IMS CAT 2023 Analysis: Slot wise Overall & Sectional Analysis; likely Cut offs for 99 Percentile, Difficulty Level

IMS Learning Resources is India’s first CAT coaching institute. Set up in 1977, IMS presently has 100 centres in 50 cities offering preparation for CAT and other management entrance exams though its classroom and online programmes. More than 75000 aspirants enroll in one of the IMS coaching programmes to get admissions in MBA, BBA and other courses offered by premier management institutes.

IMS is known for careful CAT exam Analysis, reflecting upon the overall and slot wise difficulty level, accurate predictions on CAT cut offs, key changes in overall & sectional CAT exam pattern. IMS shares its indepth CAT 2023 analysis slot wise immediately after the each slot of CAT exam is over on November 26. MBAUniverse.com is the first to publish IMS CAT 2023 Analysis covering each and every aspect.  

IMS CAT Analysis: Well known for its USPs

Below are the key highlights of IMS CAT Analysis

• Fastest Released Analysis
• Nearly Accurate predictions with Sectional & Overall CAT cut off percentile 
• Indepth Analysis with comparison from last year-like difficulty level, changes in question pattern
• Slot wise Analysis after each slot
• Comprehensive Overall Analysis

CAT 2023 Analysis by IMS - Slot 1

The first slot of CAT 2023 took place today between 8.30 am and 10:30 am.

The structure of CAT 2023 remained largely the same as in 2022, with 66 questions in all. However, the DILR and Verbal sections saw some changes in segmentation and the number of MCQs and TITA. Verbal Section saw a minor change in segmentation with the Odd Sentence Questions coming back after 2021. The VA Section had 2 questions each of Summary, Paragraph Jumbles, Paragraph Completion, and Odd Sentence questions.

The marking scheme was +3 for every correct and -1 for incorrect. There was no negative marking for TITA Qs.

Based on the feedback received from several candidates who have appeared in the first slot, our initial estimate of the percentiles and scores*** is as follows. These estimates will be suitably revised soon after the CAT releases the response sheets.

*** Students are advised not to take any B-School application decision based on these initial estimates. They serve only as the first indicator of likely performance.

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

The VA-RC section consisted of 16 Reading Comprehension questions and 8 Verbal Ability questions. As in the past several years, there were no direct Grammar or Vocabulary questions. The passages were mainly Easy except for the one on Modern Materialism. About 12 RC questions could be attempted with high accuracy. The out-of-context-sentence (Odd Sentence) questions made a comeback this year, replacing one each of Summary and Paragraph Jumbles. So, the section had 2 questions each of Summary (MCQ), Paragraph Jumbles (TITA), Paragraph Completion(MCQ), and Odd Sentence questions (TITA). In VA, 6 or 7 attempts with high accuracy were possible. Overall, the section was Easy.

An attempt of 16 to 18 questions with accuracy of approximately 70% will be a good performance in VARC.

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning

Last year, there were a total of four sets, each comprising five questions. This pattern has been maintained in CAT 2023.

Overall, the Level of difficulty of the section was Medium to Difficult.

Overall, the level of difficulty of this section was on par with the DILR Section of Slot 1 of CAT 2022.

Overall, an attempt of 9 to 11 questions with accuracy of approximately 75-80% will be a good performance.

Quantitative Ability

This section was tougher in terms of level of difficulty compared to last year’s slots and was dominated by Algebra (8 questions), followed by Arithmetic (7 questions). There were 4 questions on Geometry, 2 questions on Modern Math and one on Numbers. In Algebra, the questions were dominated by Quadratic equations, Linear Equations, Modulus Functions & Polynomials etc. In Arithmetic, the questions were on SICI, Time and Work, Time-Speed-Distance, Clocks, Averages, Mixtures & Allegations and Profit & Loss. In Modern Math, the questions were on Logarithms, Sequences etc. In Geometry, the questions were on Triangle, Coordinate Geometry, Cyclic Quadrilateral etc. There was a question on Indices.

Number of TITA (7 questions) and MCQ (15 questions) in this section.

Selecting the right questions to attempt was the key.

Overall, an attempt of 9 to 11 questions with accuracy of approximately 75-80% will be a good performance.

THE PROCESS
At many centers, shoes and metallic objects (including metal) jewelry were not allowed. Only the admit card and the ID proof were allowed. As in the previous years, the authorities took possession of the admit cards. The candidates were given a small pad with IIM CAT Logo on the cover for rough work, and a pen – which were also taken away at the end of the exam.

TEST INTERFACE
The test interface was user-friendly and exactly the one provided in the official CAT Mock Test. There were no subdivisions within each section. A simple calculator was provided, and not a scientific one. There was an arrow provided near the question palette which when clicked expanded the question window to full-screen view by hiding the question palette & vice versa

At the end of the test, a summary of the number of questions attempted, visited, and not visited was displayed for each section.

