The CAT 2024 examination wrapped up on 24 November 2024, and the exam difficulty took everyone by surprise. One of our colleagues, ‘Himanshu’, appeared for this examination for the first attempt and shared his experience with us. In this blog, we’ll discuss his perspective of the examination from a student point of view and carry out a thorough CAT exam 2024 analysis. We’ll also discuss what to expect from your first CAT attempt and what exactly happens inside a CAT examination hall. So, let’s dive right in! 

CAT Exam 2024 Analysis 

Before we dive into the analysis of the CAT examination, let’s discuss the basics of CAT. 

What is CAT 

CAT, or Common Admission Test, is an entrance examination conducted by IIMs for aspirants who wish to pursue a professional postgraduate MBA degree or Management courses from the top Business Schools in India. The examination tests the quantitative skills, critical analysis, and verbal ability of students through three dedicated sections for each assessment.   

The Three Sections are: 

• Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) 

• Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) 

• Quantitative Ability (QA) 

Why Do So Many Aspirants Appear for CAT Every Year 

The number of aspirants who appear for the CAT examination keeps increasing with each passing year, and that is solely because a professional MBA degree from the top Business Schools in India can easily bag some of the best career opportunities in and outside of India. After an MBA, graduates can work in managerial roles in Human Resources, Finance, Marketing, or Sales for a good sum. Ultimately, CAT is an examination that bridges the gap between students and a successful career. 

CAT Entrance Exam Analysis 2024 – Section Wise Difficulty 

Is CAT Exam Tough In 2024 

To answer this question, we talked to one of the aspirants who appeared for the examination and shared his experience with us. Here’s what he had to say: 

Interviewer: “So, how was the CAT exam this year? Were you prepared for it?” 

Himanshu: “To be honest, I believed I was underprepared for the exam, which is considered one of the toughest exams in our country. However, my preparation paid off, and the attempt exceeded my expectations.” 

Interviewer: “Oh that’s great! I’ll jump to the main question then. Which slot were you in and was the exam difficult like they say?” 

Himanshu: “Okay, so, I was in the third slot which was scheduled for 4:30 to 6:30. About the exam, I’d say that the overall difficulty level was moderate. VARC somehow had 4 passages that took the majority of my time from the section, but it was doable. I managed to pull off 2 complete RCs and 6 other questions including fill in the blanks and odd one out jumbles.

Moreover, DILR was mostly easy but there were 2 sets that were tricky and somewhat difficult until their solution clicked in my head. Finally, Quants seemed easy in the beginning as the first few questions were very easy but later, the level of questions increased and reached moderate to difficult. To my surprise, there were a lot of TITA (Fill in your answer) questions which I’m sure was a surprise for most aspirants in the slot. Overall, in my opinion, the exam was doable with some tricky questions and many moderate ones.” 

Interviewer: “I must say, that was a very detailed overview. We heard it was your first attempt at CAT” 

Himanshu: “Yep! That’s right.” 

Interviewer: “That’s cool. Would you like to share your experience with us?” 

Himanshu: “Of course! So, about my preparation, I started preparing for the examination back in March 2024, and since I’m a working professional, I could only give around 3 hours daily until June. After that, I made a job switch, and the new workplace was 1.5 hours away from my place, which left me with low energy levels at the end of the day and about 1 hour towards my preparation.” 

Interviewer: “That’s interesting, so you were managing your job and your preparation simultaneously?” 

Himanshu: “That’s right. That’s one reason why I mentioned that I had been feeling underprepared for the examination.” 

Interviewer: “Yeah, that makes sense now” 

Himanshu: “Coming to my first attempt. Reaching the examination centre was the first hurdle because my centre was in another state, so I reached there almost 30 minutes ahead of gate opening time. Once I was there, I listened to some music and then walked into the examination centre. Before walking in, there was the first verification step where our admit cards and identity proofs were matched only then we were allowed to walk onto the premises. Then, there was the second screening where we were scanned for any metals or hidden electronics.

Then we moved to the next step where our identities were confirmed and then we were sent to the guards outside the examination hall who thoroughly checked us for any hidden items and let us in. Upon entering, our admit cards were stamped with an ‘approved’ stamp and we were let into the hall. Upon entering the hall my admit card was verified, an eye scan was done, and I was allotted my desk. I still had 30 minutes left so I was talking to the people next to me and hummed some songs until just 5 minutes were left. And then my computer’s software decided to crash.” 

Interviewer: “What exactly happened?” 

Himanshu: “Well, the system crashed about 3 minutes before the examination, and I had to call the invigilators immediately. Thankfully they were prepared for such situations and did a quick reboot that was over just 13 seconds before the examination began. Of course, my anxiety was off the roof for those 2 minutes but I’m just a chill guy you know!” 

Interviewer: “Haha, got your reference. Okay, last question for the day. What would you say about your overall attempt and how many attempts for CAT should one take?” 

Himanshu: “I’ll sum it up for you. I’d consider this a good attempt, and the examination was moderate. Not exactly tough, but tricky in its own way. Anyone who is prepared enough could crack the examination. According to me, 6 months of dedicated preparation is enough to crack the examination with a very good score. Coming to the number of attempts, I believe 2 attempts should be more than enough to secure a Tier 1 B-School in India if you thoroughly prepare for the examination.” 

Interviewer: “That is all from our end Himanshu. Thank you for being here and sharing your experience with all the fellow aspirants who are going to appear for the CAT 2025 examination for the first time. We’re sure this interview will help them manage their expectations and prepare for their attempt in a much better way.” 

Himanshu: “Thank you very much!” 

CAT Exam 2024 Analysis – Section Wise (Slot 3) 

CAT Exam Question Pattern​ For DILR 

CAT Exam Question Pattern​ For VARC 

CAT Exam Question Pattern​ For VARC 

Conclusion 

The CAT 2024 exam is finally over, and now we are waiting for the results that will place the aspirants in some of the most prestigious universities in our country, including IIMs, FMS, NMIMS, K.R. Mangalam University, and more. We hope this detailed interview-based analysis helped you understand the exam much better, offering a whole new perspective of what exactly happens with the aspirants during the exam.   

Frequently Asked Questions 

What is the duration of the CAT exam? 

The duration of the CAT exam is120 minutes (2 hours) during which 40 minutes are allotted to each section. 

When will IIM Calcutta release the CAT 2024 cutoff? 

The cutoffs are usually released within 60-90 days after the exam gets concluded. 

How many questions were there in each section of slot 3 CAT exam? 

Slot 3 had a total of 68 questions with 24 questions in the VARC section, 22 questions in the DILR section, and 22 Questions in the Quant section.