral Values:1)

Overall

Moderate & Lenghty

29-30

-

Solving CAT previous year question papers is an excellent way to prepare for the exam. Those preparing for this year's exam must also check out the CAT question paper 2022 and CAT question paper 2021 to strengthen their preparation.

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Section-wise CAT 2023 Question Paper Analysis

Check out the CAT 2024 question paper analysis for each section provided below.

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

For RC,4 passages were given with 4 questions each. For Verbal Ability, there were 2 Parajumbles, 2 Summary, 2 Para-completion, 2 Odd one out questions.

Difficulty LevelSlot 1Slot 2Slot 3
Easy
  • Return of wolves’ predation in a French region
  • Current economies of North and South Korea.
  • Second-hand Shopping and Fast Fashion
  • Garments, Fashion Industry & Pollution
  • Netflix Dubbing of titles for Europe→ Good or Bad for Europe?
  • Facts & Interpretation in History
  • Translated Streaming in Europe
  • Colonialism and Global Warming (The Nutmeg’s Curse)
  • Understanding Romantic Aesthetics
  • Cultural Property Law → Exploration of Sites
  • Rational Thinking
Difficult
  • Indian Ocean Literature
  • Modern materialism versus ancient societies
  • Why Liberalism Failed (Book Review)
  • What is Historical Fact
  • Cultural Patrimony Laws
  • Rationality by Steven Pinker
  • Romantic Aesthetics/ Philosophy
-Good Attempts: 16-18Good Attempts: 17-19Good Attempts: 16-18

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning

There were 4 sets of DI with 5 questions for each

Difficulty LevelSlot 1

Slot 2

Slot 3
Easy
  • Professors in departments
  • Gig workers and Restaurants, Mathematical Reasoning
  • Involved Measures of central tendency
  • 5 firms – Funds raised in consecutive years
  • Draw competition
  • Missing Values Based Table→ Company Starting/ Closing Years
  • Number of enrollments in offline and online courses
  • Six Police Stations with map (route based)
Difficult
  • Houses on sale
  • Visa Office Special Equation handling
  • 3 friends visited a park.
  • Many rides. Scheduling questions
  • Nine Boxes – sudoku type puzzle
  • Rides & Timings
  • Grid Based→two 3*3 tables (Mean, Median, Mode)
  • Arrangement → Scores → two days average
  • Projects and scores of 3 boys and 3 girls
  • AC Company – 4 Dealers
-Good attempts: 9-11

Good attempts: 10-12

Good attempts: 9-11

Quantitative Aptitude

Difficulty LevelSlot 1

Slot 2

Slot 3
Easy
  • Number System
  • Surds
  • Arithmetic
  • TSD
  • T&W
  • Ratio
  • SI CI
  • PLD
  • Mixture
  • Clock
  • Modern Math
  • P&C
  • Number System
  • Factors
  • Divisibility
  • Arithmetic
  • TSD
  • T&W
  • Ratio
  • SI CI
  • PLD
  • Mixture
  • Average
  • Factors
  • Indices
  • Integral Values
  • TSD
  • T&W
  • SI CI
  • Percentage
  • PLD
  • Mixture
  • Averages
Difficult
  • Algebra
  • Log
  • Equations
  • Surds
  • Sequence & Series
  • Geometry & Mensuration
  • Triangle
  • Quadrilateral
  • Coordinate Geo Circle
  • Algebra
  • Log
  • Equations
  • Maxima Minima
  • Sequence & Series
  • Inequalities
  • Geometry & Mensuration
  • Rectangle
  • Circle
  • Coordinate Geo
  • Log
  • Equations
  • Functions
  • Sequence & Series
  • Algebraic Expression
  • Circle
  • Polygon
  • Triangle
  • Coordinate Geo
-

Good attempts: 9-11

Good attempts: 10-12Good attempts: 9-11

CAT 2023 Percentile vs Score

Overall Percentile vs Score

PercentileSlot 1Slot 2Slot 3
99.9%ile102105101
99.5%ile899187
99%ile808177
98%ile717370
95%ile575956
90%ile495048
85%ile404139
80%ile363635