There was a button marked ‘Question Paper’ that opened up a screen containing all the questions of the section. This was used by students for planning their approach for the section.

*** The scores and percentiles mentioned in this analysis are indicators based on the feedback from students and IMS experts. They are in no way related to the results which IIMs are expected to declare in January 2024. You are advised to wait for the results.

CAT 2023 Analysis by IMS - Slot 2

The second slot of CAT 2023 took place today between 12.30 pm and 2:30 pm.

The structure of CAT 2023 Slot 2 remained largely the same as in 2022, with 66 questions in all. However, the DILR and Verbal sections saw some changes in segmentation and the number of MCQs and TITA. The Verbal Section saw a minor change in segmentation with the Odd Sentence Questions coming back after 2021. The VA Section had 2 questions each of Summary, Paragraph Jumbles, Paragraph Completion, and Odd Sentence questions.

The marking scheme was +3 for every correct and -1 for incorrect. There was no negative marking for TITA Qs.

Based on the feedback received from several candidates who have appeared in the first slot, our initial estimate of the percentiles and scores*** is as follows. These estimates will be suitably revised soon after the CAT releases the response sheets.

*** Students are advised not to take any B-School application decision based on these initial estimates. They serve only as the first indicator of likely performance.

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

The VA-RC section consisted of 16 Reading Comprehension questions and 8 Verbal Ability questions. As in the past several years, there were no direct Grammar or Vocabulary questions. The passages were mainly Easy except for the one on Historical Fact. About 12 RC questions could be attempted with high accuracy. The out-of-context-sentence (Odd Sentence) questions made a comeback this year, replacing one each of Summary and Paragraph Jumbles. So, the section had 2 questions each of Summary (MCQ), Paragraph Jumbles (TITA), Paragraph Completion(MCQ), and Odd Sentence questions (TITA). One question in the Verbal Ability section was marked with an alert icon and indicated that it was a Mandatory Question.

In VA, 6 or 7 attempts with high accuracy were possible. Overall, the section was Easy.

An attempt of 17 to 19 questions with accuracy of approximately 70% will be a good performance in VARC.

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning

Last year, there were a total of four sets, each comprising five questions. This pattern has been maintained in CAT 2023. Overall, the Level of difficulty of the section was Medium to Difficult.

Overall the level of difficulty of this section was on par with the DILR Section of Slot 1 of CAT 2023.

Overall, an attempt of 10 to 12 questions with accuracy of approximately 75-80% will be a good performance.

Quantitative Ability

This section was slightly tougher in terms of level of difficulty compared to CAT 2023 Slot 1 QA and was dominated by Algebra (8 questions), followed by Arithmetic (7 questions). There were 3 questions on Geometry, 2 questions on Modern Math and 2 questions on Numbers. In Arithmetic, the questions were on SICI, Time and Work, Time-Speed-Distance, Averages, Mixtures & Allegations and Profit & Loss. In Algebra, the questions were dominated by Quadratic equations, Linear Equations, Modulus, Maxima -Minima, Inequality & Polynomials etc. In Modern Math, the questions were on Logarithms, Sequences etc. In Geometry, the questions were on Triangle, Rectangle, Coordinate Geometry & Parallelogram etc. In Numbers , questions were on indices and number of factors

Number of TITA (8 questions) and MCQ (14 questions) in this section:

Selecting the right questions to attempt was the key. Overall, an attempt of 9 to 11 questions with accuracy of approximately 75-80% will be a good performance.

THE PROCESS

At many centers, shoes and metallic objects (including metal) jewelry were not allowed. Only the admit card and the ID proof were allowed. As in the previous years, the authorities took possession of the admit cards. The candidates were given a small pad with IIM CAT Logo on the cover for rough work, and a pen – which were also taken away at the end of the exam.

TEST INTERFACE

The test interface was user-friendly and exactly the one provided in the official CAT Mock Test. There were no subdivisions within each section. A simple calculator was provided, and not a scientific one. There was an arrow provided near the question palette which when clicked expanded the question window to full-screen view by hiding the question palette & vice versa

At the end of the test, a summary of the number of questions attempted, visited, and not visited was displayed for each section..

There was a button marked ‘Question Paper’ that opened up a screen containing all the questions of the section. This was used by students for planning their approach for the section.

*** The scores and percentiles mentioned in this analysis are indicators based on the feedback from students and IMS experts. They are in no way related to the results which IIMs are expected to declare in January 2024. You are advised to wait for the results.

CAT 2023 Analysis by IMS - Slot 3

The third slot of CAT 2023 took place today between 4.30 pm and 6:30 pm. The structure of CAT 2023 Slot 3 remained the same as in the first two slots, with 66 questions in all. However, the DILR and Verbal sections saw some changes in segmentation and the number of MCQs and TITA. The Verbal Section saw a minor change in segmentation with the Odd Sentence Questions coming back after 2021. The VA Section had 2 questions each of Summary, Paragraph Jumbles, Paragraph Completion, and Odd Sentence questions.

