The CAT 2023 Slot 1 exam, a critical milestone for management aspirants, recently concluded, setting the stage for a meticulous analysis. This comprehensive review dissects each section, explores the difficulty levels, and provides insights into the expected cut-offs.

Verbal in CAT 2023 Slot 1

Verbal	Topic	Type
RC	Wolves of Rural Europe	Weaken
RC	Wolves of Rural Europe	Truth / All of the following Except
RC	Wolves of Rural Europe	Scope
RC	Wolves of Rural Europe	Reasons / Contributed to
RC	Geographical factors	Examples
RC	Geographical factors	Reasons
RC	Geographical factors	Reasons
RC	Geographical factors	Inferred
RC	Indian Ocean in literature	Scope
RC	Indian Ocean in literature	Claim
RC	Indian Ocean in literature	Weaken
RC	Indian Ocean in literature	Not True
RC	Effects of racism and colonialism	Criticises
RC	Effects of racism and colonialism	Mention ” ___ “
RC	Effects of racism and colonialism	Mention ” ___ “
RC	Effects of racism and colonialism	Main Idea
Non RC	Best Fit in Sentence	New Type
Non RC	Best Fit in Sentence	New Type
Non RC	Odd Man Out	Odd Man Out
Non RC	Odd Man Out	Odd Man Out
Non RC	Jumbled	Jumbled
Non RC	Jumbled	Jumbled
Non RC	Summary	Summary
Non RC	Summary	Summary

DILR in CAT 2023 Slot 1

Rating	Tiny Arrangement	4 x 5
Rating	Tiny Arrangement	4 x 5
Rating	Tiny Arrangement	4 x 5
Rating	Tiny Arrangement	4 x 5
Rating	Tiny Arrangement	4 x 5
Pricing	Caselet	Houses
Pricing	Caselet	Houses
Pricing	Caselet	Houses
Pricing	Caselet	Houses
Pricing	Caselet	Houses
Voting	Venn Diagram	4D
Voting	Venn Diagram	4D
Voting	Venn Diagram	4D
Voting	Venn Diagram	4D
Voting	Venn Diagram	4D
Scheduling	Wide Arrangement	10 x 4
Scheduling	Wide Arrangement	10 x 4
Scheduling	Wide Arrangement	10 x 4
Scheduling	Wide Arrangement	10 x 4
Scheduling	Wide Arrangement	10 x 4

Quant in CAT 2023 Slot 1

Row Labels	Count of X maro
X maro	8
Algebra	5
Quad	4
Percentages	3
Geometry	3
AP GP HP	3
surds	2
Ratios	2
Time Speed	2
Circle	2
No of Solutions	2
Logs	1
SICI	1
Clocks Calendars	1
Mixtures	1
Average	1
Triangle	1
Profit Loss	1
Area	1
Digits	1
Coordinate	1
Factors	1
Numbers	1
Time Work	1
Cubic	1
PnC	1
Multiply	1
Modulus	1
Grand Total	53

CAT 2023 Exam Overview:

CAT 2023 maintained its standard pattern with 66 questions to be answered in 120 minutes. The sections – Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA) – adhered to the 40-minute time limit per section.

Section-wise Difficulty Analysis:

1. VARC Section:

The VARC section, housing 24 questions, exhibited a moderate difficulty level. Notably, it was deemed easier than the previous year. The Reading Comprehension passages covered topics like Wolf Environmentalists, Philosophy, Indian Ocean-based Geographical Literature, and Human Behavior. The inclusion of odd-sentence-out questions and para completion added variety to the section.

Question Breakdown:

• Reading Comprehension: 16 questions (Moderate)
• Verbal Ability: 8 questions (Moderate to Difficult)

2. DILR Section:

DILR, comprising 20 questions distributed across four sets, maintained a consistent difficulty level compared to CAT 2022. The sets included topics such as College Elections, Visa Applications, 12 Houses, and Restaurant Ratings. The section demanded strong analytical skills, and the language used to provide data was deemed challenging.

Question Breakdown:

• Set 1 (College Elections): Moderate to Difficult
• Set 2 (Visa Applications): Moderate
• Set 3 (12 Houses): Moderate to Difficult
• Set 4 (Restaurant Ratings): Moderate

3. QA Section:

The QA section, consisting of 22 questions, presented a higher difficulty level compared to the previous year. Algebra questions, in particular, were noted as challenging. The topics covered included Number System, Algebra, Arithmetic, Modern Math, and Geometry & Mensuration. The dominance of arithmetic and the inclusion of six TITA questions added complexity to the section.

Question Breakdown:

• Number System: Easy
• Algebra: Moderate to Difficult
• Arithmetic: Easy to Moderate
• Modern Math: Easy
• Geometry & Mensuration: Moderate

Expected Cut-offs and Ideal Scores:

Based on expert inputs, the expected cut-offs for a 99 percentile score were discussed. The overall structure comparison with CAT 2022 and 2021 indicated a moderate difficulty level for CAT 2023, with an ideal score of 80 for a 99 percentile.

Section-wise Ideal Scores:

• VARC: 40
• DILR: 27-30
• QA: 25-28
• Overall: 80 (Moderate)