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension Percentile vs Score

PercentileSlot 1Slot 2Slot 3
99.9%ile485046
99.5%ile444642
99%ile404238
98%ile363834
95%ile303228
90%ile252623
85%ile212220
80%ile192018

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning Percentile vs Score

PercentileSlot 1Slot 2Slot 3
99.9%ile363836
99.5%ile323432
99%ile283028
98%ile252625
95%ile192019
90%ile161716
85%ile131313
80%ile111111

Quantitative Aptitude Percentile vs Score

PercentileSlot 1Slot 2Slot 3
99.9%ile404040
99.5%ile303030
99%ile272626
98%ile232323
95%ile181818
90%ile151414
85%ile121212
80%ile101010

Want to know more about CAT

FAQs about CAT Question Papers

How difficult was the RC section of CAT 2023?

The Reading Comprehension section of CAT 2023 was moderate to difficult with most reading passages being the typical difficulty level. Candidates who practiced this section were able to manage their time effectively whereas many students were not able to complete all the questions accurately.

Are CAT previous year question papers available online?

Yes, the CAT previous year question papers are available online for candidates to access and download for their CAT preparation. Candidates can find the CAT question papers from 2023 to 2018 and even further back on some websites. Candidates can use these question papers to practice for the exam and also to understand the exam pattern and syllabus more thoroughly.
 

Were there any major changes in the CAT question paper 2023?

No, there were no major changes in the CAT question paper 2023 in terms of the syllabus and exam pattern. However, there was a compulsory question based on Odd one out which candidates were required to answer. This was the first time that a question was made compulsory in the CAT exam and many students complained of not answering the question due to various reasons.

How to download the CAT question paper 2023?

You can download the CAT question paper 2023 by clicking on the links available on this page for the CAT 2023 slot wise question paper PDF. Candidates will be able to access and download the CAT question paper 2023 in PDF format for enhancing their preparation of the exam. Aspirants will also find the CAT 2023 question paper and CAT previous year papers on various websites.

Which were the QA topics with maximum weightage in the CAT question paper 2023?

The QA topics with maximum weightage in the CAT question paper 2023 were Algebra and Arithmetic. Across all three slots of the CAT 2023 exam, there were a total of 22 questions based on Algebra and 21 questions based on Arithemetic. Other topics, like Pipes and Cisterns, Profit & Loss, Geometry, Number System, Simple and Compound Interest were also present in the CAT 2023 question paper for all three sessions.

Which were the DILR topics with maximum weightage in the CAT question paper 2023?

The DILR topics with maximum weightage in the CAT question paper 2023 included Mean, Median, and Mode and arrangement based questions. Some other topics included in the DILR sections of all three slots of CAT 2023 included Maxima Minima, Caselets, Rides and Timings, Clocks and Calendars, etc. Although there were no major changes in the DILR section of CAT 2023, the difficulty level was slightly higher than previous years.

Which were the VARC topics with maximum weightage in the CAT question paper 2023?

The VARC topics with maximum weightage in the CAT question paper 2023 were para Jumbles, para summary and odd one out. Although the VARC section of CAT 2023 was balanced across all three slots, questions from these three topics were asked in nearly all sessions of the CAT 2023 exam. The reading comprehension portion of CAT 2023 was also considered to be slightly difficult than that of other iterations of the exam.

Which was the most challenging section in the CAT 2023 question paper?

The most challenging section in the CAT 2023 question paper was the Quantitative Aptitude section as it was much more challenging than that of previous years. In 2023, the CAT quantitative aptitude section has several tough and lengthy questions, making it difficult for many students to achieve a high score in this section and some students even complained of not being able to complete this section.

Which was the toughest slot for CAT 2023?

The toughest slot for CAT 2023 was Slot 2 since it had several tricky and lengthy questions from the Quantitative Aptitude and DILR sections and the overall difficulty level of the question paper was also moderate to difficult. According to many students the concentration of challenging questions was more in the Slot 2 question paper as compared to the other slots.

What are the advantages of practicing CAT question paper 2023?

There are several advantages of practicing CAT question paper 2023. One of the biggest advantages of practicing CAT 2023 question paper is understanding the latest CAT exam pattern and syllabus. Also, apart from CAT mock tests, CAT 2023 question paper can also be used to practice for the upcoming CAT exam. 

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