CAT 2024 exam is set to be conducted on November 24. Whenever a student is preparing for an exam, knowing the paper strategy will help them in getting a good score. This year, the question paper will be set by IIM Calcutta’s Associate professor, Ramya Tarakad Venkateswaran. Previously, the paper was set by IIM Calcutta back in 2018 and 2011. The difficulty level of the exam back then, in comparison to recent years was easier.

Based on her students’ reviews, this year, the management games and tournament-based RCs can be there in the paper. As per her mindset, questions of permutations and combinations, sequence and series geometry from Quant; puzzles, charts, and traditions from DILR can come. In DILR itself, new sets are expected this year. In Verbal Ability, economy and philosophy-based questions can come in 2024’s paper. Tech, culture, animal, and games and tournament-based reading comprehension can come in CAT exam.

Read our article to know analyze this year’s question paper for all three sections.

CAT Previous Year Paper Analysis

In 2023, the paper was on the moderate to tough difficulty level. As per CAT previous year’s analysis, VARC section was easier and QA and DILR were slightly more difficult than in 2022. The analysis of all three slots of the previous year has been tabulated below:

Which Year Question Paper is Important for CAT 2024 Exam?

Practice the last 10 years question papers, out of which it is suggested to solve the old papers from 2015. Solve the DILR questions from 2015’s paper and so on. As said earlier, IIM Calcutta set the paper in 2011 and 2018 as well, so these two are also important. The analysis of the past few year’s question papers is as follows:

• Pro Tip 1: Solve the paper of 2011 and 2018, as the same set by IIM Calcutta
• Pro Tip 2: Quant and DILR can be tough this year as well. However, the level of difficulty for Quant can be two steps down.

IIM Calcutta Legacy in Setting Question Papers

The conducting body, IIM Calcutta set the question paper back in 2011 and 2018. The question paper format for both years is as follows:

TITA Questions Can be Your GAME CHANGER in CAT 2024

TITA questions can be regarded as “No Balls” of Cricket game, as it dwells no negative marks in the examination. The majority of toppers also claimed to never skip any TITA questions in the exam. Candidates must tick on the most probable answers. There is nothing to gain, however, there is nothing to lose as well.

Mindset of Professor Ramya Tarakad Venkateswaran

She will be this year’s CAT question paper setter. She is the Strategic Management Professor at IIM Calcutta, known for teaching management games, and balanced scorecards. Her past years’ students suggested that questions from games and tournaments could appear in 2024. There can be simulation-based problems too. Also, she worked previously in CISCO, an IT company, and hence, technology-based RCs are no exception this year.

• RCs of management, sustainability, global warming, and climate change can come
• IIM Calcutta is known for Maths, so this year also, students can expect more questions from the same. However, she avoids giving intensive calculation-based questions, and she is known for giving simulation and graph-based problems.
• Strategic management, decision-making, and case-based questions are expected this year.

CAT 2024 Expected Topics of DILR

Check probable topics from CAT DILR syllabus:

• Gaming simulation-based questions, tournaments
• Data Arrangement and Puzzles
• Strategic Management in International Business
• Decision-Making and Case-based Questions
• Business Ventures/ Startups in Different Locations (especially Singapore)
• Raw material-based Scheduling Problems (outcomes, time to procure something)
• Squad selection questions
• Quants- Heavy DILR Sets
• DI-Heavy Charts, Mean Median Mode, Traditions

Major Takeaways for CAT DILR Section

• New Sets (numbers can increase this year)
• Check 2020’s DILR sets
• One set might look difficult but will be doable
• 1 set can be calculation intensive (check 2021-2023’s paper for understanding the difficulty)

CAT DILR Question Types

CAT 2024 Expected Topics of QA

Check probable topics from CAT QA syllabus:

• Sequence and Series
• Arithmetic
• Algebra
• Geometry
• Permutation and Combinations
• Logarithms
• Probability

Note: In 2011, the Quant section had 20 questions, out of which 6 were from Geometry. Hence, we are expecting the same in 2024’s paper also.

Major Takeaways for CAT QA Section

• Direct 1 question from AP and GP, and 1 for HP
• AP and GP questions can be linked with Geometry, Coordinate Geometry, and Mensuration
• Check 2021-2023 papers
• Quant will be tough, however, it can be two steps down compared to the previous year
• Solve Geometry and Number System problems (3-5 questions from Geometry)
• 1-2 Logarithm questions and same from Permutations and Combinations
• Arithmetic+ Permutation and Combinations, Arithmetic+ Algebra
• Time and Work, Harmonic Progression

CAT 2024 Expected Topics of VARC

Check probable topics from CAT VARC syllabus:

• Games and tournament-based
• Economic-based topics (taught by Ramya ma’am in classes)
• Philosophy-based questions
• Technology-based questions
• Culture-based history
• Animal-based (National Geographic)
• Sentence correction
• Critical reasoning
• Assumptions
• Strengthening and weakening the arguments
• Usage of words (vocabulary-based)
• Para-completion
• Para jumbles
• Find the odd one out

Major Takeaways for CAT VARC Section

• In the last 3 years, philosophy-based topics came into the exam
• Ramya Ma’am herself was from an IT background, so tech-based questions are expected also
• The number of questions in RCs might be reduced
• New topics of sentence correction and critical reasoning (Verbal Ability)
• GMAT old books for critical reasoning problems
• 1-2 vocabulary-based questions
• Questions can be tricky, and close options in verbal ability
• CATking mocks, book number 1 and 2 (book number 1 is prescribed by many toppers)
• Double negative questions (For example: Which one of the following is not inconsistent)*