CAT 2022 Slot 3 Analysis: IIM Bangalore concluded the CAT 2022 examinations on November 27, 2022. The examinations were conducted in three slots. Slot 3 was conducted from 4:30 to 6:30 PM. Candidates who appeared for the Slot 3 CAT 2022 exams can check the analysis of the 3rd slot provided by experts, the predicted expected cutoff, and the sectional analysis here.
Candidates can also click on the link given below to know the analysis of CAT 2022 Slot 1 and Slot 2 and the overall Analysis and review of the exam.
CAT 2022 Slot 1 Analysis - Click Here
CAT 2022 Slot 2 Analysis - Click Here
CAT 2022 Analysis - T.I.M.E
CAT 2022 paper in the evening slot was the same in structure as that in the other two slots. However, the difficulty level overall can be said to be lower than that in both the other slots.
The following was the pattern of examination in the third slot
| Section | Number of Questions | MCQs | Non-MCQs | Sectional time limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension | 24 | 21 | 3 | 40 Minutes |
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning | 20 | 14 | 6 | 40 Minutes |
| Quantitative Ability | 22 | 14 | 8 | 40 Minutes |
| Total | 66 | 48 | 17 | 120 Minutes |
Section-wise analysis
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
The VARC section of slot 3 had 24 questions, 16 from Reading Comprehension and 8 from Verbal Ability. The break-up was similar to what was observed in the last couple of years. Overall, the section was easy to moderate in terms of difficulty.
There were 4 RC passages, with four questions per passage. The questions were mostly application-based and included inferences, negative-factual (“except”), keywords that summed up the passage, sentences contradicting the author’s argument etc.
The passage on Orientalism and Interpretation of India’s past was the toughest read among the four. It was dense with concepts such as Romanticism, materialism, and metaphysics. Many students would have found this passage time-consuming. Some questions based on this passage had confusing options too.
The passage on Human-centred Automation was an easy read, and three out of the four questions were fairly straightforward. Two of the questions were based on Critical Reasoning.
The passage on Biology and Technology in Complex Systems was of a moderate difficulty level in terms of language and content. The questions were mostly easy to moderate in terms of difficulty. The keywords question in this passage had confusing options, though.
The passage on Social Disorganization and Crimes was moderate to difficult in terms of readability. The questions were of moderate difficulty.
| Passage | Number of Questions | Readability | Overall Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orientalism and Interpretation of India’s past | 4 | Difficult | Moderate-Difficult |
| Automation | 4 | Easy | Moderate-Easy |
| Biology & Technology | 4 | Moderate | Moderate |
| Social Disorganization | 4 | Moderate | Moderate |
The VA questions were of a mixed level of difficulty.
The Para Formation Questions (3 in number) were all four-sentence questions. The level of difficulty was slightly on the higher side, enabling those with a decent amount of practice to be able to crack them with not too much effort. All these three questions were non-MCQs.
There were three Para-summary questions in this slot. All of these had passages that were moderately difficult and the questions were fairly doable.
The distribution of the questions in the Verbal Ability area is as below
| Question Type | Number of Questions | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Para Formation Questions (PFQs) | 3 | Difficult |
| Sentence placement | 2 | Moderate |
| Para Summary | 3 | Moderate-Difficult |
A net score of 22-24 would be a decent score for a test-taker to be able to get 85 percentile (sectional cut-off).
Data Interpretation Logical Reasoning
The DILR section, as in the two preceding slots, had four sets with five questions each. The difficulty level of this section was similar to that of the morning and afternoon slots. Once again, the selection of sets was difficult but students who selected the right sets would have done well.
As was the case with the other slots, all the sets appeared to be difficult because understanding the context of the set required some time. Understanding the situation of the set was slightly more difficult than the solution itself. Those who were able to unearth the situations from the given description without spending a lot of time stand a good chance of scoring well.
