CAT Previous Papers With Solution Videos [2022-1990]
IIMs conduct the CAT exam every year on the last Sunday of November. The score is accepted by 20 IIMs as well other elite institutes like FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR etc. Going through the previous year CAT question papers will immensely help aspirants to understand the nuances and the exam pattern. Check out the CAT syllabus and also try to solve as many papers as possible. CAT 2022 question paper, CAT 2021 question paper, and CAT 2020 question paper are available in both PDF and test format. You can also order CAT previous papers book here (physical copy). No Signup or Email Required.
Previous CAT Papers
CAT Topic-wise Previous Questions
Go through the topic-wise questions from all available past CAT papers conducted by IIMs. All these questions are included with detailed solutions and can be attempted in CAT year-wise questions format.
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
The most important topic in CAT VARC section is Reading Comprehension, followed by Parajumbles, Odd one Out and Para summary. Direct questions based on grammar and vocabulary didn't appear in CAT from many years.
CAT Vocabulary CAT Reading Comprehension (RC) CAT Para Jumbles CAT Para Completion and Summary Questions CAT Grammar & Sentence Correction CAT Critical Reasoning
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
CAT exam has moved from traditional calculative intensive DI sets to the more logical ones. Many candidates do feel DILR as the toughest section in their previous CAT attempts. Key in DILR section is solving as many sets as possible.
Data Interpretation
CAT DI Basics CAT DI Charts CAT Data Interpretation CAT DI Data Change Over Period CAT Tables With Missing Values CAT DI Venn Diagrams CAT DI Special Charts CAT DI Maxima & Minima CAT Quant-Based DI CAT DI Connected Sets CAT DI Miscellaneous
Logical Reasoning
As only 40 mins are available for the entire DILR section, the DILR section can make or break section based on the sets chosen.
CAT LR Arrangement CAT LR Selections With Conditions CAT LR Coins & Weights CAT LR Truth & Lie CAT LR Puzzles CAT LR Scheduling CAT LR Games & Tournaments CAT 2D & 3-D LR CAT Quant-Based LR CAT LR Miscellaneous
Quantitative Ability (QA)
Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry and Modern are the most important topics in CAT based on the latest CAT papers.
CAT Linear Equations CAT Inequalities CAT Quadratic Equations CAT Averages, Ratios & Proportions CAT Profit & Loss CAT Numb er Systems CAT Time, Distance & Work CAT Geometry CAT Progressions & Series CAT Probability Combinatorics CAT Venn Diagrams CAT Data Sufficiency CAT Logarithms, Surds & Indices CAT Functions, Graphs & Statistics CAT Miscellaneous
Score Vs Percentile for CAT 2022 Question Papers
Planning to score 99 percentile in CAT? Check out last year's score vs percentile. CAT 2022 was conducted for a total of 198 marks.
| CAT 2022 Overall Percentile | CAT 2022 Overall Scaled Score |
|---|---|
| 100 (Maruti Sir, Co-founder of Cracku) | 145.83 Marks |
| 99.99 | 139 Marks |
| 99 | 83 Marks |
| 95 | 59.76 Marks |
| 90 | 48.4 Marks |
Percentile | CAT 2022 VARC Scaled Scores (Max. marks = 72) | CAT 2022 DILR Scaled Scores (Max. marks = 60) | CAT 2022 Quant Scaled Scores (Max. marks = 66) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 Percentile | 57 | 48 | 57 |
| 99 Percentile | 39 | 29 | 33 |
| 95 Percentile | 29 | 19 | 22.6 |
| 90 Percentile | 24 | 15 | 17.2 |
100 Percentile in CAT 2022 question paper
11 candidates scored 100 percentile in CAT 2022 exam. Maruti sir is one of them, with a perfect score of 66/66 in the quant section and 145 marks overall.
100 Percentile in CAT 2021 question paper
9 candidates scored 100 percentile in CAT 2021 exam. Maruti sir is one of them, with an impeccable 99.99%ile in both Quant and VARC sections and 161 marks (after scaling) overall.
Listed below are the RCs that appeared in CAT 2022 papers in various slots along with the sources and the answers.
