CAT 2023 slot 1 ‘tested analytical skills’, was easy to moderate; section-wise analysis

NEW DELHI: The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2023 slot 1 was “doable” and not very tough as compared to last year, according to CAT slot 1 analysis 2023 done by coaching institutes. The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow conducted CAT 2023 slot 1 from 8:30 am to 10:30 am today. CAT 2023 live updates.

“Overall the exam was doable and not very tough when compared to 2022. VARC was more inference-based, but had reading comprehension passages all from the predicted topics. DILR was moderate in difficulty terms but felt a little time consuming and lengthy,” said Sumit Singh Gandhi (Rahul), founder, CATKing. The exam tested students on logic and analytical skills rather than speed, he said.

CAT 2023 question paper included a total of 66 questions on Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA).

CAT 2023 slot 1 review

As per Gandhi, the VARC section presented a mix of inference-based questions, with a focus on reading comprehension from diverse topics such as philosophy, history, languages, and knowledge perception. The Verbal Ability segment included a variety of question types, challenging candidates with parajumbles, paragraph summary, and paragraph completion exercises.

On the other hand, the QA section focussed majorly on algebra, which was described as tough for the majority of students but basic for those well-prepared. Arithmetic questions covered various topics, with a mix of difficulty levels, more or less easy to moderate. Geometry and Number System questions were also part of the section. Overall, the section required candidates to navigate through a diverse set of questions with varying complexities.

The section-wise analysis of CAT slot 1 2023 is as follows:

VARC:

Reading comprehension dominated the verbal section. There were four passages with four questions each. The questions were not factual and students needed a little focus while solving them.

• TITA Verbal ability was overall moderate.
• 2 Out of Context (OOC) Questions, involving five statements with tricky connections.
• 2 parajumbles questions, each with four statements.
• 2 parasummary questions, with options that were easy but closely related.
• 2 paragraph completion questions, which were very easy to solve.

DILR

The DILR section presented a challenging set of questions, emphasizing the importance of selecting the right set for maximum efficiency. Most candidates found two sets doable. The CAT mock tests had very similar sets.

QA

The QA section was rated as moderate to tough, with a higher level of difficulty compared to last year. Even candidates with weaker quantitative abilities could manage to attempt around eight questions, while those with a stronger background could answer 10-12 questions.

• Arithmetic covered questions on profit and loss, mixtures, simple interest and compound interest (SICI), time-speed-distance, and time and work.
• Algebra posed tougher challenges, including questions on algebraic expressions (3-4 questions), logarithms, and geometry.
• Geometry included questions on right-angle triangles, coordinate geometry, and an area-finding scenario in an arithmetic progression.
• Modern Maths introduced permutation and combination, while probability was absent.