CAT 2024: Shift 1 Ends With Mixed Reactions; Will The Cut-Offs Be Higher Than Expected?

Indian Institute of Management, IIM Calcutta, successfully conducted the first shift of the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2024 today, November 24. The exam for the first batch began at 8:30 am and concluded at 10:30 am, as reported by Times Now. As the candidates started to exit the exam centres, initial reactions suggested that the paper was moderately difficult.

While some candidates felt the paper met expectations, others found it lengthy and challenging. The Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) section emerged as the most difficult, with many candidates struggling with the complexity. The Quantitative Ability (QA) section was also noted to be tougher than anticipated by a few candidates. However, the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VRC) section was generally considered to be of moderate difficulty.

CAT 2024 Exam Analysis by Experts

Experts reviewing the exam based on candidate feedback have shared their initial analysis. The overall difficulty level of the paper was in line with expectations, though the DILR and VRC sections were found to be harder than last year's papers. The QA section, however, was deemed to be of moderate difficulty.

Regarding the cut-off, experts predict that the 99 percentile cut-off will remain around the same as previous years. Below is the expected break-up for cut-offs:

Quantitative Ability:

99 percentile: 32-33
90 percentile: 25-30
80 percentile: 15 and above

LRDI:

99 percentile: 28-30
90 percentile: 20-26
80 percentile: 12 and above

VRC:

99 percentile: 13-14
90 percentile: 10-12
80 percentile: 8 and above

Experts who have appeared for the CAT 2024 exam will provide a detailed analysis of Shift 1 soon. The expected cut-offs for various percentiles, including best attempts, will be updated by 12 pm. The second shift of the CAT exam will begin at 12:30 pm. Stay tuned for further updates.