CAT 2022 Question Paper Slot-1 RC Sources
| Title | Source | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RC 1 | Stoicism | Viquepedia | Philosophy |
| RC 2 | Copy concepts of Chinese | Aeon Essays | Informative |
| RC 3 | Stories concering the Undead | atmostfear-entertainment | History/Informative |
| RC 4 | Technology and Democracy | O'reilly Articles | Techonology |
CAT 2022 Question Paper Slot-2 RC Sources
| Title | Source | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RC 1 | scroll.in | Scientific RC | |
| RC 2 | Technical-Social Dualism | Scientific American | Techonology/Informative |
| RC 3 | Philosophy Of Social Sciences | From the sage handbook | Philosophical RC |
| RC 4 | Music Making | Book (A Million Years of Music: The Emergence of Human Modernity) | Society/Culture |
CAT 2022 Question Paper Slot-3 RC Sources
| Title | Source | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RC 1 | Interpretations of Indian past | Romila Thapar book | History/Informative |
| RC 2 | Sociology of Crime | iresearchnet.com | Society/Culture |
| RC 3 | Nature | Nextnature | Scientific/Informative |
| RC 4 | Automation impact on Humans | Wall street journal | Automation/Techonology |
Why Cracku For CAT Previous Papers?
Features | Cracku | Others |
|---|---|---|
| No-signup Required | ✔️ | - |
Video+Written Solutions | ✔️ | - |
| Option To Attempt As Mock Test | ✔️ | - |
Detailed Analysis | ✔️ | - |
Available in the PDF format | ✔️ | - |
Steps to download CAT previous year papers
- Visit the "Cracku CAT papers" page
- Scroll down to find the year for which papers you are looking for
- Select the slot and click on the "PDF" button
- Open the downloaded PDF and try to solve the questions
- If you are not able to understand text solutions, click on the "Video Solution" button below the question
Start your CAT 2023 preparation here with Cracku's crash course.
CAT 2022 Question Paper Analysis
The section-wise difficulty level of all the 3 CAT slots is given below
| Section | CAT 2022 Slot-1 Paper | CAT 2022 Slot-2 Paper | CAT 2022 Slot-3 Paper |
|---|---|---|---|
| VARC | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| DILR | Medium-Hard. One-Two Doable Sets | Medium. Two Doable Sets | Bit Tricky. One Doable Set |
| Quant | Medium | Medium | Medium-Difficult compared to other slots |
Previous CAT Papers Topic-wise Weightage
CAT 2022 VARC Paper
The number of VARC questions asked per topic in CAT 2022 slot-1, slot-2 & slot-3 papers.
| Topic | Slot-1 | Slot-2 | Slot-3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension (RC) | 16 (4 sets with 4 questions each) | 16 (4 sets with 4 questions each) | 16 (4 sets with 4 questions each) |
| Para Jumbles (PJ) | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Para Completion | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Para Summary | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Odd One Out | 0 | 0 | 0 |
CAT 2022 DILR Paper
The number of data interpretation & logical reasoning questions asked per topic in CAT 2022 slot-1, slot-2 & slot-3 papers are given below.
| Topic | Slot-1 | Slot-2 | Slot-3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Set-1 | Games and Tournaments | Quant based DI | Special Charts |
| Set-2 | Venn Diagram/Quant based DI | Routes and Networks | Table with missing values |
| Set-3 | Quant based LR | Special Charts | Quant based DI |
| Set-4 | Puzzles | Venn Diagram/Quant based DI | Table with missing values/Games and Tournaments |
CAT 2022 Quant Paper
The number of quantitative aptitude questions asked per topic in CAT 2022 slot-1, slot-2 & slot-3 papers.
| Key Topics | Sub-topics | Slot-1 | Slot-2 | Slot-3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic | Averages, Ratio and Proportion | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Profit, Loss and Interest | 3 | 1 | 1 | |
| Time, Distance, Speed and Work | 1 | 2 | 5 | |
| Geometry | Geometry/Mensuration | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Algebra | Quadrilaterals, Polynomial Equations | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Progressions and Series | 1 | 3 | 1 | |
| Linear Equations and Inequalities | 2 | 2 | 3 | |
| Modern Math | Logarithms, Surds and Indices | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Functions and Graphs | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| Probability and Combinatorics (Permutations & Combinations) | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Number Systems | Number Systems | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Venn Diagrams | Venn Diagrams | 1 | 0 | 0 |
CAT 2023 Exam Pattern
CAT exam test duration is 2 hours.
Each correct answer is awarded three marks, and each wrong answer carries a penalty of -1 mark. Some questions are Type-in-the-answer (TITA - Fill in the blank) questions. The marking scheme for TITA questions is +3 marks for the correct answer and no negative marks for the wrong answer.
