Slot 1 Paper Doable, Not Very Tough From Last Year; Read Section-Wise Analysis

CAT Exam 2023: The Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) Lucknow conducted the Common Aptitude Test (CAT) Slot 1 examination today, November 26, between 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM. According to the experts, th

CAT Exam 2023: The Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) Lucknow conducted the Common Aptitude Test (CAT) Slot 1 examination today, November 26, between 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM. According to the experts, the slot 1 exam was doable and not very tough when compared to 2022. “Overall the exam was Doable and not very tough when compared to 2022. VARC was more inference based, but had Reading comprehension passages all from the predicted Topics. DILR was Moderate in difficulty terms but felt a little time consuming and lengthy,” said Sumit Singh Gandhi (Rahul), CEO and Founder CATKing.

CAT Exam 2023 Analysis

• The CAT 2023 question paper consisted of a total of 66 questions covering Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), as well as Quantitative Aptitude (QA).
• The CAT 2023 exam for slot 1 recently concluded, and early reports suggest that the paper structure mirrored that of the previous year. The CAT 2023 slot 1 question paper had a total of 66 questions, comprising 24 questions in Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), 22 in Quantitative Aptitude (QA), and 20 in Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR).
• As per Sumit Singh Gandhi (Rahul), CEO and Founder CATKing, the VARC section presented a mix of inference-based questions, with a focus on reading comprehension from diverse topics such as philosophy, history, languages, and knowledge perception. The Verbal Ability segment included a variety of question types, challenging candidates with parajumbles, paragraph summary, and paragraph completion exercises.
• The QA section included a significant focus on algebra, which was described as tough for majority of students but basic for those well-prepared. Arithmetic questions covered various topics, with a mix of difficulty levels, more or less easy to moderate. Geometry and Number System questions were also part of the section. Overall, the section required candidates to navigate through a diverse set of questions with varying complexities.

At present, the CAT Slot 2 examination is underway. Over 3.3 lakh students are expected to appear for the competitive exam(today) across 155 cities in the country. The Indian Institutes of Management will conclude the competitive examination today, November 26(Sunday), in three sessions. The test will be held for 120 minutes. The Test will have the following three sections:

1. Section I: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
2. Section II: Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
3. Section III: Quantitative Ability

Navigating the Verbal, DILR, and QA Challenges

Sectional Analysis:

Overall Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

VARC 24 Questions:

Reading comprehension was dominated in the verbal section. There were 4 passages with 4 Questions each. More inference-based questions and not factual, there were close options too so it needed little focus while solving.

• TITA Verbal ability was overall Moderate.
• 2 Out of Context (OOC) Questions, involving 5 statements with tricky connections.
• 2 Parajumbles Questions, each with 4 statements.
• 2 Parasummary Questions, with options that were easy but closely related.
• 2 Paragraph Completion Questions, which were very easy to solve.

Summary of Questions

• Reading Comprehension 16 Questions
• The Reading comprehension was based on the following themes:
• Passage 1: Jungle and Economy, Hunter-Gatherers, Wolf Conservation
• Passage 2: Oceans and Territories
• Passage 3: Lifestyle Comparison of Old and New Generations
• Passage 4: Comparison of South and North Korea, with a focus on clothing differences

Ideal Attempts in VARC Section: 15 Questions

DILR 24 Questions

• The DILR section presented a challenging set of questions, emphasizing the importance of selecting the right set for maximum efficiency. Most candidates found two sets doable. The REAL CAT mocks had very similar sets.

Summary of Questions

• Set 1: Professors and Departments – Candidates were required to choose a candidate to vote for, with constraints such as not selecting more than two candidates.
• Set 2: VISA Office – Ten applicants until 2 pm with 15-minute slots, and two booths processing visas for three countries. Questions focused on slot distribution and the number of visa processes possible for each country within the given slots.
• Set 3: Similar to Slot 1 of CAT 2022 Routes – Involving a colony with six houses, pricing conditions, and road allotment. This set was of moderate difficulty.
• Set 4: Statistics-based set on restaurant table set ratings, involving average-rated tables.

Quants 22 Questions: (TITA 8)

The QA section was rated as moderate to tough, with a higher level of difficulty compared to CAT 2022. Even candidates with weaker quantitative abilities managed to attempt around 8 questions, while those with a stronger background could answer 10-12 questions.

• Arithmetic covered questions on profit and loss, mixtures, simple interest and compound interest (SICI), time-speed-distance, and time and work.
• Algebra posed tougher challenges, including questions on algebraic expressions (3-4 questions), logarithms, and geometry.
• Geometry included questions on right-angle triangles, coordinate geometry, and an area-finding scenario in an arithmetic progression.
• Modern Maths introduced permutation and combination, while probability was absent.
• The algebra (7 questions) were more basic and not considered tough.
• Mixture and Alligation: 1 question.
• Venn Diagram (VPAR): 2 questions.
• Time, Speed, and Distance (TSD): 2 questions (1 easy, 1 lengthy).
• Modern Maths& Percentage mixed question: 1 question.
• Clocks & Calendars: 1 question.
• Geometry questions and Number system questions were present.

IIM Lucknow is expected to declare the CAT result 2023 by the second week of January at https://iimcat.ac.in. Candidates are advised to check the official website of the IIM for the latest updates.