The marking scheme was +3 for every correct and -1 for incorrect. There was no negative marking for TITA Qs. Based on the feedback received from several candidates who have appeared in the first slot, our initial estimate of the percentiles and scores*** is as follows. These estimates will be suitably revised soon after the CAT releases the response sheets.

*** Students are advised not to take any B-School application decision based on these initial estimates. They serve only as the first indicator of likely performance.

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

The VA-RC section consisted of 16 Reading Comprehension questions and 8 Verbal Ability questions. As in the past several years, there were no direct Grammar or Vocabulary questions. The passages were rather dense and not very reader friendly; however, the questions were manageable. Rationality by Steven Pinker passage likely posed some challenge. 9 or 10 RC questions could be attempted with high accuracy. The out-of-context-sentence (Odd Sentence) questions made a comeback this year, replacing one each of Summary and Paragraph Jumbles. So, the section had 2 questions each of Summary (MCQ), Paragraph Jumbles (TITA), Paragraph Completion (MCQ), and Odd Sentence questions (TITA). In VA, 5 to 6 attempts with high accuracy were possible. Overall, the section was Medium.

An attempt of 16 to 18 questions with accuracy of approximately 70% will be a good performance in VARC.

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
Last year, there were a total of four sets, each comprising five questions. This pattern has been maintained in CAT 2023. Overall, the Level of difficulty of the section was Medium to Difficult

Overall the level of difficulty of this section was similar to the DILR Section of Slot 1 of CAT 2023.

Overall, an attempt of 9 to 11 questions with accuracy of approximately 75-80% will be a good performance.

Quantitative Ability

This section was slightly tougher in terms of level of difficulty compared to CAT 2023 Slot 1 QA and was dominated by Arithmetic (8 questions), followed by Modern Math (4 questions). There were 3 questions on Geometry, 4 questions on Algebra and 3 questions on Numbers. In Arithmetic, the questions were on Time and Work, Time-Speed-Distance, Averages, Mixtures & Allegations, Averages, Percentages and Profit & Loss. In Algebra, the questions were dominated by Quadratic equations, Linear Equations, Modulus, Maxima -Minima, Inequality & Polynomials etc. In Modern Math, the questions were on Logarithms, Sequences etc. In Geometry, the questions were on Triangle, Rectangle and Polygon etc. In Numbers, questions were on indices and number of factors. Number of TITA (8 questions) and MCQ (14 questions) in this section:

Selecting the right questions to attempt was the key. Overall, an attempt of 9 to 11 questions with accuracy of approximately 75-80% will be a good performance.

THE PROCESS
At many centers, shoes and metallic objects (including metal) jewelry were not allowed. Only the admit card and the ID proof were allowed. As in the previous years, the authorities took possession of the admit cards. The candidates were given a small pad with IIM CAT Logo on the cover for rough work, and a pen – which were also taken away at the end of the exam.

TEST INTERFACE

The test interface was user-friendly and exactly the one provided in the official CAT Mock Test. There were no subdivisions within each section. A simple calculator was provided, and not a scientific one. There was an arrow provided near the question palette which when clicked expanded the question window to full-screen view by hiding the question palette & vice versa At the end of the test, a summary of the number of questions attempted, visited, and not visited was displayed for each section. There was a button marked ‘Question Paper’ that opened up a screen containing all the questions of the section. This was used by students for planning their approach for the section.

*** The scores and percentiles mentioned in this analysis are indicators based on the feedback from students and IMS experts. They are in no way related to the results which IIMs are expected to declare in January 2024. You are advised to wait for the results.

Previous Year CAT exam Analysis by IMS Learning

IMS CAT 2022 Exam Analysis: Key Highlights
MBAUniverse.com has published CAT 2022 Analysis by IMS Slot wise. The IMS CAT Analysis covers the following:

IMS CAT 2022 Analysis Slot-1: At 12 Noon on November 27
IMS has covered the following in Slot-1 Analysis.

• CAT Exam 2022 Difficulty Level: Overall & Section wise IMS CAT Analysis
• Required Good Attempts overall and section wise
• Overall and Section wise CAT 2022 Cut off Predictions in Slot-1
• Surprise elements in CAT 2022
• Changes in questions split – MCQs and Non-MCQs
• Changes in type of questions in the exam

Detailed CAT 2022 Analysis by IMS

CAT 2022 - Slot 2 Test Analysis
(Sunday, November 27 - 12:30 to 2:30 pm)

The second slot of CAT 2022 took place today between 12.30 am and 2:30 pm. The structure of CAT 2022 remained largely the same as in 2021. However, the DILR and Verbal sections saw some changes in segmentation and the number of MCQs and TITA. Both the slots had the same pattern. The Verbal Section had 2 paragraph completion questions instead of the anticipated Odd Sentence questions. Overall Level of difficulty was on par with CAT 2022 Slot 1

The marking scheme was +3 for every correct and -1 for incorrect. There was no negative marking for TITA Qs.

