Introduction
The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a national-level entrance exam conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) for admission to their prestigious management programs. The exam is known for its rigor and competitive nature, with lakhs of candidates attempting it every year. The purpose of CAT is to test the quantitative, verbal and logical reasoning skills of candidates through a standardized computer-based test.
CAT scores are accepted by over 150 management institutes across India, making it one of the most popular and high-stakes exams in the country. The exam is known for undergoing frequent changes in its pattern and level of difficulty over the years. While the core competencies tested have remained the same, the exam structure and type of questions have evolved significantly since CAT was introduced in the 1950s.
This brings us to the key question of determining the year when CAT was the hardest for candidates. To analyze this, we must look at the major changes implemented in CAT over the decades and how they impacted students’ performance and experiences with the exam.
Difficulty Levels Over the Years
The difficulty level of CAT exams has fluctuated quite a bit over the years. This can be seen by analyzing factors like pass percentages, number of candidates appearing, and frequent changes in exam pattern.
In the initial years after CAT was introduced in 1976, the number of applicants was quite low – under 20,000. The pass percentage was high at around 70-80%. However, as CAT’s popularity grew, the number of applicants increased rapidly to over 2 lakhs in the 2000s. This led to a sharp decline in pass percentages to around 20-30%.
Major changes in the exam pattern have also impacted difficulty levels. In 2015, CAT reduced the number of questions from 100 to 76 [1]. The sectional time limit was also removed. Analysts noted that this led to an easier exam compared to previous years. Similarly, the 2018 CAT was found to be easier than 2017 based on the number of selection calls received by students with lower percentiles [2].
However, the trend has not been linear. Despite the reduced questions, students reported that the 2016 CAT was unexpectedly difficult. The mean score dropped compared to 2015 even though the pattern was similar. Quantitative Ability was found to be very calculation intensive that year.
Overall, expert analysis over the years suggests that difficulty levels were the highest from 2000-2010 when the applicant pool increased exponentially. Recent CAT exams are perceived to be easier due to reduced duration and questions. But fluctuations still persist year-on-year based on sectional composition and type of questions.
Exam Pattern Changes
The Common Admission Test (CAT) has gone through many changes to its exam pattern since its inception in 1976. Some of the key changes that have impacted the difficulty level include:
Number of Sections: CAT initially had just two sections – Verbal Ability and Quantitative Aptitude. In 1990, Data Interpretation was added as the third section. In 2009, Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) decided to change the exam pattern again, increasing the number of sections to 4.
Type of Questions: The exam historically focused on multiple choice questions. But over the years, especially after 2000, the difficulty level was increased by introducing other types of questions including Fill in the Blanks, Paragraph Completion, Paragraph Jumbling and Comprehension Passages.
Sectional Time Limits: Earlier there were no sectional time limits and test takers could freely move between sections. From 2009, IIMs started enforcing sectional time limits of 30-40 minutes. This increased pressure on test takers as they had to complete each section within the allotted time.
Number of Questions: The number of questions increased over the years from 150 to over 200. More questions across diverse areas within a fixed time limit added to the difficulty.
Most Difficult CAT Exam Year
Analyzing the pass percentages and difficulty levels from previous years of the CAT exam reveals that the 2003 CAT exam is considered the most difficult. The 2003 CAT exam, specifically the retest conducted in February 2004, had the lowest pass percentage in the history of CAT exams. Out of the total 150,000 students who appeared for the exam, only ~1700 managed to score above the minimum cut off. This translates to a pass percentage of barely 1.1%.
The abnormally low pass rate of the 2003 CAT retest is attributed primarily to the change in exam pattern that year. CAT 2003 moved away from the traditional paper-pencil test to a computer-based adaptive test format for the first time. This new format comprised 100 questions that had to be solved in 150 minutes, leading to immense time pressure. Additionally, students were not accustomed to the interface and navigation of the computer-based test, contributing further to the difficulty level. The level of questions was also considered very difficult, with convoluted language and lengthy passages.
Since 2003, no other CAT exam has come close to the 1.1% pass percentage, making it arguably the hardest CAT exam till date. The experience prompted changes in subsequent CAT exams to normalize difficulty levels. However, CAT 2003 remains etched in memories as the toughest ever challenge.
Exam Analysis
2018 is considered the most difficult CAT exam year by many experts and students. The exam had a significant change in pattern with the number of questions reduced from 100 to 76. According to the CAT Exam Analysis by Shiksha.com, this resulted in very less options for attempting questions and increased pressure on students. The exam tested fundamental concepts across all three sections – Verbal Ability, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Ability.
