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The CAT 2024 exam slot 3 has been concluded on November 24, 2024. As per the CAT 2024 slot 3 analysis, the overall level of the exam can be classified as moderate to difficult. The CAT 2024 Slot 3 test is an integral component of the Common Admission Test (CAT), held for entry into leading B-schools, such as the IIMs. Being the last slot for the examination day, Slot 3 gives one of the most important glimpses into the general level of difficulty, question patterns, and sectional trends of Quantitative Ability (QA), Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation (LRDI), and Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC). In this article, we break down the CAT 2024 Slot 3 exam, including the difficulty level, expected cutoff, student response, and expert feedback. Candidates who took this slot can refer to this analysis to assess their performance, while candidates taking CAT in the future can derive useful insights for preparation.
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A total of 68 questions were asked in the slot 3 CAT 2024 exam, with 24 questions from VARC, 22 questions from Quant, and 22 questions from DILR. The CAT 2024 slot 3 question paper included a mix of question types, and candidates can refer to the CAT 2024 slot 3 memory-based paper for a better understanding of the pattern. For those looking for additional practice, the CAT 2024 slot 3 memory-based questions are also available.
VARC was easy to moderate. Summary questions were hard, while the passages were easy but a bit lengthy. The quant section was the toughest of all. TITA questions were more in number. Questions from topics such as remainder theorem, chord, Time, Speed, and Distance, Profit & loss, and Average were asked in the exam. The overall difficulty level, as per the CAT 2024 slot 3 analysis, reflects the challenges faced by candidates across different sections, with particular emphasis on the quantitative aptitude section.
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The DILR section was moderate to difficult. 3 DI sets were asked, with 1 set of 5 questions and 2 sets of 3 questions each. There was a question based on the intersection of 3 horizontal lines and 3 vertical lines, where each intersection repeats an ATM. There are only 6 ATMs, and 3 are blank. Another DI was based on bar graphs, from which 4 questions were asked. Additionally, there was a DI based on the GDP of 8 countries, with 2 more countries and their values provided. The students needed to make a comparison among them. One question on the Line graph, indicating the temperature, was also asked. Overall, CAT 2024 slot 3 was the toughest slot of all, according to the feedback and the CAT 2024 slot 3 analysis.
After the release of all CAT slot analysis, CAT exam takers can predict the CAT cut off marks required for the MBA admission 2024-27. Check out the detailed section-wise CAT slot 3 analysis 2024, number of good attempts in CAT exam, etc here.
IIM Calcutta has official released the CAT 2024 answer key and response sheet for slot 1, 2, and 3 on its official website. To get the complete answer key click on Download CAT 2024 Slot 3 Answer key

The CAT 2024 slot 3 question paper consisted of 68 questions in total. The CAT 2024 slot 3 analysis suggests that the pattern for all slots remains the same. The VARC, DILR, and QA sections consisted of 24, 22, and 22 questions, respectively. The CAT 2024 slot 3 highlights include a time duration of 2 hours for the exam, with 40 minutes allotted per section.
Percentile | Slot 3 | |||
VARC | DILR | QA | Overall | |
99 | 42-43 | 28-29 | 30-32 | 93 |
95 | 34-35 | 23-24 | 24-25 | 68 |
90 | 27-28 | 19-20 | 17-18 | 58-60 |
85 | 24-25 | 16-17 | 14-15 | 46-48 |
80 | 22-23 | 13-14 | 12-13 | 42-44 |
70 | 18-19 | 12-13 | 11-12 | 37-38 |
Titles of the Questions | Number of Questions | Difficulty level |
RC 1 - The Story of the Success of liquor brand Moutai | 4 | Easy |
RC 2 - Space Contamination | 4 | Medium to Difficult |
RC 3 - RC on Endangered Languages | 4 | Medium |
RC 4 - The need for A regulations | 4 | Medium |
Sections | Number of Questions | Type | Difficulty Level |
Verbal Ability | 8 | MCQ & TITA | Medium |
Paragraph Completion | 3 | MCQ | Medium - Difficult |
Summary | 3 | MCQ | Medium - Difficult |
Odd Sentence | 2 | TITA | Medium - Difficult |
Title | Number of Questions | Type of Questions | Difficulty Level |
App subscription | 4 | 4 MCQs | Easy |
Room temperature based on line graph | 5 | 2 MCQs, 3 TITA | Easy-Moderate |
ATMs based question on Network of roads and | 5 | 3 MCQ, 2 TITA | Medium to Difficult |
Proteins-Carbohydrates in food items | 4 | 4 TITA | Easy-Moderate |
The GDP of 10 countries | 4 | 3 MCQs, 1 TITA | Moderate |
Area | Number of Questions |
Arithmetic | 8 |
Algebra | 7 |
Geometry | 3 |
Modern Maths | 3 |
Numbers | 1 |
Before going for CAT slot 3 analysis, you need to know about CAT paper pattern and marking scheme.