Based on the feedback received from several candidates who have appeared in the first slot, our initial estimate of the percentiles and scores*** is as follows. These estimates will be suitably revised soon after the CAT releases the response sheets.

*** Students are advised not to take any B-School application decision based on these initial estimates. They serve only as the first indicator of likely performance.

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
The VA-RC section consisted of 16 Reading Comprehension questions and 8 Verbal Ability questions. The passages were of Medium difficulty level except for the one on Musicking and modern Humanity. Overall, Comprehension was more difficult than the VA questions. However, 10 to 12 questions could be attempted with high accuracy. The 2 Para-completion questions, which were new, consisted of a key sentence followed by a paragraph with four numbered blanks. One had to identify the blank in which the key sentence would correctly fit. There were 3 paragraph jumbles in TITA format, and 3 summary questions as MCQs. In VA, 5-6 attempts with high accuracy were possible. Overall the difficulty level of Slot 2 was comparable to the Morning slot.

An attempt of 16 to 18 questions with high accuracy (85-90%) will be a good performance in VARC.

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning

In CAT 2021 there were a total of 4 sets out of which two sets had 6 questions while the remaining two had 4 questions each. This pattern has not been followed in CAT 2022 slot 2 also, as the DI-LR section had a total of 4 sets of 5 questions each. The sets were of Easy to Medium difficulty level.

Overall, an attempt of 10 to 12 questions with high accuracy (85-90%) will be a good performance.

Quantitative Ability

This section was Medium in terms of Level of difficulty and was dominated by Arithmetic (8 questions), followed by Algebra (6 questions). Apart from this, there were 4 questions on Modern Math, 3 questions on Geometry and 1 question on Numbers. In Arithmetic, the questions were on Ratio-Proportion, SICI, Mixtures & Allegations etc. Modern Math consists of Functions, Logarithms, Progression and P&C. In Geometry, there were questions on Trigonometry, Triangles and Polygons. In Algebra, there were questions on Quadratic equations and Inequalities etc.

Selecting the right questions to attempt was the key. Students should have been able to attempt about 13/14 questions in the given time with 85-90% accuracy.

This section was very much similar as CAT 2022 slot 1 in structure with number of TITA (8) and MCQ (14) questions

THE PROCESS
The pandemic-related SOPs were implemented. No shoes and no metallic objects including metal jewelry were allowed. Only the admit card and the ID proof were allowed. As in the previous years, the authorities took possession of the admit cards. The candidates were given a small pad with IIM CAT Logo on the cover (32 pages) for rough work and a pen – which were also taken away at the end of the exam.

TEST INTERFACE
The test interface was quite user-friendly and exactly the one provided in the official CAT Mock Test. There were no subdivisions within each section. A simple calculator was provided, and not a scientific one. There was an arrow provided near the question palette which when clicked expanded the question window to full-screen view by hiding the question palette & vice versa

At the end of the test, a summary of the number of questions attempted, visited, and not visited was displayed for each section.

There was a button marked ‘Question Paper’ that opened up a screen containing all the questions of the section. This was used by students for planning their approach for the section.

 *** The scores and percentiles mentioned in this analysis are indicators based on the feedback from students and IMS experts. They are in no way related to the results which IIMs are expected to declare in January 2023. You are advised to wait for the results.

CAT 2022 - Slot 1 Test Analysis

(Sunday, November 27 - 8:30 to 10:30 am)

The first slot of CAT 2022 took place today between 8.30 am and 10:30 am.

The structure of CAT 2022 remained largely the same as in 2021. However, the DILR and Verbal sections saw some changes in segmentation and the number of MCQs and TITA. Verbal Section had 2 paragraph completion questions instead of the anticipated Odd Sentence questions. Overall, Slot 1 of CAT this year was slightly more difficult than Slot 1 of last year.

The marking scheme was +3 for every correct and -1 for incorrect. There was no negative marking for TITA Qs.

Based on the feedback received from several candidates who have appeared in the first slot,our initial estimate of the percentiles and scores*** is as follows. These estimates will be suitably revised soon after the CAT releases the response sheets.

*** Students are advised not to take any B-School application decision based on these initial estimates. They serve only as the first indicator of likely performance.

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
The VA-RC section consisted of 16 Reading Comprehension questions and 8 Verbal Ability questions. As in the past several years, there were no direct Grammar or Vocabulary

questions. The passages were of Medium difficulty level except for the one on Political Philosophy. Overall, Comprehension was more difficult than the VA questions. However, 10 to 12 questions could be attempted with high accuracy. The 2 Para-completion questions, which were new, consisted of a key sentence followed by a paragraph with four numbered blanks. One had to identify the blank in which the key sentence would fit in correctly - grammatically and logically. There were 3 paragraph jumbles in TITA format, and 3 summary questions as MCQs. In VA, 5 attempts with high accuracy were possible. Overall the difficulty level was comparable to the first slot of CAT 2021.

