CAT 2023 Analysis by T.I.M.E: Overall & Sectional Analysis, Exam Trends, Likely cut offs

Triumphant Institute of Management Education Pvt. Ltd. (T.I.M.E.) is India's leading CAT preparation institute with a pan-India presence in 100 cities and 195 offices across the country. T.I.M.E., established in 1992, has trained more than 22 lakhs students and more than 1.5 lakh students in a single year.

CAT 2023 Exam is being conducted in 3 slots on November 26, 2023. Like every year, T.I.M.E. releases its in-depth CAT 2023 Analysis Slot wise immediately after the CAT exam.

Slot Wise T.I.M.E CAT 2023 Analysis: Release Time
On CAT Day (November 26), MBAUniverse.com publishes Slot wise CAT 2023 Analysis by T.I.M.E  as per schedule below:  

MBAUniverse.com is the first to publish T.I.M.E CAT 2023 Exam Analysis. Check what all you can expect in the CAT Analysis by T.I.M.E. What’s more, MBAUniverse.com also publishes indepth CAT analysis by IMS, Career Launcher, Author Arun Sharma and all top experts. 

T.I.M.E. CAT 2023 Analysis USPs
CAT Analysis by T.I.M.E  is known for:

• Promptly Released Analysis after each CAT exam slot
• Nearly Accurate Sectional & Overall CAT Cut Off Percentile  Predictions 
• Indepth Analysis with comparison from last year’s difficulty level

T.I.M.E. CAT 2022 Exam Analysis: Key Highlights
MBAUniverse.com CAT 2023 Analysis by T.I.M.E. Slot 1, Slot 2 and Slot 3. Slot wise Analysis covers the following:

T.I.M.E CAT 2023 Exam Analysis on Nov 26
This analysis covers following key points:

1. Exam Pattern including Number of Questions by each Section
2. Type of Questions for each section
3. Changes in questions split (MCQs and Non-MCQs) and Type of Questions
4. Any Surprise elements in CAT 2023 Exam paper
5. Exam Difficulty Level: Overall & Section wise CAT Analysis by T.I.M.E.
6. Required Good Attempts: Overall and Section wise
7. Overall and Section wise CAT 2023 Cut off Predictions for 85 to 99 Percentile

Watch for detailed CAT Analysis by T.I.M.E.

Previous Year CAT exam Analysis by T.I.M.E.
Previous year CAT 2022 and earlier CAT exam analysis by T.I.M.E. are shared below:

T.I.M.E CAT 2022 Exam Analysis Slot-2: 6 PM on Nov 27
This analysis will cover following key points:

1. Exam Pattern including Number of Questions by each Section
2. Type of Questions for each section
3. Changes in questions split (MCQs and Non-MCQs) and Type of Questions
4. Any Surprise elements in CAT 2022 Exam paper
5. Exam Difficulty Level: Overall & Section wise CAT Analysis by T.I.M.E.
6. Required Good Attempts: Overall and Section wise
7. Overall and Section wise CAT 2022 Cut off Predictions for 85 to 99 Percentile in Slot-2

T.I.M.E CAT 2022 Exam Analysis Slot-3: 10 PM on Nov 27
This analysis will cover following key points:

1. Exam Pattern including Number of Questions by each Section
2. Type of Questions for each section
3. Changes in questions split (MCQs and Non-MCQs) and Type of Questions
4. Any Surprise elements in CAT 2022 Exam paper
5. Exam Difficulty Level: Overall & Section wise CAT Analysis by T.I.M.E.
6. Required Good Attempts: Overall and Section wise
7. Overall and Section wise CAT 2022 Cut off Predictions for 85 to 99 Percentile in Slot-3

Comprehensive Overall T.I.M.E CAT 2022 Exam Analysis: 11 PM on Nov 27
This overall CAT 2022 analysis by T.I.M.E will cover following key points

1. Exam Pattern including Number of Questions by each Section
2. Type of Questions for each section
3. Changes in questions split (MCQs and Non-MCQs) and Type of Questions
4. Any Surprise elements in CAT 2022 Exam paper
5. Exam Difficulty Level: Overall & Section wise
6. Required Good Attempts: Overall and Section wise
7. Overall and Section wise CAT 2022 Cut off Predictions for 85 to 99 Percentile

Previous Year CAT exam Analysis by T.I.M.E.

CAT 2021 Analysis by T.I.M.E – SLOT 1
According to TIME, overall difficulty level of CAT 2021 Slot 1 was on the higher side compared to that of CAT 2020. “The difficulty, overall, for CAT 2021 in the morning slot was on the higher side compared to that of CAT 2020 overall, which also was a two-hour paper,” says TIME.

According to CAT 2021 Analysis by TIME, following was the pattern of examination in the first slot:

The evaluation scheme remained the same as that of the earlier years. Three marks for a correct answer and a negative mark for a wrongly marked MCQ. There were no negative marks for non-MCQs, says TIME.