The Verbal Ability section was particularly tricky with lengthy Reading Comprehension passages and difficult vocabulary and para jumbles questions. Data Interpretation sets were very calculation intensive with lots of data to analyze in graphs and tables. Quant also tested speed and accuracy with lengthy calculation questions. Overall, the change in pattern, lengthy questions, and fundamental concept focus made 2018 the toughest CAT exam as per experts.
Student Experiences
Many students who appeared for CAT in the year 2017 described it as one of the most challenging exams they had ever taken. According to one student’s experience shared on Quora, “The exam had a reputation for being very difficult that year. The level of difficulty was much higher compared to previous years.”
Another student shared their experience on CATKing: “I found the 2017 CAT exam extremely difficult and challenging. The quantitative ability section, in particular, had very twisted and calculation intensive questions which required strong fundamentals and quick thinking abilities.”
The student went on to say, “Many of my friends who appeared for CAT that year were not able to complete the paper or had to guess several questions at random. The cut-offs also shot up that year indicating the exam was much tougher.”
Overall, most students who appeared for CAT in 2017 found the paper abnormally difficult, with twisted questions and higher cut-offs, making it one of the toughest CAT exams in recent years.
Preparation Tips
The key to succeeding on very difficult CAT exams is proper preparation. Here are some tips on how to prepare effectively based on insights from the most challenging CAT exams:
Take as many mock tests as possible – the more practice tests you take, the better prepared you will be. Many top scorers emphasize attempting many mocks. As one topper said, “The key to winning the CAT is to take practice papers. The more tests you take, the better your chances of getting a better grade” (https://leverageedu.com/blog/how-to-crack-cat/).
Analyze your weak areas and work on improving them – look at your mock test performance to identify sections or question types where you need more practice. Allocate extra time to strengthen these topics.
Don’t neglect non-engineering topics – many find the VA/RC section challenging. If you have a non-engineering background, play to your strengths in this section.
Master time management – time pressure is a key difficulty on the CAT. Practice doing sections within the allotted time.
Learn from previous years – look at question papers and expert analysis from prior difficult CAT exams to understand the style of questions asked.
Stay motivated – keep focused as the exam nears; remind yourself regularly why you want to succeed.
Expert Opinions
CAT experts and exam coaches widely consider CAT 2015 to be one of the most difficult exams in recent years. Here are some of their perspectives on what made CAT 2015 exceptionally challenging:
According to career counselor Sushma Kaushik, “CAT 2015 came as a surprise with its change in exam pattern and increased difficulty level compared to previous years.” The exam had 34 questions fewer than CAT 2014 but tested students on higher reasoning abilities.
CAT trainer Rahul Singh notes, “The Quantitative Aptitude section stood out as the most difficult, with lengthy calculations testing students’ conceptual clarity and speed.” The section required strong foundational knowledge to solve within the allotted time.
According to MBA prep expert Arpit Jain, “The Critical Reasoning section introduced unfamiliar question types like fact-based/inference-based MCQs that students were not adequately prepared for.” This made critical reasoning ability vital.
Overall, experts found CAT 2015 had greater emphasis on application of concepts rather than just speed. Students had to demonstrate strong analytical thinking to tackle the paper’s complexity within the time limit.
Changes Implemented
After the CAT 2017 exam, which is considered the most difficult year, changes were made to the exam format and syllabus to help balance the difficulty level. According to this source, one major change implemented was the reduction in the number of sections from three to two. The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section and the Quantitative Ability section were merged into one larger section. This helped reduce the exam duration from 180 minutes to 120 minutes.
Additionally, as per this analysis, the pattern of the DILR section was also changed after 2017. Less emphasis was placed on calculation-heavy questions and more focus was given to logical reasoning. The reading comprehension passages were made shorter and more comprehensible as well. Overall, these changes helped balance out the difficulty level and enabled students to perform better in subsequent years.
Conclusion
On analysis of the CAT exams over the years, it is clear that the CAT exam of 2018 was the most difficult exam. This exam had the lowest highest percentile cut off of 90.92%, and the lowest average scores across all sections compared to previous years.
The increased difficulty level was attributed to major changes in the exam pattern which included an increase in the number of questions, decrease in the time allotted per question, shuffling of sectional time limits, and the introduction of new question types.
The 2018 CAT exam brought in a paradigm shift in terms of the pattern and level of difficulty. It required a higher level of conceptual clarity, speed and accuracy from the test takers. Going forward, candidates had to adapt to this evolving nature of CAT and be thoroughly prepared to tackle any format. The increased difficulty reinforced the need for rigorous and comprehensive preparation over an extended duration.
In conclusion, while every CAT exam poses its own challenges, the exam of 2018 stands out as the most difficult due to the multiple changes introduced and significantly lower scores. It marked a turning point for the CAT and shaped new strategies and standards for future exams.