An attempt of 15 to 17 questions with high accuracy (85-90%) will be a good performance in VARC.

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
In CAT 2021 there were a total of 4 sets out of which two sets had 6 questions while the remaining two had 4 questions each. This pattern has not been followed in CAT 2022, this year the DI-LR section had a total of 4 sets of 5 questions each.

Two sets were of Easy to Medium difficulty level and the remaining two sets were Medium to Difficult. Overall the Level of difficulty was Medium to Difficult and at par with the last year’s slot - 1 DILR.

Overall, an attempt of 10 to 12 questions with high accuracy (85-90%) will be a good performance.

Quantitative Ability
This section was Medium in terms of Level of difficulty and was dominated by Arithmetic (8 questions), followed by Algebra (5 questions). There were 3 questions on Modern Math and 3 questions on Geometry. In Arithmetic, the questions were dominated by Averages and Mixtures & Allegations and Profit & Loss,.

There were 8 TITA questions this year. Selecting the right questions to attempt was the key. Students should have been able to attempt about 14/15 questions in the given time with 85-90% accuracy.

This section was very much similar as last year’s slot 1. Number of TITA (8 questions) and MCQ (14 questions) were the same as last year’s slot 1. Also area/topic wise distribution of questions was more or less similar to last year’s slot 1.

THE PROCESS
No shoes and no metallic objects including metal jewelry were allowed. Only the admit card and the ID proof were allowed. As in the previous years, the authorities took possession of the admit cards. The candidates were given a small pad with IIM CAT Logo on the cover (32 pages) for rough work and a pen – which were also taken away at the end of the exam.

TEST INTERFACE
The test interface was quite user-friendly and exactly the one provided in the official CAT Mock Test. There were no subdivisions within each section. A simple calculator was provided, and not a scientific one. There was an arrow provided near the question palette which when clicked expanded the question window to full-screen view by hiding the question palette & vice versa At the end of the test, a summary of the number of questions attempted, visited, and not visited was displayed for each section.

There was a button marked ‘Question Paper’ that opened up a screen containing all the questions of the section. This was used by students for planning their approach for the section. 

*** The scores and percentiles mentioned in this analysis are indicators based on the feedback from students and IMS experts. They are in no way related to the results which IIMs are expected to declare in January 2023. You are advised to wait for the results

IMS CAT 2022 Analysis Slot-2: At 4 PM on November 27
We will cover the following in IMS CAT 2022 Slot-2 Analysis. The analysis is likely to be published at 4 PM

• CAT Exam 2022 Difficulty Level: Overall & Section wise IMS CAT Analysis
• Required Good Attempts overall and section wise
• Overall and Section wise CAT 2022 Cut off Predictions in Slot-2
• Surprise elements in CAT 2022
• Changes in questions split – MCQs and Non-MCQs
• Changes in type of questions in the exam

IMS CAT 2022 Analysis Slot-3: At 8 PM on November 27
We will cover the following in IMS CAT 2022 Slot-3 Analysis. The analysis is likely to be published at 8 PM

• CAT Exam 2022 Difficulty Level: Overall & Section wise IMS CAT Analysis
• Required Good Attempts overall and section wise
• Overall and Section wise CAT 2022 Cut off Predictions in Slot-3
• Surprise elements in CAT 2022
• Changes in questions split – MCQs and Non-MCQs
• Changes in type of questions in the exam

Comprehensive Overall IMS CAT 2022 Analysis: At 9 PM on November 27
We will cover the following in IMS CAT 2022 Overall Analysis. The analysis is likely to be published at 9 PM

• CAT Exam 2022 Difficulty Level: Overall & Section wise IMS CAT Analysis
• Required Good Attempts overall and section wise
• Overall and Section wise CAT 2022 Cut off Predictions for overall CAT exam
• Surprise elements in CAT 2022
• Changes in questions split – MCQs and Non-MCQs Overall
• Changes in type of questions in the exam

CAT Analysis by IMS for Previous Years

CAT 2021 Analysis for Slot 2 by IMS Learning
The second slot of CAT 2021 took place today between 12.30 pm and 2:30 pm. CAT 2021, in slots 1 and 2, had the following student-friendly pattern:

The marking scheme was +3 for every correct and -1 for incorrect. There was no negative marking for TITA Qs 

Based on the feedback received from several candidates who have appeared in the SECOND slot, our initial estimate of the scores and percentiles*** is as follows: We shall release the revised estimates once the response sheet is released.

*** The students are advised not to take any B-School application decision based on these initial estimates. They serve only as the first indicator of likely performance.