The Mortality rate set was based on bar graphs, and it was the easiest set in the section. The questions did not pose a serious threat and solving them should have been straightforward. The one issue with the set was that the dataset was large. As a result, there was a lot of scrolling involved making it difficult to read the data. But barring the scrolling, the questions were not difficult. Students should have attempted this set.
The Disease set was a difficult Distribution set. There were multiple cases involved in it and those trying to arrive at a unique solution would have had to invest a lot of time in the set. A good approach for those who attempted this set would have been to answer one or two questions based on the partial solutions. Even then, this was difficult to solve.
The Students set was the most difficult set in the section. Students had to find out the distribution of Computer science students and non-Computer science students. There were a lot of ratios involved in the set and it would have eaten up a good chunk of a student’s time. This was a set that one would be better off not attempting or attempting after solving easier sets than this.
The Rounds and Bets set was a difficult set to solve. There were only two cases in the set – minimum and maximum but exploring the cases was time-consuming. The set required a student to make a lot of inferences from only a few data points, overall making it a difficult set.
On the whole, the DILR section was tough with only one set that could be qualified as a must-solve. The other sets were tough to understand or tedious and time-consuming to solve.
The difficulty levels of the four sets are summarized in the following table:
| LRDI | No. of Questions | Difficulty level |
|---|---|---|
| Mortality rates (Bar Graph) | 5 | Moderate |
| Diseases (Distribution) | 5 | Difficult |
| Students (Quant Based Reasoning) | 5 | Very Difficult |
| Rounds and Bets (Games and Tournaments) | 5 | Difficult |
A net score of 14-16 would be a decent score for a test-taker to be able to get 85 percentile (sectional cut-off).
Qunatitative Aptitude
The Quant section of the evening slot had a similar distribution of easy, moderate, and difficult questions. However, it was slightly easier compared to the morning and afternoon slots.
The questions were scattered across different topics and the strategy of focusing only on a few topics would have backfired. Easy or moderately difficult questions from familiar topics did not involve the direct application of standard formulae and there were not a lot of standard models asked. Some of the students would have ended up investing too much time in questions as the questions required a good amount of understanding before figuring out the approach. This may have prevented students who tried solving questions in sequential order from reaching the end of the section, thereby missing out on some easy questions.
Unlike the morning and afternoon slots, Geometry and Quadratic equations dominated with 4 questions each. AMA, too, made its presence felt with three questions. Time and Work and Time and Distance pitched in with two questions each.
The distribution of questions across topics was as below
| Topic | No. of Questions | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| AMA | 3 | Moderate |
| Functions | 1 | Difficult |
| Geometry | 4 | Moderate-Difficult |
| Indices & Logs | 1 | Difficult |
| Special Equations | 1 | Difficult |
| Quadratic Equations | 4 | Moderate-Difficult |
| Numbers | 1 | Difficult |
| Progressions | 1 | Easy |
| SI CI | 1 | Easy |
| Time & Work | 2 | Easy-Difficult |
| Time & Distance | 2 | Easy-Difficult |
| P & C | 1 | Moderate |
A net score of 15-17 would be a decent score for a test-taker to be able to get 85 percentile (sectional cut-off).
Analysis by Ramnath Kanakadandi, National CAT Course Director, T.I.M.E
CAT 2022 Slot 3 Analysis - IMS
The structure of CAT 2022 remained largely the same as in 2021. However, the DILR and Verbal
sections saw some changes in segmentation and the number of MCQs and TITA. All three slots
had the same pattern. The Verbal Section had 2 paragraph completion questions instead of the
anticipated Odd Sentence questions.
Overall, Slot 3 was slightly more difficult than the first two slots owing to more difficult QA and
LRDI Sections, though it had an easier VARC section.
The marking scheme was +3 for every correct and -1 for incorrect. There was no negative
marking for TITA Qs.
