Below are the CAT exam previous year question papers with detailed solutions from CAT 2017-2025 for your practice.
CAT 2025 was considered moderate to tough in difficulty level. It was slightly on the tougher side when compared to CAT 2024, especially DILR, which was a make-or-break section in CAT 2025. Here is the CAT last year question paper with solutions.
Watch the CAT 2025 Question paper video analysis with our top MBA experts for all the slots, with detailed comparative evaluation
CAT 2024 is overall considered moderate in difficulty level. It was easier than the CAT 2023 but a little harder than 2022. Here is the CAT 2024 question paper PDF with solutions.
Watch the CAT 2024 Question paper video analysis with our top MBA experts for all the slots with detailed comparative evaluation.
CAT 2023 was considered moderate to difficult. It was tougher than both CAT 2022 and CAT 2024. The DILR section was the most challenging. Check out the CAT 2023 question paper with answers.
CAT 2022 was considered a balanced paper where slot 1 had a student-friendly QA. It was moderate to easy in terms of difficulty level. You can check out the CAT PYQ 2022 with solutions here.
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Enroll in CAT Test Series 2026CAT Question paper 2021 was on the tougher side, with a difficult VARC in the 2nd slot and a complicated QA in 3rd slot. Here is the CAT 2021 PYQ with solutions.
CAT 2020 was comparatively easier than the recent CAT exams that were held. Due to COVID, the CAT exam was reduced to 120 minutes instead of 180, with only 76 questions (24 VARC, 26 QA, 26 DILR). Each section had 40 minutes. Here is Previous years CAT paper for 2020
Question paper for CAT exam for for 2019 was trickier than CAT 2018. CAT 2019 was a balanced yet challenging exam, with DILR as the toughest section and QA as the scoring one. Check out the CAT 2019 PYQs here.
CAT PYQ 2018 was more student-friendly because of its VARC and QA sections. DILR proved to be the challenge, hence the overall difficulty was considered moderate. Check out the CAT previous year paper with answers.
CAT 2017 was one of the toughest CAT exams in recent memory. Both DILR and QA were challenging, making it difficult for many test-takers to clear sectional cutoffs. Here is the CAT question paper for 2017 with solutions.
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Solving CAT exam previous year question papers helps you get well-versed with the CAT exam pattern, build effective preparation strategies, and improve your time management skills for each section. Regular practice with CAT PYQs also makes you familiar with the actual exam interface and question style, so you can accurately gauge the difficulty level you'll face on test day, and pinpoint exactly which areas need more work before CAT 2026.
Below are the steps on how you can attempt these CAT Question papers online:
To crack the CAT, the most significant step is to practice from the previous year's CAT questions and test yourself, as the actual exam will be conducted in a computer-based format.
Also read: CAT 2026 Question Paper
CAT Previous year question papers are extremely beneficial for aspirants preparing for CAT 2026. They are a necessary step in an aspirant's journey to get familiar with the exam pattern, but also to understand the trends and changes throughout the years.
CAT 2026 is scheduled on 29th November 2026, as per CAT official website iimcat.ac.in, so it is already hight time that aspirants should start solving CAT PYQs.
Actual CAT exam questions are different from mock tests, which can be either too easy or too challenging. The real exam focuses more on testing your logical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
CAT PYQs must be utilised by everyone attempting the CAT exam. It assesses the real standing of all the aspirants, be it working professionals, first-time CAT aspirants, repeaters, self-study candidates, and students struggling with accuracy.
Also Read: CAT full length mocks Vs sectional tests
If you are a CAT aspirant in search of CAT previous year papers all in one place without any hassle, then CL has made your job easy by collating all these papers from 2017 to 2025. Follow the steps mentioned below to download last 10 years CAT last year question paper with solutions.
Also read: Is Taking mocks at home making you overconfident?
CAT PYQs are beneficial for your preparation for CAT 2026 because they inform you about the exam pattern and help you develop an exam-taking strategy. We are listing some advantages of solving these CAT question papers:
You can download year-wise, section-wise and slot-wise CAT previous year question papers with solutions in PDF at the Career Launcher website. Every CAT previous year question paper PDF comes with detailed written solutions and video solutions, so you can review your approach after each attempt.
Yes. Solving the CAT last year question paper is a crucial part of preparation. It familiarises you with the latest CAT exam pattern and difficulty level, and it shows which areas carry the most weight. Aspirants who regularly attempt the last year CAT paper also tend to manage time better on exam day.
The best way is to solve each CAT exam previous year paper under real exam conditions. Set a timer, attempt one section at a time, and avoid distractions. Then analyse your CAT PYQs in detail to find your weaker areas and the questions where you lost time.
Yes. One of the biggest benefits of solving CAT PYQs is that you can see which topics are asked most often across VARC, DILR and QA. A CAT previous year paper PDF also gives you a preview of the question types, so you can prioritise high-weightage topics.
No, but they are essential. The CAT previous year question papers show you what the actual exam looks like and what it demands from you. For complete preparation, combine them with concept-building, topic-wise practice and regular mock tests.
Practise at least 10 to 15 years of CAT previous year papers before attempting CAT 2026. Working through several years of the CAT exam previous year question paper helps you spot patterns, identify areas of improvement and understand how the exam has evolved.
Yes, definitely. Practising the previous years' CAT paper shows you your weak areas so you can work on them. It builds confidence and can improve your sectional scores significantly, because you get used to the question types asked in the exam.
Yes. It has been observed that the CAT exam contains one or two questions that are repeated exactly or in a similar pattern from earlier years, especially in QA and DILR. That is why practising the CAT past year question paper is extremely important.
Yes. You can access CAT previous year question papers section-wise for free on the Career Launcher website, without any login. You can also download the CAT last year paper PDF for offline practice.
Beginners should start with the CAT 2021 or CAT 2022 question paper, as these are considered relatively balanced in difficulty. Once you are comfortable, move on to tougher papers like CAT 2023 and CAT 2025 to simulate exam-level pressure.
Yes. CAT previous year question papers are the actual questions asked in past CAT exams, while mock tests are practice papers designed by CAT experts to simulate the exam. A previous years' CAT paper gives you the most accurate sense of real CAT difficulty and question style, while mocks give you broader practice.
Yes. CAT previous year question papers are available section-wise for VARC, DILR and QA, along with slot-wise papers (Slot 1, Slot 2 and Slot 3) for each year from 2017 to 2025. You can also get a question paper for the CAT exam as a PDF, which lets you focus on one section at a time.
Yes. Along with detailed written solutions, the CAT previous year question papers on this page include video analysis by MBA experts. They break down the difficulty level and the approach for each slot.