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates on CAT 2021 Analysis by TIME Coaching.

Previous Year CAT exam Analysis by T.I.M.E.

CAT Analysis 2020 by T.I.M.E. will be released separately for slot-1, slot-2 and slot-3 exam after the CAT 2020 exam gets over on November 29, 2020. This year CAT exam is conducted in three slots as against two slots last year.

TIME, India’s leading CAT coaching institute, focuses in its CAT exam analysis on its difficulty level as compared to last year, section wise good attempt requirement, key changes in question paper, likely cut offs among others.

• 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

CAT 2020 Analysis by T.I.M.E: Key Coverage Area

• CAT exam 2020 analysis will cover following key points:
• Important changes in CAT exam pattern
• Surprise elements in CAT 2020
• Overall and sectional Changes in Difficulty level over last year
• Sectional composition of questions in CAT 2020 question paper
• Overall and Section-wise good attempts
• CAT score required leading to high percentile cut offs for IIMs & Other top B-schools 

Major Changes introduced in CAT 2020 Exam 
CAT 2020 Centre has introduced following key changes in CAT 2020 exam pattern

• CAT 2020 Exam duration is changed to 2 hours from earlier 3 hours
• CAT exam 2020 will be conducted in three separate sessions on same day instead of two sessions
• Exam is Divided into three sections: VARC; DILR; Quant
• 40 Minutes will be allotted to attempt each section instead of earlier 60 minutes
• You cannot move to other section till the time limit for the present section you are attempting is over.  
• CAT 2020 Exam will have reduced number of Questions divided into MCQs and Non-MCQ type questions
• MCQs have negative marking for wrong answer and Non-MCQs do not carry penalty of negative marking
• Questions with negative marking (MCQs) are 70 to 75%
• 4 answer options for MCQ type questions, click on correct answer option
• Questions without negative marking (Non-MCQs) are 25 to 30%
• Answer must be typed in the given space on computer screen for Non-MCQ.
• Score awarded for each correct answer: 3 marks
• Negative marking (Applicable for  wrong answers in MCQs): -1 mark
• Fixed order of sections to move beginning with VARC

CAT 2019 Slot 1 Analysis by TIME
According to T.I.M.E.4education, Slot 1 of CAT 2019 did not hold major surprises in terms of format/pattern. However, in terms of difficulty levels, it wasn’t on expected lines. The VARC section was tougher compared to that of CAT 2018. The DI & LR section and the QA section were relatively easier compared to the previous year, thereby offsetting the difficulty one might have faced in attempting the VARC section.

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VARC

In CAT 2019, while there was no change in the pattern of the VARC section, the RC passages were not very easy to read, and neither were the questions direct.

The five RC passages were of moderate length and were from topics which are considered to be interesting, but, challenging reads – Literature (Aladdin), Culture (folk music), Environment (Emperor Penguins), Anthropology (Topophilia), and Sociology (Choice anxiety/influencers/internet shopping). The passages were complex in thought and language. Compared to last year’s VARC section, the passages this year were more structurally uniform – in length and number of paras (4 to 5 paras).

The questions were multi-layered, and that added to the difficulty level of the RC section. Firstly, the options were longer than usual and closer to each other compared to the previous year’s RC questions. Secondly, the presentation of questions was novel, and a majority of these questions were critical reasoning-based and application-based. There were also questions based on figures of speech. There were very few specific-detail questions which could have been answered from memory. Interestingly, there were quite a few all-but-one/EXCEPT questions, a clear shift away from specific-detail questions.

However, the increase in difficulty level of RC (compared to CAT 2018) might have been slightly offset by the Verbal Ability Questions, which were relatively easy compared to those of CAT 2018. So, test-takers who have managed to ride the initial tide and gather themselves would have done well in the VA segment.

The VA questions, on Para Formation/Para Odd-One-out, were fairly simple to crack especially given that the PFQs had only four sentences. This made the four PFQ questions must-attempts. The sentences in many of these questions were not very long, reducing the difficulty level and making the questions appealing. The Odd-One-Out questions were relatively easy as well. The absence of negative marking for these questions was definitely a plus for the students. The level of difficulty of the Para Summary Questions this year ranged from easy to moderate. Two of the three Para Summary Questions had fairly short paras, and the options for these questions were not really close. The only difference was that the questions were worded as ‘Essence’ rather than ‘Author’s Position’.

To summarise, the VARC section was tougher when compared to that of CAT 2018.

A net score of 38 – 40 would be a decent score for a test-taker to be able to get 85 percentile (sectional cut-off).

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DI & LR
A difficult VARC section was offset by the DI & LR section of CAT 2019. It would have been a pleasant surprise for students considering it was relatively easier compared to that of CAT 2018 (which in turn was easier than that of 2017).

