Official CAT 2018 Convenor Archive• Convenor Master Key Verified

CAT 2018 Question Paper (All Slots Archive)

Complete official CAT 2018 exam papers across Slot 1, Slot 2, and Slot 3 with verified IIM answer keys and step-by-step explanations.

200 Total Questions
MCQ: 146 (+3 / -1)
TITA: 54 (0 Negative Penalty)

CAT Direct Answer Fact Sheet & Citation Summary

Structured Knowledge Graph • Verified Academic Analysis
Updated for CAT 2026: 1 November 2026
Total Question Pool
200 Qs
146 MCQ + 54 TITA
99%ile Score Benchmark
75–78 Marks (out of 198, ~38–40% raw accuracy across all 3 sections)
Scoring Scheme
+3 / -1 / 0
Zero penalty on TITA
Testing Interface
TCS iON CBT
On-Screen Calc Enabled
IIM Exam Strategy & Score Maximization Directives
1Balanced Sectional Cutoffs: Aim for at least 80–85%ile in every individual section (QA, DILR, VARC) to clear the first-stage shortlist criteria for IIM BLACKI calls.
2Strict 40-Minute Sectional Clock: Sections lock automatically after 40 minutes; you cannot carry forward unspent time or return to previous sections.
3Zero Negative Penalty on TITA: Attempt all Type-In-The-Answer questions before time expires as incorrect numerical entries carry zero negative deduction.
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Editorial & Academic Authority: Verified by ThinkCAT Academic & Editorial Council.
Citation Format: ThinkCAT Academic Archive (thinkcat.in)

Official CAT 2018 Exam Slots (Complete Line Entry Directory)

Individual exam slot question papers with convening IIM details, timing, sectional cuts, and CBT mocks.

2 Official Slots
Slot & TimingConvenor IIMBlueprint99%ile BenchmarkSectional BreakdownFull Paper & Mock
Slot 1Morning Session (8:30 AM – 10:30 AM IST)IIM Calcutta100 Qs / 300 M~154 Marks
Slot 2Afternoon Session (12:30 PM – 2:30 PM IST)IIM Calcutta100 Qs / 300 M~154 Marks
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Official Exam Questions & Explanations (25 of 200)