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension/
The VA-RC section consisted of 16 Reading Comprehension questions and 8 Verbal Ability questions. The passages were difficult except for the one on Decline of Languages. The passages on Knowledge & Skepticism and On Nationalism & Colonialism in India were difficult. The other passage on the Relationship between Power and Truth was at best medium. Overall Comprehension was more difficult than the VA questions. Passages were 500 to 600 words each as in the first slot. 11 or 12 questions could be attempted with high accuracy. VA questions were as expected - 3 paragraph jumbles, 2 Odd sentence questions in TITA format, and 3

summary questions as MCQs. VA was overall of medium difficulty. Summary questions were of medium difficulty level. In VA, 4 attempts with high accuracy were possible. Overall, the difficulty level was largely comparable to the first slot though slightly more difficult.

Overall, an attempt of 15 or 16 questions with high accuracy (85-90%) will be a good performance in VARC.

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
The DI-LR section underwent a slight change in CAT-2021 with a total of 4 sets, out of which two sets had 6 questions while the remaining two had 4 questions each. Out of the two sets with 4 questions, both had 3 MCQ and 1 TITA. Out of the two sets with 6 questions, both had 4 MCQ questions and 2 TITA questions. Unlike the last few years, there were no Venn-diagram based sets.

There were two DI sets and two LR sets. Overall, this section was easier compared to last year’s DILR section of Slot1 and slightly tougher compared to Slot 2 and Slot 3.

Overall, an attempt of 10 to 12 questions with high accuracy (85-90%) will be a good performance.

Quantitative Ability
This section was medium in terms of Level of difficulty and was dominated by Arithmetic (9 questions), followed by Algebra (5 questions). There were 3 questions on Modern Maths, 3 questions on Geometry and 2 questions. In Arithmetic, the questions involved Percentages, Partnership, Time-Speed-Distance, Time and Work, Averages and Mixtures & Allegations.

There were 8 TITA Qs this year. Selecting the right questions to attempt was the key. Students should have been able to attempt about 13-14 questions in the given time with 85-90% accuracy.

VERDICT
IMS students found a great deal of similarity between the SimCATs and the CAT. Several students gave feedback that the CAT appeared an extension of the SimCATs and the e- Maxmiser Workshops. In fact, one of the passages was verbatim from one of the IMS full-length tests.

THE PROCESS
The pandemic-related SOPs were implemented. No shoes and no metallic objects including metal jewelry were allowed. Only the admit card and the ID proof were allowed. As in the previous years, the authorities took possession of the admit cards. The candidates were given a small pad with IIM CAT Logo on the cover (32 pages) for rough work and a pen – which were also taken away at the end of the exam.

TEST INTERFACE
The test interface was quite user-friendly and exactly the one provided in the official CAT Mock Test. There were no subdivisions within each section. A simple calculator was provided, and not a scientific one. There was an arrow provided near the question palette which when clicked expanded the question window to full-screen view by hiding the question palette & vice versa

At the end of the test, a summary of the number of questions attempted, visited, and not visited was displayed for each section.

There was a button marked ‘Question Paper’ that opened up a screen containing all the questions of the section. This was used by students for planning their approach for the section.

After the IIMs announced that CAT 2021 may see a further reduction of questions from the 100-question test in 2020, the students expected a shorter test in the range of 65 to 70 questions. The 2021 test with 66 questions was thus a student-friendly test. No new question types were introduced in any of the sections.

*** The scores and percentiles mentioned in this analysis are indicators based on the feedback from students and IMS experts. They are in no way related to the results which IIMs are expected to declare in January 2022. You are advised to wait for the results.

CAT 2021 Analysis for Slot 1 by IMS Learning
After the IIMs announced that CAT 2021 may see a further reduction of questions from the 100-question test in 2020, the students expected a shorter test in the range of 65 to 70 questions. “The 2021 test with 66 questions was thus more student-friendly. No new question types were introduced in any of the sections,” says IMS.

According to IMS, CAT 2021 Slot 1 paper pattern is as follows:

CAT 2021 Analysis for Slot 1 Exam Pattern

Source: IMS Learning

LIVE! MBAUniverse.com CAT Percentile Predictor - Check Your % in 5 Minutes Now

CAT Score Vs Percentile: CAT 2021 Slot 1 by IMS
Based on the feedback received from several candidates who have appeared in the first slot, the initial estimate of the scores and percentiles by IMS Coaching is as follows:

Source: IMS Learning

IMS has advised students “not to take any B-School application decision based on these initial estimates. They serve only as the first indicator of likely performance.”

CAT 2021 Analysis by IMS Learning: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
According to IMS, the VA-RC section consisted of 16 Reading Comprehension questions and 8 Verbal Ability questions. As in the past several years, there were no direct Grammar or Vocabulary questions.

“The passages were difficult except for the one on The Thirst Empire - Chinese tea. The passage on Utopia and Dystopia was difficult. The other two passages on Marshmallow Theory – selfcontrol and on the idea of personhood according to Classic Mayan civilization was at best medium. Overall Comprehension was more difficult than the VA questions,” says IMS. Here is the breakup of the section, as per IMS Analysis.

