CAT 2021 Question Paper with Answer Key PDFs along with solutions are available for all 3 slots. The total number of questions were reduced to 66 from 76. Hence, VARC had 24 questions, DILR had 20 questions, and QA had 22 questions. 50% of the questions were from Arithmetic. In CAT VARC, 16 questions were based on RCs.
| CAT Year Wise Question Paper Download | |
|---|---|
| CAT 2024 Question Paper | CAT 2023 Question Paper |
| CAT 2022 Question Paper | CAT 2020 Question Paper |
CAT 2021 Question Paper with Solutions PDF (Available)
CAT 2021 exam was conducted on 27 October 2021 and the CAT question paper is available here in PDF format with Solutions PDF. The exam was conducted in three sessions across around 155 test cities.
CAT 2021 Question Paper PDF (Quantitative Aptitude)
| CAT Exam Slot | Question Paper PDF | Solution PDF |
|---|---|---|
| CAT Question Paper 2021 (QA Slot 1) | Download PDF | Check Solutions |
| CAT Question Paper 2021 (QA Slot 2) | Download PDF | Check Solutions |
| CAT Question Paper 2021 (QA Slot 3) | Download PDF | Check Solutions |
CAT 2021 Question Paper PDF (VARC)
| CAT Exam Slot | Question Paper PDF | Solution PDF |
|---|---|---|
| CAT Question Paper 2021 (VARC Slot 1) | Download PDF | Check Solutions |
| CAT Question Paper 2021 (VARC Slot 2) | Download PDF | Check Solutions |
| CAT Question Paper 2021 (VARC Slot 3) | Download PDF | Check Solutions |
CAT 2021 Question Paper PDF (DILR)
| CAT Exam Slot | Question Paper PDF | Solution PDF |
|---|---|---|
| CAT Question Paper 2021 (DILR Slot 1) | Download PDF | Check Solutions |
| CAT Question Paper 2021 (DILR Slot 2) | Download PDF | Check Solutions |
| CAT Question Paper 2021 (DILR Slot 3) | Download PDF | Check Solutions |
CAT Exam Pattern
CAT is a 2-hour computer-based exam with a total of 204 marks from 68 questions distributed among three sections: VARC, DILR, and QA, each section with a time limit of 40 minutes. The CAT exam has both MCQs and TITA questions, with a marking system of +3 for correct responses, −1 for incorrect MCQs, and no negative marking for TITA.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Name | Common Admission Test (CAT) |
| Mode | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Total Duration | 120 minutes (2 hours) |
| Number of Sections | 3 |
| Sectional Time Limit | 40 minutes per section (auto switch) |
| Total Questions | 68 |
| Question Types | MCQs & TITA (Type In The Answer) |
| Marking Scheme | +3 for correct, -1 for incorrect MCQ, 0 for TITA |
| Language of Exam | English |
| Total Marks | 204 |
CAT 2021 Paper Analysis
VARC: The VARC pattern changed to four RC passages with four questions each, instead of the earlier 5-5-4-4 format. Difficulty was moderate to tough, with Slot 1 the hardest. VA included para jumbles, summaries, and odd-one-out, similar to previous years. RCs on dystopia and ancient Maya were challenging, while topics like tea history and self-control were easier.
DILR: The number of sets reduced from five to four. Each slot had a mix of DI and LR, and some sets were very time-consuming. The overall structure was similar across slots, but difficulty was different. Avoiding tricky sets was important for a good attempt.
QA: This section was dominated by arithmetic (10–11 questions per slot), followed by algebra, geometry, and number systems. The questions were conceptually easy but many of them required lengthy calculations. Slot 3 was the toughest, and speed with accuracy were required to score well.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.
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