CAT 2020 Question Paper

About the CAT 2020 question paper

The CAT 2020 paper carried 76 questions for 228 marks across 120 minutes, and is generally rated moderate in difficulty for Slot 1. That works out to roughly a minute per question, which is why sequencing matters as much as knowledge: the candidates who score well are usually the ones who decide quickly which questions to leave rather than the ones who know more.

How to attempt this paper

Treat it as a mock, not as reading material. Sit with a timer, keep the answer key closed, and finish in one uninterrupted block. Mark every question you guessed, even when the guess turns out right — those are the questions that will cost you in the real exam. When time runs out, stop; an honest score on an incomplete paper is more useful than a flattering one earned with extra minutes.

What to do with the review

Split every mistake into four buckets: concept not known, concept known but applied wrongly, careless slip, and ran out of time. Concept gaps go back into the study plan, application errors need more practice questions on that topic, careless slips need a slower final read of the question, and timing problems need a stricter per-question cap. Reviewing this way turns one paper into a specific to-do list instead of a score.

Comparing CAT papers across years

Difficulty shifts from year to year, and one paper never represents the whole exam. Solve at least three or four years of CAT papers before drawing conclusions about your readiness, and track your score per section rather than overall — most candidates carry one weak section that quietly decides the final result. Use the year links below to work backwards from the most recent paper.