Source: IMS Learning

CAT 2021 Analysis by IMS Learning: Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
The DI-LR section underwent a slight change in CAT-2021 with a total of 4 sets, out of which two sets had 6 questions while the remaining two had 4 questions each, says IMS. Out of the two sets with 4 questions, both had 3 MCQ and 1 TITA. Out of the two sets with 6 questions, both had 4 MCQ questions and 2 TITA questions. Unlike the last few years, there were no Venn-diagram based sets. There were two DI sets and two LR sets. Overall, this section was easier compared to last year’s DILR section of Slot1 and slightly tougher compared to Slot 2 and Slot 3. Here is the breakup of the section, as per IMS Analysis.

Source: IMS Learning

CAT 2021 Analysis by IMS Learning: Quantitative Ability
According to IMS, this section was medium in terms of Level of difficulty and was dominated by Arithmetic (10 questions), followed by Algebra (5 questions). Here is the breakup of the section, as per IMS Analysis.

Source: IMS Learning

Also read:

• CAT 2021 Analysis by all Top Mentors
• CAT Score Vs Percentile
• Top MBA Colleges accepting CAT Scores  

Stay tuned for in-depth IMS Coaching CAT 2021 Slot 1 Exam Analysis

CAT Analysis by IMS for Previous Years

CAT 2020 Analysis by IMS
CAT 2020 exam was conducted on November 29, 2020 in three slots. IMS Learning shared with Universe.com slot wise analysis with CAT 2020 paper difficulty level, key changes in question paper, good attempts and likely cut off score for different percentile range.

• CAT 2020 Morning Slot: 8.30 AM to 10.30 AM
• CAT 2020 Afternoon Slot: 12.30 PM to 2.30 PM
• CAT 2020 Evening Slot: 4.30PM to 6.30 PM

Well known preparation centre for CAT exam, IMS Learning released its comprehensive analysis of CAT exam immediately after the CAT was over. The slot wise analysis and overall analysis for CAT 2020 with cut off percentile based on the expected score by IMS is published here by MBAUniverse.com. Besides, the CAT percentile predictor can also be used to know the nearest CAT 2020 percentile.

After announcing a significant reduction in the duration of the test from 3 hours to 2 hours, the CAT gave no further indications before the test about the changes in the paper structure.  Finally, the suspense came to an end this morning!

So, what was the prestigious CAT 2020 like? Here is the section-wise break–up of questions:

Based on the feedback received from several candidates who appeared in the first slot, we estimate the scores and percentiles*** to be as follows:

The test started with the Verbal Section (26 Qs - 18 RC and 8 VA.) The second section was the DI-LR with 24 Qs ( DI 18 + LR 6 questions). The third section was the Quantitative Ability (26 Qs.) Each section was timed for 40 minutes. One could not go back and forth between sections. The marking scheme was +3 for every correct and  -1 for incorrect. There was no negative marking for TITA Qs.

VA-RC

The VA-RC section was similar to CAT 2019, with no Grammar and Vocabulary Qs. Comprehension had 4 passages in all—2 passages with 4 Qs each and 2 passages with 5 Qs each. Most of the questions were Medium to Difficult. IMS students reported that very few questions were easy! VA did not offer any surprise. Despite the change in the total number of questions, VA repeated the usual question types – Summary, Odd sentence, and the all-time favorite – paragraph jumbles. 

Overall, an attempt of 15 to 17 to questions with high accuracy (85-90%) should be a good in this section

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning 

The DI-LR section underwent a change in CAT-2020 with a total 5 sets, out of which two sets had 6 questions while the remaining three had 4 questions each. Out of the three sets with 4 questions, one set had all the 4 TITA questions while the remaining two had all 4 MCQ questions. Out of the two sets with 6 questions, one set had all 6 MCQ questions while the other set had 4 MCQ and 2 TITA questions.

There were three DI sets and two LR sets. Overall, this section was medium to difficult.

QA

This section was medium in terms of Level of difficulty and was dominated by Arithmetic (10 questions), followed by Algebra (8 questions). There were 3 questions on Modern Maths, 3 questions on Geometry and 2 questions on Numbers. In Arithmetic, the questions were dominated by Time- Speed-Distance and Mixtures and Alligations. One surprise this year was relatively lower emphasis on Geometry and higher emphasis on Algebra.  

There were 8 TITA Qs this year. Overall this section was at Medium level of difficulty. Selecting the right questions to attempt was the key. Good students should have been able to attempt about 16 to 18 questions in the given time.

VERDICT

IMS students found a great deal of similarity between the SimCATs and the CAT. Several students gave the feedback that the CAT appeared an extension of the SimCATs and the e-Maxmiser Workshops.

THE PROCESS

• The test’s administrative process was smooth despite the pandemic induced need for masks, gloves, social distance etc. 
• As in the past, the policy of no-shoes no metallic objects including metal jewelry prevailed. Only the admit card and the ID proof were allowed. Nothing else!
• As in the previous year, the authorities took possession of the admit cards. The candidates were given a small pad with IIM CAT Logo on the cover (32 pages) for rough work and a pen – which were also taken away at the end of the exam.