CAT 2024 Exam Components | CAT 2024 Pattern |
Test duration | 2 hrs (120 Minutes) |
Test sessions/ Slots | 3 (Morning, Afternoon and Evening) |
CAT Slot 3 timing | 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM |
Total Questions | 68 |
Number of Sections in CAT question paper | 3 (VARC; DILR; QA) |
Time allotted for each section in the CAT exam | 40 Minutes |
As per the released official notification of the CAT exam, there is no change in the CAT exam marking scheme, check out the same given below.
For each wrong MCQ answer, a -1 mark is deducted from the candidate’s overall score
For each correct MCQ or TITA answer, +3 marks are awarded to the candidates
There is no negative marking for TITA Questions
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CAT cutoffs 2024 for admission to the IIMs range between 95-100 percentile for all categories. Candidates belonging to the General category need to secure at least 98-100 CAT percentile to get a call from top IIMs. For the upcoming batch CAT cutoffs are expected to be in the same range. The IIMs are other top MBA colleges such as MDI, FMS, IMT, SPJIMR, MICA etc. also release the qualifying CAT cut offs for WAT and PI shortlisting much before the announcement of the CAT result.
According to last year's CAT aspirants, the VARC section was easy to moderate, the DILR was moderate to difficult, and the QA was slightly more difficult than slot 1 and 2.
Verbal Ability Reading Comprehension: The CAT VARC section in slot 3 has 16 RC passages with 400-450 words. In it 3- Doable, 1- Difficult. It has Odd Sentence, Para Jumble, and Summary in a total of 8.
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning: The DILR section has 20 questions with 8-10 Questions Doable. It has topics from Route Based Diagram, Online Sites, Girls / Boys (LR Caselet) Tests, Caselet- Window/ Split AC.
Quantitative Aptitude: The QA section has 22 questions with a level of difficulty. This section in CAT slot 3 has topics in Factors, Indices, Integral Values, Log, Equations, Functions, Sequence and Series, Algebraic Expression, Circle, Polygon, Triangle, and Arithmetic.
CAT 2023 Slot 3 Analysis
Section Name in CAT Exam Slot 3 | Number of questions in CAT Slot 3 | CAT Slot 3 Difficulty Level |
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension | 24 | Moderate |
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning | 20 | Difficult |
Quantitative Ability | 22 | Moderate to Difficult |
Total | 66 | Moderate to Difficult |
Check out the detailed CAT 2023 slot 3 analysis here
According to the CAT 2022 slot 3 analysis, the paper has a total of 66 questions, and the average attempt made by the candidates was 35 to 40. Ankush Surin, a CAT aspirant said that the paper was relatively tough in comparison to last year. "The CAT paper appeared tough to me. I can hardly attempt 35 to 40 questions, as the questions in DILR were tough and time-consuming," he said.
Another candidate Ritushree Roy reviewed the paper as moderately difficult, with questions in the reading comprehension section found to be easy, while the DILR, and VARC sections were a bit difficult. "I could hardly attempt 25 to 30 questions and was not satisfied with the exam. I will appear for the CAT next year."
Sections - As per CAT 2022 slot 3 analysis, there were three sections namely Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DI & LR), and Quantitative Ability (QA).
Sectional Duration - In slot 3 of CAT 2022, candidates got 40 minutes per section. No candidate was allowed to switch between sections. Once the 40 minutes are over, the next section appears on the screen automatically.
When going to know about CAT exam time duration, Slot 3 was conducted on November 27 from 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm. The overall difficulty level for VARC, DILR, and QA is available in detail in the CAT 2022 analysis by students on this page. The section-wise difficulty level and expected cutoff also form part of the CAT paper analysis.
In the CAT 2024 slot 3 analysis, the DILR section was of easy to moderate difficulty, with only 2 sets being of moderate difficulty. The VARC section was simpler compared to the other two slots, with 2 extensive passages and para jumbles, but no antonyms or synonyms questions. The CAT slot 3 difficulty level in the QA section was mild, a contrast to the CAT 2022 slot 3 where the quant questions were trickier and required more time to solve, often leading to candidates losing valuable time on other QA questions. This was reflected in the overall CAT paper review slot 3, where the balance of difficulty across sections stood out. The section-wise analysis CAT slot 3 provides insights into these trends.
CAT 2022 Slot 3 Section Wise Analysis
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension: The CAT 2021 slot 3 VARC section was comparable in difficulty level in all three slots and had the same segmentation. The bulk of the questions were of medium difficulty, and even difficult for quite a few questions. There were very few simple questions. There were 4 passages in Comprehension: 2 passages with 4 Qs each and 2 passages with 5 Qs each. Most of the questions were argumentative and application-based. Questions from the CAT 2021 slot 3 VA also did not offer much respite. To arrive at the response, they also required careful deliberation. The only consolation was that the forms of Summary, Odd Sentence, and Paragraph Jumble questions were answered by common questions.