The trick this year was in identifying the easier sets, and solving them quickly, there being a dividend for speed. Some of the DI sets were not difficult in terms of interpretation and the questions in these sets too were not tricky in nature. The number of LR-based sets was greater than that of the last two years. Only two out of the eight sets could be truly qualified as difficult in nature. The set on tournament was particularly very difficult, and the crime rates-based set appeared difficult too. On the other hand, the set based on Dancers and composers and the one on radar chart should definitely have been attempted. One digression from the norm was the absence of Venn Diagram-based sets in DI & LR section (although there was one question in the QA section).

Given the nature of the section, it was an advantage to the students with conceptual clarity and speed, as that would have helped them attempt more sets.

A net score of 30-32 would be a decent score for a test-taker to be able to get 85 percentile (sectional cut-off).

QA
The QA section this year was slightly easier compared to that of CAT 2018, largely because there were enough number of do-able questions, which weren’t time-consuming. Students who have the knack of segregating the difficult ones from the easier ones can succeed in optimising their score in such a paper.

Arithmetic ruled the roost with 14 questions, most of which ranged from easy to moderate and, hence, would have been to the students’ liking. Apart from that, Algebra had the second highest representation with as many as 11 questions, although they were quite challenging. Geometry and Mensuration too continued to be an important topic, as expected, with 6 questions. The surprising omission was that of Numbers, from which there was just a lone question. The declining weightage of topics from Modern Maths continued with just 1 question each from P & C and Venn Diagrams.

The interesting thing about this section was that there were easy questions and there were also a substantial number of difficult questions. So, while the average student would have found quite a few do-able questions to be able to clear the cut-off, students aiming for high 90s would have probably found it challenging to solve the difficult ones.

A net score of 29 -31 would be a decent score for a test-taker to be able to get 85 percentile (sectional cut-off).

Slot 2 CAT 2019 Analysis by TIME
The afternoon session of CAT 2019 didn't throw any googlies just like the forenoon session as far as the pattern is concerned. However, on the difficulty level front, there were variations significant enough to rock a few boats. The VARC section was a couple of notches tougher compared to that of the forenoon session. The DI & LR section was also a few notches tougher compared to that of the forenoon session. The QA section, however, would have come as a relief to test-takers flustered by the first two sections. It was noticeably easier compared to that of the forenoon session.

VARC
The RC passages in the afternoon session proved to be particularly difficult to handle. Neither the subject of the content, nor the questions gave students any easy opportunities to score.

The five RC passages were of moderate length and included the following subjects: Literature (Language and cultural barriers), History (British Colonial Policy), Science &Technology(Google and archaeology), Sociology (Dense cities and efficiency&Distributing bureaucracy). At least, one passage was very difficult to read and navigate, while a couple of them were quite dense and difficult to deal with.

The questions were critical reasoning-heavy and at times, rather convoluted. Many of the questions were of the ‘EXCEPT’ type, and the options for quite a few extended the amount of reading a test-taker had to do before arriving at the answer.

Unlike in the forenoon session, the Verbal Ability Questions didn’t provide any significant relief either. The VA questions, on Para Formation/Para Odd-One-out, were tricky, and lengthy. The Para Summaries, too, were not simple enough to identify the right option, as far as the essence of the para was concerned, and needed significant back and forth to identify the key idea/s in the para.

A net score of 34 – 36would be a decent score for a test-taker to be able to get 85 percentile (sectional cut-off).

DI & LR
The DI & LR section of the afternoon session brought no cheer to those looking for some respite after a tough VARC section.

There were three to four moderate sets, two to three moderate-difficult sets, and two very difficult sets. However, the moderate ones could only be cracked by those who were alert enough to spot them and persist with them. The sets on the shooting tournament and mid-term and end-term exams were particularly difficult and should have been avoided, while the sets on coins and rainfall were easy to score off. Unlike in the forenoon session, there was a set on Venn Diagrams, and it was not so difficult to attempt. Most of the sets would have appeared familiar to T.I.M.E. students, especially those who put in serious preparation and have taken their AIMCATs regularly.

A net score of 26-28 would be a decent score for a test-taker to be able to get 85 percentile (sectional cut-off).

QA
The QA section in the afternoon section was significantly easier compared to that in the forenoon session and also that of CAT 2018.

Arithmetic,as was the case with the forenoon session, took the lion’s share with 14 questions, most of which ranged from easy to moderate and, hence, would have been to the students’ liking. Algebra had 11 questions, ranging from moderate to difficult, while Geometry and Mensuration had 6 questions most of which were of moderate difficulty. Topics like P&C, trigonometry and coordinate geometry, present in the forenoon session, were conspicuous by their absence.

A net score of 33-35 would be a decent score for a test-taker to be able to get 85 percentile (sectional cut-off).

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates on CAT 2019