Based on the feedback received from several candidates who have appeared in the THIRD slot,
our initial estimate of the scores and percentiles*** is as follows: We shall release the revised
estimates once the response-sheet is released.
| Percentile Score |
VARC Score |
DILR Score |
QA Score |
Overall Score |
| 99.5 %ile |
48 |
33 |
36 |
98 |
| 99.5 %ile |
45 |
28 |
33 |
88 |
| 98 %ile |
39 |
25 |
29 |
77 |
| 95%ile |
33 |
20 |
23 |
63 |
| 90%ile |
28 |
16 |
17 |
50 |
| 85%ile |
24 |
13 |
14 |
42 |
| 80%ile |
21 |
10 |
11 |
37 |
*** The students are advised not to take any B-School application decision based on these
initial estimates. They serve only as the first indicator of likely performance.
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
The VA-RC section consisted of 16 Reading Comprehension questions and 8 Verbal Ability
questions. The passages were of Easy-Medium difficulty level except for the one on Impact of
Oriental Literature. Overall, the section was easier than in the first two slots. About 12
questions could be attempted with high accuracy in RC alone. The 2 Para-completion
questions, which were new, consisted of a key sentence followed by a paragraph with four
numbered blanks. One had to identify the blank in which the key sentence would correctly fit.
There were 3 paragraph jumbles in TITA format, and 3 summary questions as MCQs. In VA, 5-6
attempts with high accuracy were possible.
| Area / Questions |
No of Qs. |
Type |
LOD |
| Reading Comprehension |
16 |
MCQ |
Difficult |
| RC-1: Impact of Oriental Literature |
4 |
MCQ |
Easy |
| RC-2: Social Disorganisation and Crime |
4 |
MCQ |
Medium |
| RC-3: Log of Bios and Technos |
4 |
MCQ |
Easy |
| RC-4: Effect of active and passive software |
4 |
MCQ |
Easy |
| Verbal Ability |
8 |
MCQ&TITA |
Overall: Medium |
| Para jumbles (4 sentences) |
3 |
TITA |
2 Easy, 1 Medium |
| Para-completion |
2 |
MCQ |
1 Easy, 1 Medium |
| Summary |
3 |
MCQ |
2 Easy, 1 Medium |
An attempt of 17 or 18 questions with high accuracy (85-90%) will be a good performance in
VARC.
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
In CAT 2021 there were a total of 4 sets out of which two sets had 6 questions while the
remaining two had 4 questions each. This pattern has not been followed in CAT 2022 slot 3 also,
as the DI-LR section had a total of 4 sets of 5 questions each.
Given below is the LOD and Topics of the Sets in the DI-LR Section
| Set No. |
Area |
Set Description |
No. of Questions |
Question Type |
LOD |
| Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning |
20 |
MCQ and TITA |
Medium |
||
| 1 |
Data Interpretation |
(Bar Graph) Mortality rate |
5 |
3 MCQ, 2 TITA |
Easy |
| 2 |
Data Interpretation |
(Caselet) Computer Science-Non Computer Science students |
5 |
3 MCQ, 2 TITA |
Difficult |
| 3 |
Logical Reasoning |
(Tournaments) A tournament of 4 people over 8 rounds |
5 |
3 MCQ, 2 TITA |
Medium |
| 4 |
Logical Reasoning |
(Arrangement) Number of cases over 5 days |
5 |
5 MCQ |
Easy |
Overall, an attempt of 9 to 11 questions with high accuracy (85-90%) will be a good
performance.
Quantitative Ability
This section was Medium in terms of Level of difficulty and was dominated by Arithmetic (8
questions), followed by Algebra (5 questions). Apart from this, there were 4 questions on
Geometry, 2 questions on Numbers and 3 questions on Modern Maths. In Arithmetic, the
questions were on Averages, Mixtures and Alligations, Time-Speed-Distance and Time & Work.
Modern Math consists of Functions, Progression and P&C. In Geometry, there were questions
on Triangles and Quadrilaterals. In Algebra, there were questions on Quadratic equations and
linear equations etc.
Selecting the right questions to attempt was the key. Students should have been able to
attempt about 13 questions in the given time with 85-90% accuracy.
