Countdown to CAT 2021: Official Mock Test Released by IIM Ahmedabad with Fewer Questions; Check What has changed and Synchronize your Preparation Plan

Official CAT 2021 Mock Test is released by IIM Ahmedabad with many changes to enable the candidates to familiarize themselves with different types of questions generally asked in CAT (MCQs/ Non-MCQs) and the navigation guide how to attempt the questions on CAT day. Releasing the CAT Mock Test 2021, IIM Ahmedabad has clarified, “The objective of this Mock Test is not to disclose the exam pattern for CAT 2021 and the actual exam may or may not contain similar type or number of questions. Please note that CAT 2021 will have a total duration of 120 minutes for the non-PwD candidate (40 minutes each for three sections). The PwD candidates will be given 40 minutes extra.”

Read this article to know what are the key changes introduced by IIMs in CAT exam and what are the changes that IIMs have not shared in the CAT official Mock Test :

Official CAT Mock Test 2021: 10 Key Changes

1. CAT 2021 official Mock Test is designed with a total duration of 120 minutes for the non-PwD candidate. PwD candidates will have the option to complete the entire test with all three sections, within a maximum of 160 minutes.
2. The Test is divided into three sections - I. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), II. Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) and III. Quantitative Ability (QA). These sections will be administered in the CAT question paper in the same order as above. Total questions in official Mock are 76

However, CAT 2021 exam convener Prof M P Ram Mohan, faculty at IIM Ahmedabad has confirmed that actual CAT 2021 test paper is expected to have fewer questions than 76. Read More

3. The time allotted to each section is 40 minutes. On completion of 40 minutes, the clock will stop, the particular section will be locked and the responses to the section will be auto-submitted. You will then need to move to the next section and start answering the next set of questions.
4. The question paper will have a mix of Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) type with options and non-MCQ type
5. On submission of all three sections a summary of your answers will be displayed on your screen.
6. Each Section is based on the pattern followed over the last few years.
7. The actual CAT 2021 exam may or may not contain similar type or number of questions
8. Official CAT Mock Test is not in Pdf. You cannot download the official CAT Mock Test 2021 from CAT website and must attempt it on IIM CAT Mock Test link
9. Please note that CAT Mock Test by IIM can be practiced as many times as possible.
10. No solutions are not provided with the official CAT Mock. You need to find out the answer.

CAT Exam 2021: Key Changes Not Divulged by IIMs
Candidates were anticipating more than what is revealed in the CAT Mock test. However, IIM Ahmedabad has not obliged the CAT aspirants with following changes in CAT pattern:

Total Number of Questions: It was anticipated that official CAT Mock would be released with further reduced number of total questions on the expected CAT 2021 exam pattern. But IIM Ahmedabad, despite giving the hint that the CAT 2021 will have reduced number of questions, has kept the same number of 76 total questions in CAT Mock test despite making the announcement.

Sectional Composition of Questions: Each section in CAT Mock has same composition of MCQ and Non-MCQ questions as was there last year. VARC has 26 questions; DILR has 24 questions and Quant section consists of 26 questions. The sectional composition has same ratio of MCQs and Non-MCQs as appeared last year.

IIMs do not reveal the exact number of questions in CAT exam and as such IIM Ahmedabad has also refrained from divulging this vital information.

What to Expect in Actual CAT 2021 Question Paper? Experts offer answers
India’s Top CAT Experts like Arun Sharma, after analysing the key changes in CAT 2021 exam and announcements made by CAT exam convener, has shared with MBAUniverse.com the following changes as expected in CAT Question paper

1. CAT 2021 Expected Pattern
According to Arun Sharma, CAT expert, many times CAT topper and founder of Mindworkzz, “My prime expectation would be between 66-68 questions, with sections varying between 20 to 24 questions. A small possibility of 60 questions also exists, but that is very minute in my estimate.”

2. Impact on CAT Scoring Pattern due to Change in CAT Pattern
A major implication in CAT score and percentile will also be there if the number of questions are reduced in CAT 2021. According to Arun Sharma, “I would think 99 percentile will shift down by around 5 marks and there will be a similar drop at all percentile levels.” 

3. Impact on CAT Preparation and Test Taking Strategy
Experts say that if you are aware about the expected number of total questions in CAT 2021, it would help you to plan your test taking strategy, how many questions to target, what should be maximum number of questions that you can skip. Besides, you can devise your preparation plan and take mocks as per the actual exam pattern with expected number of questions.

IIM Ahmedabad to Synchronise Reduced Time with Reduced No. of Questions
In 2020, due to Covid, the test time was reduced to two hours and the questions were reduced from 100 to 76. But the time constraint in last year CAT was more than earlier, so IIM Ahmedabad has decided to further reduce the number of questions to rationalise and synchronize the reduced time with reduced number of questions. The proposed move by IIM Ahmedabad appears to be in line as there is ratio mismatch given the reduction in time Vs reduction in number of questions. Let us understand:

Section-wise expected Number of Questions in CAT 2021
Section wise number of questions in CAT 2021 will obviously be reduced if the total number of questions are reduced. Last year CAT test paper was divided into three sections with VARC 26 questions, DILR 24 questions and Quant 26 questions, making a total of 76 questions. The sectional composition of questions in CAT 2021 is expected to change substantially as announced by CAT 2021 convener. Besides, their division in MCQs and Non-MCQs in each section is also expected to be reduced.

Source: MBAUniverse.com Analysis

Be ready for any surprises!
CAT exam over the years is known for surprises and twists in its exam pattern and twists. CAT 2021 in a changed pattern may come with many surprises as under:

• Number of Non-MCQs may go down
• Difficulty level may go down as the sectional time duration is reduced to 40 Minutes
• Higher score can be obtained by attempting fewer questions
• With CAT being conducted in three slots, score normalization may benefit many due to varying difficulty level
• Arithmetic may dominate the Quant section
• Gap between RC and VA questions may narrow down

CAT Official Mock Test in Previous Years
Since 2015, Official CAT Mock test has remained a full length replica CAT question paper. It used to be released a month before the actual CAT exam by IIMs for the benefit of CAT test takers. The Mock contained almost same number and type of total and section wise questions as you could expect in actual CAT exam.  For the first time in  2015, IIM Ahmedabad included Non-MCQs in CAT exam and released the CAT mock test on the same pattern with division of questions in MCQ and Non-MCQ type. Similar pattern has since been followed by all the subsequent CAT conducting IIMs and each official Mock Test released by them reflected the correct picture of forthcoming CAT exam.

It is advisable not to get misled by any type of misleading information making rounds in social media, instead visit the CAT official website iimcat.ac.in or MBAUniverse.com regarding the right information.

CAT 2021 scores will be accepted by 20 IIMs, FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, IMI New Delhi, IMT Ghaziabad, Great Lakes, LIBA, NITIE Mumbai, JBIMS Mumbai, TAPMI Manipal, XIM Bhubaneshwar among others for admission to MBA/PGDM  2022-24.

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates on CAT Mock Test 2021