CAT 2024 Exam Analysis: Slot-Wise and Section-Wise Analysis, Difficulty Level & Paper Pattern
Published on 25th November 2024, 8:00 AM
The Common Admission Test, or CAT 2024, was conducted by (IIM) Calcutta on 24th November 2024. The exam will be held throughout the day in 3 different slots. It is considered as one of the hardest and most competitive entrance exams for getting admission into some of the finest B-schools in India, including 21 IIMs. It is considered the most important stepping stone towards getting admission into one of these premier institutes.
The overall difficulty level of the exam was moderate, and it was more doable in comparison with last year. The section-wise difficulty was categorized as follows:
> VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension): Easy to moderate
> DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning): Moderate
> QA (Quantitative Ability): Easy to moderate
Candidates must receive a score between 89 and 92 in order to reach the 99%ile.
CAT 2024 - Overall Exam Analysis
We have updated the data to reflect the patterns shown based on the information supplied by CAT takers. A few observations and an updated comparison of slots and anticipated overall and sectional percentiles are provided below:
> Slots 1 & 2 were comparatively on similar lines, implying that the overall score of these slots would scale downwards.
> Among the CAT 2024 slots, Slot 3 tends to be slightly trickier than all the other three slots.
> The overall CAT 2024 paper was on the easier side compared to the CAT 2023 paper.
> Major changes have been observed in the CAT 2024 DILR and VARC sections with 2 additional questions in DILR, and no questions on para jumbles were present in the VARC section.
> The overall CAT 2024 cutoff is expected to go high because of the moderate level of difficulty of the paper.
You can also check out the CAT 2024 paper analysis done by India's most experienced CAT Gurus, including raw scores, section-wise difficulty level, and much more.
CAT 2024 Section-Wise Analysis & Paper Pattern
The CAT 2024 exam pattern came as no surprise as it followed the predictions of CL’s CAT gurus. Much like CAT 2023, the paper followed 66 questions with 40 minutes allotted to each section. The division of the questions among the slots also remained the same as that of CAT 2023.
Slot-Wise CAT 2024 Difficulty Level
As per expectations, the paper pattern of CAT 2024 has shown changes this year. According to the CAT 2024 sample paper, the DILR section has increased by two questions. Changes have also been observed in the VARC section of CAT.
The overall difficulty level of this year's exam was more straightforward than that of CAT 2023 paper.
Refer to the table below to check the difficulty level of CAT 2024, as follows:
Section-Wise Doable Questions & Number of Good Attempts
> VARC: The VARC section of CAT 2024 was easier than CAT 2023, with 24 questions with 2 TITA and 22 Mcqs to be completed in 40 minutes. One notable modification to VARC was the total removal of para jumbles and substitution of para completion. In general, this section was easier when compared to the previous year.
> DILR: The DILR section of CAT 2024 was moderate in difficulty, similar to the previous year. It included 20 questions, with 40 minutes allotted for this section.
> QA: The QA section proved to be more challenging this year, with only 8 to 9 questions considered doable out of a total of 22 questions in 40 minutes. This section was particularly difficult, with algebraic questions posing major obstacles.
> Total: Overall, the paper was quite tricky, and in comparison to the previous year, it reflected an increased level of difficulty.
If any candidate wishes to calculate their estimated CAT scores and predict their percentile with 98.3% accuracy, they should visit the CAT 2024 Exam Corner.
What After CAT Results?
Once you have completed the CAT exam and calculated your estimated score and percentile, it is generally not advisable to waste any time waiting for the results. When you know which B-schools you might receive a call from, start preparing for the subsequent rounds of WAT, GD, and PI.
Here are some common steps that candidates typically take after the CAT results are announced:
> Analyze & measure their CAT score and performance.
> Research about MBA colleges and their admission criteria.
> Prepare for Group Discussion (GD), Written Ability Tests (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds.
> Prepare for other MBA entrance exams, such as SNAP, NMAT, XAT, etc., if needed.
With our Personality Development Program (PDP), you can be the first in line to outsmart your competition and gain an edge by identifying your strengths and weaknesses. In order to give you the best chance of getting accepted into one of India's top MBA colleges, this program will assist you in developing a personalized plan for the Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD), and Personal Interview (PI) rounds.
Best of Luck!
