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CAT 2022 Paper Analysis: Complete Breakdown & Percentile Guide

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CAT 2022 Paper Analysis: Complete Breakdown & Percentile Guide

The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2022 examination was held on November 27, 2022 across three shifts at various test centres in the country. This article contains complete CAT paper analysis for the 2022 academic year. The CAT 2022 exam contained three sections, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA).

There were a total of 66 questions, 24 in VARC, 20 in DILR, and 22 in QA, each section was divided with a 40 minute time limit. The CAT exam was designed to test candidates’ understanding ability, logical reasoning, data interpretation ability, and quantitative ability. The exam has the same composition as the previous year, CAT 2021, however, each session was different from each other in terms of easy, moderate, or difficult, especially in the DILR and QA sections.

As per CAT 2022 paper analysis, most candidates found the CAT VARC section moderate in difficulty, DILR section was quite challenging with the long questions which sometimes require more than 10 minutes to solve them, and the VA section in QA varied with respect to easy to moderate to difficult sections, depending on the session taken. This CAT 2022 paper analysis provides a complete overview of the different types of questions, difficulty level by sections; the distribution of topics in QA and DILR; as well as an average score percentiles to help future candidates understand the exam more thoroughly.

Also Check: CAT Question Paper Analysis 2024

CAT Paper Analysis 2022

Aspirants may find out the CAT paper analysis for 2022 academic year below separately for each section. Students will also be able to know about slot wise CAT difficulty level by going through the following.

CAT VARC Analysis:

Slot

Difficulty Level

Remarks

Slot 1

Moderate

RC passages were manageable; VA had tricky para jumbles

Slot 2

Moderate

RC slightly denser; VA similar to Slot 1

Slot 3

Moderate

Consistent level across slots; no major surprises

CAT DILR Analysis:

Slot

Difficulty Level

Remarks

Slot 1

Difficult

Sets were lengthy and time-consuming

Slot 2

Moderate to Difficult

Marginally easier but required careful set selection

Slot 3

Moderate

Comparatively more approachable; some sets less calculation-heavy

CAT QA Analysis:

Slot

Difficulty Level

Remarks

Slot 1

Moderate

Arithmetic-dominant with few tricky Algebra questions

Slot 2

Moderate to Difficult

Mix of Arithmetic and Geometry; required accuracy

Slot 3

Difficult

More challenging Algebra and Numbers questions

CAT 2022 Paper Analysis | Highest Weightage Topics

The following table comprises CAT highest weightage topics of 2022 academic year. Students may go through the same and read section wise important topics carefully to boost their overall CAT 2025 preparation.

Section

Topic

Approx. Weightage

Key Details

VARC

Reading Comprehension (RC)

16 questions (4 passages)

Covered diverse themes like philosophy, science, society; questions mostly direct

Para Jumbles

3 to 4 questions

Required logical flow; moderate level

Summary Questions

2 to 3 questions

Focused on identifying main ideas of short paragraphs

Odd Sentence Out

1 to 2 questions

Logic based; tested understanding of sentence flow

DILR

Games and Puzzles

1 to 2 sets (8 to 10 questions)

Rule based logic problems with constraints

Graphs and Tables

1 to 2 sets

Calculation intensive; involved ratios, averages, etc.

Venn Diagrams or Set Theory

1 set (4 questions)

Group based logic; intersections and exclusions

Arrangement and Scheduling

Occasionally asked

Ordering or time based set problems

QA

Arithmetic

8 to 10 questions

Included Time Speed, Percentages, Profit and Loss, Averages

Algebra

4 to 6 questions

Equations, inequalities, functions

Geometry and Mensuration

2 to 3 questions

Triangles, Circles, Coordinate Geometry, Area based questions

Number System

1 to 2 questions

Basic divisibility, remainders, factors

CAT 2022 Marks Vs Percentile

The CAT paper was of different difficulty in the three slots of 2022 and this has a direct impact on the scores required for various percentiles. According to the CAT paper analysis 2022, candidates needed to score around 101 marks to achieve the 99.5 percentile in Slots 1 and 2, but 98 marks were required in Slot 3. Marks required to achieve the 99 percentile was around 88-92 marks depending on the slot.

Marks that cause the candidate to get a percentile of between 95 and 97 ranged from 66-80. Slot 3 did generally require a slightly lower score for the same percentile due to higher difficulty level - this illustrates how the scoring of CAT is normalized. Check the table underneath for the full CAT marks versus percentile criteria for the 2022 academic year.

Percentile

Slot 1 Score

Slot 2 Score

Slot 3 Score

99.5th

101

101

98

99th

90

92

88

97th

80

80

77

95th

66

66

63

90th

53

53

50

85th

45

45

42

80th

40

40

37

Note: Students are also advised to go through the CAT 2022 question papers to prepare for the upcoming exam. This will help them enhance their overall preparation level for next CAT examination.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the exam pattern for CAT 2022?

CAT 2022 consisted of three sections: VARC, DILR, and QA, totaling 66 questions (24 VARC, 20 DILR, 22 QA). Each section had a 40-minute time limit. The exam tested understanding, logical reasoning, data interpretation, and quantitative ability, following a similar structure to CAT 2021.

How difficult was CAT 2022 across its sections?

CAT 2022 VARC was moderate. DILR was quite challenging with lengthy questions. QA difficulty varied by slot, from moderate to difficult. Overall, each of the three exam slots presented different difficulty levels, highlighting the need for normalization.

How did CAT 2022 slot difficulty levels compare?

CAT 2022 slot difficulty varied. VARC was consistently moderate. DILR was difficult in Slot 1, moderate to difficult in Slot 2, and moderate in Slot 3. QA varied from moderate in Slot 1 to difficult in Slot 3, with more challenging Algebra. This slot-wise difference affected normalization.

What were the high weightage topics in CAT 2022?

In CAT 2022, VARC had high weightage on Reading Comprehension. DILR prominently featured Games and Puzzles, and Graphs and Tables. For QA, Arithmetic was most important (8-10 questions), followed by Algebra (4-6 questions). These topics are crucial for effective preparation.

What score was needed for 99 percentile in CAT 2022?

To achieve the 99 percentile in CAT 2022, candidates needed around 90 marks in Slot 1, 92 in Slot 2, and 88 in Slot 3. This score variation across slots is due to the normalization process, which adjusts for exam difficulty differences to ensure fair percentile ranking.

Why did CAT 2022 scores vary for the same percentile?

CAT 2022 scores varied for the same percentile due to different difficulty levels across slots. A tougher slot meant a lower raw score could achieve the same percentile. This happens because of normalization, which adjusts scores to ensure fair comparison among candidates from all shifts.

How can CAT 2022 analysis help my 2025 preparation?

The CAT 2022 analysis helps understand exam structure, section difficulty, and key topics. It highlights DILR's length and QA's varied difficulty, guiding time management. Focusing on high-weightage areas like Reading Comprehension, Arithmetic, and Logical Reasoning sets optimizes your CAT 2025 preparation.

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