Expected Percentiles |
VARC Score |
DILR Score |
QA Score |
Overall Score |
||||||||
Slot 1 |
Slot 2 |
Slot 3 |
Slot 1 |
Slot 2 |
Slot 3 |
Slot 1 |
Slot 2 |
Slot 3 |
Slot 1 |
Slot 2 |
Slot 3 |
|
99 |
40 |
40-42 |
38-40 |
25-27 |
25-26 |
27-28 |
25-28 |
28-30 |
27-28 |
80-81 |
82-83 |
78-80 |
95 |
28-30 |
30-33 |
28-30 |
18-20 |
18-20 |
18-20 |
20-22 |
20-22 |
18-20 |
55-56 |
57-58 |
57-58 |
90 |
22-24 |
24-26 |
24-25 |
15-17 |
14-15 |
15-17 |
15-17 |
15-17 |
15-17 |
45-48 |
46-48 |
46-48 |
85 |
20-22 |
20-22 |
20-22 |
13-14 |
12-13 |
12-14 |
12-14 |
12-14 |
12-14 |
39-41 |
40-43 |
40-41 |
80 |
18-20 |
18-20 |
18-20 |
11-12 |
10-11 |
10-11 |
10-12 |
10-12 |
10-11 |
35-37 |
36-39 |
36-37 |
* As soon as the CAT Answer Key is out, fill in the score calculator to get your exact overall percentile along with a predicted sectional percentile.
As per the expectations, CAT 2022 followed the pattern of 66 questions to be solved in 2 hours with 40 minutes allotted to each section.
The marking scheme remained the same: +3/-1 for MCQs, and +3/0 for non-MCQs. The overall level of difficulty for CAT 2022 slot 3 was difficult with respect to CAT 2022 Slot 1 and Slot 2. Thus, the LOD across the three sections of the three slots varied slightly:
An overall raw score of around ~84 could fetch a 99%ile in CAT 2022.
CAT 2022 Paper Pattern & Section- score wise for 99%ile+
Section Name |
Total Questions |
Time Limit |
Score for 99%ile |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) |
24 |
40 Minutes |
39 |
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) |
20 |
40 Minutes |
29 |
Quantitative Ability (QA) |
22 |
40 Minutes |
33 |
The overall difficulty level for CAT 2021 was moderate. An overall raw score of around 97-99 was good enough to fetch a 99%ile in CAT 2021. CAT 2021 followed the CAT 2020 exam pattern of reduced time (2 hours) with 40 minutes allotted to each section. However, the number of questions under each of the sections reduced. CAT 2021 had 66 questions to be attempted in 2 hours with the section-wise distribution of questions as follows: VARC: 24 questions in 40 minutes; DILR: 20 questions in 40 minutes; QA: 22 questions in 40 minutes.
Section |
No of questions |
Non MCQ Questions |
Time in Minutes |
Difficulty Level |
Ideal Score/Attempts for 99 %ile |
VARC |
24 |
5 |
40 |
Moderate |
35-38 (15-18) |
DILR |
20 |
5 |
40 |
Moderate |
28-30 (10-12) |
QA |
22 |
8 |
40 |
Easy |
39-42 (15-17) |
Total |
66 |
18 |
120 |
97-99 (42-48) |
We all know that the CAT 2020 notification came up with the surprise of reduced time - just 70 odd-days - before CAT. From the earlier duration of 3 hours, the test duration was reduced to 2 hours with 76 questions.
The marking scheme remained the same: +3/-1 for MCQs, and +3/0 for non-MCQs. The overall level of difficulty for CAT 2020 slot 1 was slightly higher than that of CAT 2019. In terms of section-wise level of difficulty, VARC was lengthy and slightly tricky. DILR went back to CAT 2016-18 levels after a short breather in CAT 2018. QA was slightly easier than CAT 2019, in terms of LOD.
An overall raw score of around 105-110 should fetch a 99%ile in CAT 2020.
CAT 2020 Paper Pattern & Section-wise expected score for 99%ile+
Section Name |
Total Questions |
Time Limit |
Marking Scheme |
Score for 99%ile |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) |
26 |
40 Minutes |
+3/-1 (for MCQs) +3/0 (for non-MCQs) |
40-42 |
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) |
24 |
40 Minutes |
+3/-1 (for MCQs) +3/0 (for non-MCQs) |
32-34 |
Quantitative Ability (QA) |
26 |
40 Minutes |
+3/-1 (for MCQs) +3/0 (for non-MCQs) |
46-48 |
Total |
76 |
120 Minutes |
+3/-1 (for MCQs) +3/0 (for non-MCQs) |
105-110 |
CAT 2019 did not throw any surprises in paper format. In terms of level of difficulty, VARC was slightly trickier this year with 2 passages on the difficult side. Both DILR and Quant were slightly easier than last year. Overall, the paper was slightly less difficult, as compared to last year.
Section Name | Total Questions | Total number of MCQs | Total number of non-MCQs | Cut Off | ||
99%ile | 95%ile | 90%ile | ||||
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 34 | 27 | 7 | 65 | 57 | 50 |
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 32 | 24 | 8 | 48 | 39 | 32 |
Quantitative Ability (QA) | 34 | 23 | 11 | 55 | 43 | 33 |
Total | 100 | 74 | 26 | 160 | 123 | 108 |
CAT came out of the bag with two thuds and one loud bang. The paper started with an 'even easier than 2017' VARC section. Then the level of difficulty of the DILR section provided a major reprieve to the nervous 'jantaa' as it broke with the trend of the last three years. It was a moderately difficult section, as compared to an out and out difficult section that has been observed over the last 2-3 years. However, this relief was short-lived as QA came out all guns blazing. IIM-C kept its reputation intact, with its emphasis on the QA section
Section | No. of Questions | No. of non-MCQ questions | Difficulty Level | Good Attempts |
Verbal Ability and Reading comprehension | 34 | 7 | Easy | 28+ |
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning | 32 | 8 | Moderate | 16+ |
Quantitative Ability | 34 | 12 | Difficult | 15+ |
Total | 100 | 27 | 60+ |
CAT 2017 did not throw up any surprises wrt the paper format. The level of difficulty of the paper changed this year as compared to last year. While VARC continued to be easy, DILR was more difficult than last year with sets that took more time to solve as well. Quant was also easier and similar to CAT 2015 in level and marginally easier than 2016. On first impressions, an overall raw score of around 160 should fetch a student a 99%ile in CAT 2017. LRDI would not be the differentiator this year, since all students would be lumped in smaller categories. Quant, being easy, would play the role of differentiator. The overall structure of the CAT paper was as follows:
Section | No. of Questions | No. of non-MCQ questions | Difficulty Level | Good Attempts |
Verbal Ability and Reading comprehension | 34 | 7 | Easy-moderate | 26-27 |
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning | 32 | 8 | Difficult | 12-14 |
Quantitative Ability | 34 | 8 | Easy-Moderate | 25-26 |
Total | 100 | 23 | 63-67 |
CAT 2016 did not undergo any changes in its pattern and as expected the level of difficulty went up because of which the percentile went down and only a scaled score of 153+ was required for a 99+ percentile which was much lower as compared to 2015.
Section | Name | No. of Questions | Marks/Q | Total marks |
Section 1 | Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension | 34 (60 minutes) | 3 | 102 |
Section 2 | Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning | 32 (60 minutes) | 3 | 96 |
Section 3 | Quantitative Ability | 34 (60 minutes) | 3 | 102 |
Total | 100 | 300 |