The CAT exam is schedule for November 30, 2025, as an online computer-based-test (CBT) across 170 cities in the country. While the registration is opening on 1st August 2025, candidates have started preparing for the CAT exam already. To be well prepared for the CAT exam, candidates need to focus on the syllabus and are also advised to solve the CAT sample papers.
Solving these papers will give the candidates an idea how the actual exam can be, what kind of questions can be asked in the exam, and the CAT exam pattern. For best results, candidates are advised to solve these papers in a strict exam environment and within the CAT duration i.e., 2 hours (120 minutes). This page provides the candidates with CAT sample papers for DILR, VARC, and QA, and also varies in difficulty levels. To download these papers, click on the links below.
Also see → CAT previous year question papers | 2017 - 2024
CAT Sample Papers → Level - Easy
Candidates in this section can download the CAT sample papers for all three sections. The difficulty level for these papers is easy and it is best for CAT beginners.
Section | CAT sample paper link |
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | |
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | |
Quantitative Ability (QA) |
CAT Sample Papers → Level - Medium
Candidates in this section can download the CAT sample papers for all three sections. The difficulty level for these papers is medium and it is best for those who are in the middle of their CAT preparation.
Section | CAT sample paper link |
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | |
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | |
Quantitative Ability (QA) |
CAT Sample Papers → Level - Difficult
Candidates in this section can download the CAT sample papers for all three sections. The difficulty level for these papers is medium and it is best for those who are ending their CAT preparation.
Section | CAT sample paper link |
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | |
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | |
Quantitative Ability (QA) |
How to utilise and use the CAT sample papers
If used effectively and efficiently, these papers are a great way to score above 80% in the CAT exam, and get admission in a good college. Below are some most effective ways on how to utilise these sample papers.
- Practice like the real exam with a timer and no breaks
- Check your answers after solving the paper
- Understand and learn from your mistakes
- Write down difficult questions in a separate notebook
- Start with one section at a time before moving to full papers
- Solve 1–2 sample papers every week
- Track your performance and aim to improve regularly
What Does a CAT Sample Paper Include?
A well-structured CAT sample paper will include the following questions.
- Reading comprehension passages with inference, tone, and fact-based questions
- Para-jumbles, Odd-sentence-out, and summary-based TITA questions in VARC
- Caselets, pie charts, bar graphs, and arrangement puzzles in DILR
- Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Numbers, and Modern Math questions in QA
- An answer key and detailed solutions for self-evaluation
CAT Sample Paper Solutions
Once the above sample papers have been solved, candidates can download and verify the answers from below. Candidates should score themselves as per the CAT marking scheme to understand how much improvement is required or how well prepared they are.
Section | Sample Paper 1 (E) | Sample Paper 2 (M) | Sample Paper 3 (D) |
VARC | |||
DILR | |||
QA |