This section was very much similar as CAT 2022 slot 1 and slot 2 in structure with 8 TITA and 14
MCQ questions.
| Area/Q Type |
No of Questions |
| Quantitative Ability |
14 MCQs, 8 TITA Overall LOD: MEDIUM |
| Arithmetic |
8 |
| Algebra |
5 |
| Geometry |
4 |
| Modern Math |
3 |
| Numbers |
2 |
*** The scores and percentiles mentioned in this analysis are indicators based on the
feedback from students and IMS experts. They are in no way related to the results which IIMs
are expected to declare in January 2023. You are advised to wait for the results.
CAT 2022 Slot 3 Analysis - CATKing
The majority of applicants stated that the paper pattern had a similar Number of questions like cat2021, the few surprises or highlights of this slot are as follows
Big Surprises in CAT 2022
1) DILR was the toughest as compared to all other sets
2) Quants were a complex thing! Some found easy to moderate some found difficult — it’s more or less based on your preparation too
3) VARC was moderate and good for all who’ve been well-read! Critical reasoning-based RC questions were a trick area to maximize scores
Section-wise question distribution is:
- CAT 2022 VARC: Total 24 questions
- CAT 2022 DILR: Total 20 questions
- CAT 2022 QA: Total 22 questions
The marking criteria remained the same: +3 for correct answers and -1 for answers in MCQs and +3 for the correct answers and there is no negative marking in non-MCQs
⮚ The Third slot of CAT 2022 was a little more challenging
⮚ VARC had a easy to moderate level comparable to the VARC part from the previous year.
⮚ DILR went to the level and was moderate to challenging In terms of difficulty In terms of LOD 2-3
⮚ QA was moderate or difficult.
| Section Name |
Total Questions |
Time Limit |
Marking Scheme for MCQ Questions |
Marking Scheme for Non- MCQ Questions |
| Section 1: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension |
This section contains 24 questions. |
40 Minutes |
+3 for the correct answer and -1 incorrect answer |
+3 for the correct answer and there is no negative marking for the incorrect answer |
| Section 2 : Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning |
This section contains 20 questions. |
40 Minutes |
+3 for the correct answer and -1 incorrect answer |
+3 for the correct answer and there is no negative marking for the incorrect |
| Section 3 : Quantitative Ability |
This section contains 22 questions |
40 Minutes |
+3 for the correct answer and -1 incorrect answer |
+3 for the correct answer and there is no negative marking for the incorrect answer. |
| Total |
This section contains 66 questions |
120 Minutes |
+3 for the correct answer and -1 incorrect answer |
+3 for the correct answer and there is no negative marking for the incorrect answer. |
Initial Response from Candidates
As per reports, candidates who appeared for the Slot 3 CAT exams have stated that the paper was relatively tough as compared to last year while others have said that the paper was moderately difficult with questions in Reading Comprehension easier and DILR and VARC questions a bit tough.
Also Read: CAT 2022 Slot 2 Analysis
CAT 2022 Slot 2 Analysis
According to students who appeared for the CAT 2022 exam in slot 2 it was overall moderately difficult. The DILR and QA sections were a bit more difficult than Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC). Students stated that the diversity of questions was also not as expected and questions were asked on unexpected topics. Some of the students also stated that the CAT slot 2 exam was slightly tough, and most of the questions were asked from number systems.
Also Read: CAT 2022 Exam Analysis
CAT 2022 Slot 1 Analysis
The CAT 2022 Slot 1 exam was conducted from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM. According to the analysis provided by experts on CAT 2022 slot 1, the exam maintained the format of 2021 which had a shorter time limit.
Each section had a total of 66 questions as compared to CAT 2020 exam which has 76 questions. Students have termed the difficulty level of CAT 2022 Slot 1 and Moderate. A few key points in the CAT 2022 Slot 1 exams are
1) Para Completion is coming back again in CAT which was similar to the XAT exam and it had stopped coming in CAT for a really long time
2) DILR we had 4 sets of 5 questions
3) Modulus-based questions of Algebra were there in Quants
Also Read: CAT 2022 Slot 1 Analysis