Sections will appear in the following order VARC, then DILR and Quant (switching between sections is not possible). Candidates should perform well in all the three sections as most institutes have sectional cut-offs along overall cut-offs.
The below table shows the CAT 2023 exam pattern (expected):
| SECTION | DURATION | NUMBER OF QUESTIONS |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 40 minutes | 24 |
| Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 40 minutes | 20 |
| Quantitative Ability (QA) | 40 minutes | 22 |
| Total | 120 minutes | 66 |
Major changes In CAT Previous Papers
| No major changes in the exam pattern | 2022 |
| Further reduction in the number of questions to 66 from 76 | 2021 |
| No. of exam slots changed to three from two. The total number of questions was decreased to 76 (from 100). | 2020 |
| An on-screen calculator is introduced | 2015 |
Sectional-time limit introduced. QA&DI, LR &VA were the two sections. | 2011 |
| The CAT exam went online | 2009 |
Year-wise CAT papers - IIM Conducted
| CAT Paper | Conducted By |
| CAT 2023 Question Paper | IIM Lucknow (expected) |
| CAT 2022 Question Paper | IIM Bangalore |
| CAT 2021 Question Paper | IIM Ahmedabad |
| CAT 2020 Question Paper | IIM Indore |
| CAT 2019 Question Paper | IIM Kozhikode |
| CAT 2018 Question Paper | IIM Calcutta |
| CAT 2017 Question Paper | IIM Lucknow |
| CAT 2016 Question Paper | IIM Bangalore |
| CAT 2015 Question Paper | IIM Ahmedabad |
| CAT 2014 Question Paper | IIM Indore |
How To Utilize CAT Previous Papers
These are a great reference to understand the kind of questions that can appear in the exam. CAT don't have defined syllabus, so going through the old quesion papers can give the candidates the topics tests and the difficulity level.
- Take them as topic wise tests
- Attempt them as sectional tests
- Take full-length previous year mocks
- Watch video solutions for difficult questions
- Analyse mistakes and improve Concept & Practice Gaps
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it enough to solve previous CAT papers?
Solving previous CAT papers is very important for understanding the format of the exam and the type of questions asked. However, you should also know the concepts behind those questions and take mock tests to practice and develop a test-taking strategy. CAT is known to throw surprises every year, and taking mocks will help you tackle any surprises in the final exam.
How to download CAT previous year question papers?
You can easily download CAT previous papers in PDF format in just one click. Click on the PDF button beside the CAT paper and open the file in Chrome or a PDF reader.
Do questions repeat in the CAT?
No, the same questions do not repeat in the CAT, but the concepts tested can be similar to previous asked questions for a section like quant. Also, though the exam is held in multiple slots, the questions are different across the slots.
Does CAT release previous year papers?
Yes, the IIMs/CAT convenor releases CAT papers for each slot every year. Our experts have added video and text solutions and provided them here for you to download the 2017-2022 CAT papers PDF.
Where can I get CAT previous year's papers?
Cracku's website contains all the past papers from 1990 to 2022 with detailed video and text solutions. You can download them in PDF format. Please note that CAT Question Papers 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 were never released by the IIMs. So, the ones available in other websites are just pattern-based.
How many papers does CAT have?
The CAT exam has only one paper, but the exam is conducted in multiple slots (so each slot has a separate CAT question paper). Each candidate will be allotted one slot. CAT 2022, 2021, and 2020 were held in 3 slots. Before 2020, the exam was in 2 slots. The scores obtained will be scaled across the slots.
Can I take CAT Previous Papers as an actual test?
Yes, Cracku provides the option of taking the past papers in actual test format either as a full-length mock or individual sectional test. Click on the "Take test" option and start your test.
Is CAT easy to crack / Is CAT very difficult?
The difficulty level of CAT varies for each student. Cracking CAT is not a very tough job if you are well-versed in the basics of the topics tested (VARC, LRDI, and Quants). Starting your preparation early, having a proper study plan, and the right material makes CAT preparation feasible. Download the PDF of the detailed topic-wise CAT study plan here to start your preparation today.
Can a dull/average student crack CAT?
We have seen many students with average and even below average academics excelling in CAT with our courses. You can find the interview of the student who had 10 backlogs in graduation but was still able to score 99.51% in CAT through Cracku courses. You can crack CAT with dedication, the right approach, and Cracku's study material.