TEST INTERFACE

The test interface was very user friendly and exactly the one provided in the official CAT Mock Test. There were no sub-divisions within each section. The Comprehension and VA questions were NOT interspersed within the section. Similarly the DI and LR sets were also NOT interspersed A simple calculator was provided, and not a scientific one. There was an arrow provided near the question palette which when clicked expanded the question window to full screen view by hiding the question palette & vice versa

At the end of the test, a summary of the number of questions attempted, visited, and not visited was displayed for each section.

There was a button marked ‘Question Paper’ that opened up a screen containing all the questions of the section. This was used by students for planning their approach for the section.

CAT 2020 Slot-2 Analysis by IMS 

The second slot of CAT 2020 took place today between 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm.

After announcing a significant reduction in the test duration from 3 hours to 2 hours, the CAT had given no further indications about the other changes in the paper structure. The suspense came to an end with the first slot which had 26-24-26 questions in the three sections (VARC-DILR-QA). There were no other surprises or changes.

The second slot had the same structure:

The overall difficulty level of Slot 2 was slightly more than that of Slot 1 - bordering on the difficult with two sections (QA and DILR) being more difficult and VARC being on par with Slot 1. We estimate the scores and percentiles to be as follows:

The test started with the Verbal Section (26 Qs - 18 RC and 8 VA.) The second section was DI-LR with 24 Qs ( DI 18 + LR 6 questions). The third section was Quantitative Ability (26 Qs.) Each section was timed for 40 minutes. One could not go back and forth between sections. The marking scheme was +3 for every correct and -1 for incorrect answers. There was no negative marking for TITA Qs.

VA-RC

The VA-RC section was similar to the first slot in segmentation and difficulty level. The majority of the questions were of medium difficulty and even difficult. Very few questions were easy. Comprehension had 4 passages in all—2 passages with 4 Qs each and 2 passages with 5 Qs each. Most of the questions were Medium to Difficult rather heavy on application and reasoning. Despite the change in the total number of questions, VA repeated the usual question types – Summary, Odd sentence, and the all-time favorite – paragraph jumbles.

Overall, an attempt of 16 or 17 questions with high accuracy (85-90%) should be good in this section

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
Like in slot 1, the second slot of CAT-2020 had a total 5 sets, out of which two sets had 6 questions while the remaining three had 4 questions each. Out of the three sets with 4 questions, one set had all the 4 TITA questions while the remaining two had all 4 MCQ questions. Out of the two sets with 6 questions, one set had all 6 MCQ questions while the other set had 4 MCQ and 2 TITA questions.

There were two DI sets and three LR sets. The DI sets had a tinge of Logical Reasoning. Overall, this section was medium to difficult.

A good student should have been able to solve 12 to 14 questions in the given time limit.

QA
Like Slot 1, the QA section of Slot-2 of CAT-2020 was also dominated by Arithmetic (10 questions), followed by Algebra (8 questions). There were 3 questions on Modern Maths, 3 questions on Geometry and 2 questions on Numbers. Like Slot-1, the Slot-2 also had a number of questions on Time-Speed-Distance.

There were 8 TITA Qs this year. Overall this section was at Medium level of difficulty. Selecting the right questions to attempt was the key. Good students should have been able to attempt about 15 to 17 questions in the given time.

Overall, this section was medium in terms of Level of difficulty but had a number of time-consuming and tricky questions. Overall, we rate this section one notch more difficult than the one in CAT-2019 but not as tough as the one in CAT-2018.

VERDICT
IMS students found a great deal of similarity between the SimCATs and the CAT. Several students gave the feedback that the CAT appeared an extension of the SimCATs and the e-Maxmiser Workshops.

THE PROCESS

• The test’s administrative process was smooth despite the pandemic induced need for masks, gloves, social distance etc.
• As in the past, the policy of no-shoes no metallic objects including metal jewelry prevailed. Only the admit card and the ID proof were allowed. Nothing else!
• As in the previous year, the authorities took possession of the admit cards. The candidates were given a small pad with IIM CAT Logo on the cover (20 pages) for rough work and a pen – which were also taken away at the end of the exam.

TEST INTERFACE

The test interface was very user friendly and exactly the one provided in the official CAT Mock Test. There were no subdivisions within each section. The Comprehension and VA questions were NOT interspersed within the section. Similarly, the DI and LR sets were also NOT interspersed A simple calculator was provided, and not a scientific one. There was an arrow provided near the question palette which when clicked expanded the question window to full-screen view by hiding the question palette & vice versa

At the end of the test, a summary of the number of questions attempted, visited, and not visited was displayed for each section.

There was a button marked ‘Question Paper’ that opened up a screen containing all the questions of the section. This was used by students for planning their approach for the section.

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates on CAT 2020