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning: As per the CAT DILR analysis, the most challenging part was this section. There were a total of 5 sets, each with 2 sets of 6 questions and 3 sets of 4 questions.
Once again the set range was an essential factor and would have determined the number of questions students could try. There were two sets that were simple and fast to do. One was really rough. DI was the hardest section overall and the 6 question sets were tricky again.
DILR Analysis Table:
Area | Set Description | Number of Questions | Level of Difficulty | Question Type |
Data Interpretation | Four facilities in a school | 4 | Easy to Medium | 2 TITA + 2 MCQ |
Organization delivering groceries | 4 | Medium to Difficult | 4 MCQ | |
Logical Reasoning | Game of six rounds | 6 | Medium to Difficult | 4 TITA + 2 MCQ |
Farmer and four daughters | 6 | Medium to Difficult | 6 MCQ | |
Patients undergoing blood test | 4 | Easy to Medium | 4 MCQ |
Quantitative Ability: The QA segment of Slot 3 of CAT 2021 was also dominated by Arithmetic, like Slots 1 and 2 (10 questions). The focus was, however, significantly lower on Algebra than in the first two slots. For Algebra, there were 4 questions. There were also 5 questions about modern mathematics, 4 questions about geometry, and 3 questions about numbers. Slot 3 also had a range of questions about time, like the first two slots, Velocity-Distance.
This year there were 8 TITA Qs. Overall, this segment was at a medium difficulty level. The trick was choosing the right questions to try. Good students in the given period should have been able to try around 16 to 18 questions.
QA Analysis Table:
Area/Q Type | No of Questions | LOD |
Numbers | 3 | Medium |
Arithmetic | 10 | Easy to medium |
Algebra | 4 | Medium to difficult |
Geometry | 4 | Medium |
Modern Maths | 5 | Medium |
Based on the feedback received from IMS students, we estimate the CAT scores vs percentiles for Slot 3 as follows:
Percentile | Score VARC | Score DILR | Score QA | Overall Score |
99.5 | 42 | 30 | 30 | 86 |
99 | 36 | 25 | 25 | 74 |
95 | 30 | 20 | 22 | 52 |
90 | 24 | 14 | 13 | 42 |
80 | 20 | 11 | 9 | 35 |
70 | 18 | 9 | 7 | 30 |
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If a candidate finds the above analysis of the CAT 2024 slot 3 examinations, they are advised to download the elaborated ebook designed by Careers360 that includes a variety of questions asked in the CAT 2024 slot 3 examination. This will help the candidates understand the exam trends and the varying exam difficulty among the various slots within the CAT 2024 examinations.
TITLE | DOWNLOAD LINK |
CAT 2024 Slot-3 Paper Analysis |
The limited memory-based questions available in the article may not be adequate for the candidates. Hence, Careers360 has compiled an ebook for that contains the questions of the CAT 2024 slot 3 questions. This resource will be very helpful for the candidates.
TITLE | DOWNLOAD LINK |
CAT 2024 Slot 3 Question Paper |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The CAT 2025 slot 3 will be held from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Similarly, there are 3 slots for each day.
As per the analysis of CAT 2024, Slot 3, the difficulty level was moderate to difficult.
The CAT 2025 exam is to be conducted in three slots on the same day i.e. November 30, 2025.
Coaching is optional, but it facilitates organized learning and receiving expert advice. Most candidates crack CAT without coaching through self-study with online materials, books, and mock tests. But those facing concept or discipline issues can gain from coaching classes.
Read editorials, opinion articles, and articles of The Hindu, The Economist, and Aeon Essays to increase understanding. Practice RC passages every day, concentrate on the author's tone and main idea, and enhance speed through timed practice tests.
To achieve 99+ percentile, the candidates need to excel in all three sections, improve time management skills, and attempt 30–40 full-length mocks with a thorough analysis. Consistency, revising weak points, and implementing an exam-day strategy for each section are the essentials to achieve a high percentile.
On Question asked by student community
You can get the previous year's CUSAT CAT papers in pdf format sample papers from careers360 article. Follow the link given below from careers360 to get the the CUSAT CAT previous years question papers.
Link- https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/cusat-cat-sample-papers
Hello,
Since the CAT application form correction window is closed, you must contact the CAT help desk immediately to explain the situation, as you can't edit a wrong date of birth after submission. If it's a major error like date of birth, you may need to go to the exam center with proof and the correct admit card, although getting it corrected before the exam date is the most important first step.
I hope it will clear your query!!
Hi there,
You have to apply separately for each symbiosis college, like SIBM Pune, as they as not automatically included. The CAT form automatically includes many IIMs, but the SNAP exam is a separate test that is given for admission to Symbiosis Institute, which requires its own separate application and fee.
Hope it helps!!!
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Hello,
To get admitted to the Institute of Management Studies (IMS), BHU, for an MBA in 2026, you must clear the CAT entrance exam. For that you need to fill out the application form of the CAT in August 2026, which you can get on the Official CAT website
I hope it will clear your query!!
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