CAT 2021 Slot-1 Analysis
The CAT 2021 Slot-1 exam was conducted in the forenoon session i.e. 8.30 – 10.30 A.M on November 29, 2021. In an official notification posted in September, the organising institute hinted at a change in pattern: this was indeed the case since the number of questions was reduced to 66 from 76 (last year). Amid mixed responses from the candidates, our faculty tried to analyse the available information to summarise the section-wise elements of Slot 1:
Overall Level of difficulty:
| Section | Difficulty level | No. of Questions |
| VARC | Moderate-Difficult | 24 |
| DILR | Moderate-Difficult | 20 |
| Quant | Easy-Moderate | 22 |
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VARC Analysis:
#number of questions:Â 24
VARC topic-wise weightage:
| Topic | No. of Questions |
| Reading Comprehension | 4 RCs with 4 questions each |
| Para Jumbles | 3 |
| Out of context | 2 |
| Para Summary | 3 |
#number of MCQ’s: 19 {3 Para Summary and 16 RC Questions were given in the MCQ (Multiple choice question) format.}
#number of TITA questions: 5 {2 Out of context questions, 3 Para Jumbles}
| Topics | No. of questions | Difficulty | |
| RC 1 | Utopia – Dystopia | 4 | Difficult |
| RC 2 | Ancient Maya and personhood {source: Aeon} | 4 | Moderate-Difficult |
| RC 3 | History of Tea (cultural context) | 4 | Moderate |
| RC 4 | Self-control in cuttlefish {source: LiveScience} | 4 | Easy |
| Total | 16 |
- Deciding the right passage {to attempt} was challenging as three of them were on the moderate-difficult spectrum. For an average reader, this could have affected the attempt rate and accuracy. The options were a bit tricky and time-consuming to eliminate as well.
- The VA section was on the moderate spectrum. At least 5 out of the 8 questions were worth attempting.
Estimated score for 99+ percentile: 36-42
| Estimated percentiles | Raw Score |
| 99 | 36-42 |
| 95 | 30-33 |
| 90 | 24-27 |
| 85 | 21-22 |
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DILR Analysis:
#number of questions: 20 {MCQs: 15 and TITA questions: 5}
There were a total of 4 sets (2 sets of 6 questions each and 2 sets of 4 questions each).
| Topics | No. of questions | Difficulty | |
| Set 1 | LR – Grouping/Arrangement: Professors and research papers | 6 | Moderate/Difficult |
| Set 2 | LR – Arrangement/Puzzle: Friends, acquaintances and strangers | 6 | Moderate/Difficult |
| Set 3 | DI – Smoothies stalls and sales | 4 | Moderate/Difficult |
| Set 4 | DI – Horizontal bar graph on revenue | 4 | Easy |
| Total | 20 |
Just as in the case of the VARC section, choosing the right set to solve was imperative here. Getting stuck on the wrong set could turn out to be costly {no opportunity for a comeback given the available time}. The 4-question Data interpretation set (horizontal bar graph) was a must-do. The other 4-question set was data-intensive and quite challenging. One of the two 6-question sets could have been attempted to boost scores.
Estimated score for 99+ percentile: 24-30
| Estimated Percentile | Raw Score |
| 99 | 25-30 |
| 95 | 19-21 |
| 90 | 15-17 |
| 85 | 12-14 |
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Quantitative Aptitude:
#number of questions: 22 {MCQs: 14Â and TITA questions: 8}
| Topics | No. of Questions | Difficulty |
| Arithmetic | 10 | Easy/Moderate |
| Algebra | 5 | Easy/Moderate |
| Geometry | 3 | Moderate |
| Modern Math+ Number systems | 4 | Moderate |
| Total | 22 |
- Had a few sitters: needed to attempt them first; some questions were tricky but manageable.
The overall response indicated that the section was relatively easy. {perhaps the excess emphasis on arithmetic and algebra can enable us to put the section in the easy-moderate spectrum}
Estimated score for 99+ percentile: 42-45
| Estimated percentile | Raw Score |
| 99 | 43-44 |
| 95 | 36-38 |
| 90 | 32-34 |
| 85 | 25-29 |
