Analysis of CAT Test 2015

Industry experts share their insights into the CAT 2015 exam.

This year, CAT examiners were not surprised by many things. The first surprise was the fact that the paper was identical to the sample paper CAT had posted on their website - a first for CAT.

The paper was divided into three sections, namely, 'Quantitative Aptitude', ’Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and 'Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension. Each section contained 34, 32, and 34 questions. Each section was limited to 60 minutes.

Two-time slots were used for the exam. Both the pattern and style were almost identical in both slots. The number of questions in each area was also identical. Both slots had the same question on P&C and circular track. The second slot had Quant and LR sections that were comparatively more difficult than the first.

DI & LR were the most difficult sections with very few easy questions. The difficulty of the QA, VA & RC sections was the same as the QA section. Both sections had moderate to difficult questions. There were 8-10 subjective questions per section. Non-MCQ questions did not have negative markings.

So, the number attempted was greater than the actual performance. There would also be genuine attempts and guesswork.

Table of Expected Percentiles and Attempts, along with Cut-offs for B-Schools

Below is a table that shows overall and section-wise attempts, as well as probable scores and percentile for various slots.

Table – Morning Slot

Table - Evening Slot

B-Schools use CAT scores as a primary screening tool for shortlisting candidates for the GD/ PI round. Other factors that are considered when generating calls are academic performance in 10th, +2, Graduation, and duration of work experience. The cutoffs for older IIMs are usually higher than for new IIMs.

Section-Wise Detailed Analysis

Quantitative Ability (QA).

The CAT 2014 QA section was as easy as it was in 2014. The QA section was as easy in CAT 2014 as it was in CAT 2014. However, looking at the last two CAT Papers, we can see that CAT is trying to balance out in favor of Non-Engineers. This is a positive sign. There were 15 subjective questions in the Quant section. Surprisingly, the majority of subjective questions were those that would have been easy even with options.

The Quant Section represented almost all areas. There were many questions on Commercial Math (Percentage Profit & Loss and Ratio). Surprisingly there wasn't a single question about probability. There was one question about Permutation and Combination. Time and Distance were also very short, but traditional areas such as Number System, Algebra, and Geometry were covered in a lot of questions.

The second slot was slightly harder than the first. The Section was attempted by 29-34 students who were toppers in our Test Series. Students who didn't attempt subjective questions using guesswork should still be considered to have attempted 26+ in this Section.

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning

This section was the most difficult and students couldn't decide which set to try and which ones to abandon. They had 4 sets each of DI and 4 questions, respectively, while there were 4 sets each of LR with 4 questions.

In the morning slot, the easiest DI set was about quarterly sales performance. The Family & Laptop set was the easiest set in LR. The moderate set, which was based on Venn Diagrams, was newspaper readership-related. The set relating to cubes was difficult. Only one set was available on pure DI. This set was simple but required a lot of calculation. One had to use the on-screen calculator to solve it.

There were 8 subjective questions in this section. Students who performed best in the test series reported attempting 20 to 23 of these questions. An attempt of 16+ can be considered acceptable if it is done with high accuracy.

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC).

The VA & RC questions were relatively easy and may have pleased test-takers. There were 34 questions in the section, divided into two sections: Verbal Ability (10) and Reading Comprehension (24). The number of RC passages this year was higher than usual: 3 passages had 6 questions each and 2 passages had 3 questions. Three questions were asked in the Verbal Ability section about para jumbles, three on Critical reasoning (summary), and three on Critical reasoning (Misfit).

The exam didn't have any vocabulary, FIJs, or Phrasal verbs questions. This meant that those who are proficient in reading-based topics would have had a greater chance of succeeding in this section.

The RC passages varied in length from 500 to 700 words and were moderately long. In a clear departure from the previous years' trends, there were no RC passages from sociology, philosophy, or other areas. These passages dealt with areas such as immigration and economy, economic inequality, the impact of technology, and poverty. The majority of questions were inferential. Some questions were based on specific details, and three questions were in the opening sentences.

The VA section's 10 questions were moderately difficult and didn't pose a problem for serious test-takers.

Speed reading skills were required for this paper. Speed reading skills were a distinct advantage. Hitbullseye students who scored high in mock tests tried more than 90% of the questions. High-accuracy students should attempt 25+ questions.

RC Sources Morning slot:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/16/opinion/nicholas-kristof-starving-for-wisdom.html?_r=0

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/29/magazine/debunking-the-myth-of-the-job-stealing-immigrant.html

https://hbr.org/2014/04/pikettys-capital-in-a-lot-less-than-696-pages/

http://www.iht.com/2014/03/22/the-web-is-here-to-stay/

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22329804-400-worlds-poor-need-grid-power-not-just-solar-panels/

Verdict

Overall, slightly more difficult paper than the previous CAT. Quant Moderate to hard, Verbal difficult & LR difficult. If you answered 77+ questions correctly, you can expect multiple IIM calls at the 99.5+ percentile. The LR section is a crucial section for many students. This section will likely have a low cut-off.