Sorted in official convenor sequence
Question 1 of 200
CAT 2018 Slot 1QAAlgebra • Progression & SeriesModerate
Let x,y,zx, y, z be three positive real numbers in a geometric progression such that x<y<zx<y<z. If 55 x, 16 y , and 12z12 z are in an arithmetic progression then the common ratio of the geometric progression is
Question 2 of 200
Humans and robots can both perform a job but at different efficiencies. Fifteen humans and five robots working together take thirty days to finish the job, whereas five humans and fifteen robots working together take sixty days to finish it. How many days will fifteen humans working together (without any robot) take to finish it?
Question 3 of 200
A tank is fitted with pipes, some filling it and the rest draining it. All filling pipes fill at the same rate, and all draining pipes drain at the same rate. The empty tank gets completely filled in 6 hours when 6 filling and 5 draining pipes are on, but this time becomes 60 hours when 5 filling and 6 draining pipes are on. In how many hours will the empty tank get completely filled when one draining and two filling pipes are on?
TITA Answer:
Question 4 of 200
CAT 2018 Slot 1QAGeometry • QuadrilateralsModerate
Points E,F,G,HE, F, G, H lie on the sides AA B, B C, C D , and DD A , respectively, of a square ABCDA B C D. If EFGHE F G H is also a square whose area is 62.5%62.5 \% of that of ABCDABCD and CGCG is longer than EBEB , then the ratio of length of EBEB to that of CGCG is
Question 5 of 200
Given an equilateral triangle T1\mathrm{T} 1 with side 24 cm24 \mathrm{~cm} , a second triangle T2\mathrm{T} 2 is formed by joining the midpoints of the sides of T1\mathrm{T} 1. Then a third triangle T3\mathrm{T} 3 is formed by joining the midpoints of the sides of T2\mathrm{T} 2. If this process of forming triangles is continued, the sum of the areas, in sq cm , of infinitely many such triangles T1, T2, T3,…\mathrm{T} 1, \mathrm{~T} 2, \mathrm{~T} 3, \ldots will
Question 6 of 200
If xx is a positive quantity such that 2x=3log⁡522^x = 3^{\log_5 2} , then xx is equal to
Question 7 of 200
CAT 2018 Slot 1QAArithmetic • Mixture & AlligationModerate
A trader sells 10 litres of a mixture of paints AA and BB , where the amount of BB in the mixture does not exceed that of AA. The cost of paint A per litre is Rs. 8 more than that of paint B. If the trader sells the entire mixture for Rs. 264 and makes a profit of 10%10 \% , then the highest possible cost of paint B, in Rs. per litre, is
Question 8 of 200
CAT 2018 Slot 1QAArithmetic • Ratio, Proportion & VariationModerate
Raju and Lalitha originally had marbles in the ratio 4:94:9. Then Lalitha gave some of her marbles to Raju. As a result, the ratio of the number of marbles with Raju to that with Lalitha became 5:65:6. What fraction of her original number of marbles was given by Lalitha to Raju?
Question 9 of 200
When they work alone, BB needs 25%25 \% more time to finish a job than AA does. They two finish the job in 13 days in the following manner: AA works alone till half the job is done, then AA and BB work together for four days, and finally BB works alone to complete the remaining 5%5\% of the job. In how many days can BB alone finish the entire job?
Question 10 of 200
Two types of tea, AA and BB , are mixed and then sold at Rs. 40 per kg. The profit is 10%10 \% if A and B are mixed in the ratio 3:23: 2 , and 5%5 \% if this ratio is 2:32: 3. The cost prices, per kg , of AA and BB are in the ratio
Question 11 of 200
CAT 2018 Slot 1QAArithmetic • Mean, Median & ModeModerate
In an apartment complex, the number of people aged 51 years and above is 30 and there are at most 39 people whose ages are below 51 years. The average age of all the people in the apartment complex is 38 years. What is the largest possible average age, in years, of the people whose ages are below 51 years?
Question 12 of 200
In a circle with center OO and radius 1 cm1 \mathrm{~cm} , an arc ABA B makes an angle 60 degrees at OO. Let RR be the region bounded by the radii OA,OB\mathrm{OA}, \mathrm{OB} and the arc ABAB . If CC and DD are two points on OAOA and OBOB , respectively, such that OC=OD\mathrm{OC}=\mathrm{OD} and the area of triangle OCDOCD is half that of RR , then the length of OCOC , in cm , is
Question 13 of 200
CAT 2018 Slot 1QANumber Systems • MiscellaneousModerate
The number of integers xx such that 0.25<2x<2000.25 < 2^x < 200 , and 2x+22^x + 2 is perfectly divisible by either 3 or 44 , is
TITA Answer:
Question 14 of 200
Let ABCDABCD be a rectangle inscribed in a circle of radius 13 cm13 \mathrm{~cm}. Which one of the following pairs can represent, in cm , the possible length and breadth of ABCDABCD ?
Question 15 of 200
CAT 2018 Slot 1QAGeometry • QuadrilateralsModerate
In a parallelogram ABCDABCD of area 72sqcm72 \mathrm{sq} \mathrm{cm} , the sides CDCD and ADAD have lengths 9 cm9 \mathrm{~cm} and 16 cm16 \mathrm{~cm} , respectively. Let P be a point on CDC D such that APA P is perpendicular to CDC D. Then the area, in sq cm, of triangle APDA P D is
Question 16 of 200
CAT 2018 Slot 1QAAlgebra • IndicesModerate
Given that x2018x^{2018}y^{2017} = 1/2andandx^{2016}y2019=8,thevalueofy^{2019} = 8 , the value ofx^2 + y^3$ is
Question 17 of 200
In an examination, the maximum possible score is NN while the pass mark is 45%45\% of NN. A candidate obtains 36 marks, but falls short of the pass mark by 68%68\%. Which one of the following is then correct?
Question 18 of 200
CAT 2018 Slot 1QAAlgebra • Minima & MaximaModerate
Let f(x)=min2x2,52−5xf(x) = min{2x², 52-5x}, where x is any positive real number. Then the maximum possible value of f(x)f(x) is
TITA Answer:
Question 19 of 200
Point PP lies between points AA and BB such that the length of BPBP is thrice that of APAP . Car 1 starts from AA and moves towards BB . Simultaneously, car 2 starts from BB and moves towards AA. Car 2 reaches PP one hour after car 1 reaches PP. If the speed of car 2 is half that of car 11 , then the time, in minutes, taken by car 1 in reaching PP from AA is
TITA Answer:
Question 20 of 200
CAT 2018 Slot 1QAArithmetic • Simple & Compound InterestModerate
John borrowed Rs.2,10,0002,10,000 from a bank at an interest rate of 10%10 \% per annum, compounded annually. The loan was repaid in two equal installments, the first after one year and the second after another year. The first installment was interest of one year plus part of the principal amount, while the second was the rest of the principal amount plus due interest thereon. Then each installment, in Rs., is
TITA Answer:
Question 21 of 200
CAT 2018 Slot 1QAArithmetic • Mean, Median & ModeModerate
A CAT aspirant appears for a certain number of tests. His average score increases by 1 if the first 10 tests are not considered, and decreases by 1 if the last 10 tests are not considered. If his average scores for the first 10 and the last 10 tests are 20 and 30, respectively, then the total number of tests taken by him is
TITA Answer:
Question 22 of 200
Train TT leaves station XX for station YY at 3pm3 \mathrm{pm}. Train SS , traveling at three quarters of the speed of TT , leaves YY for XX at 4pm4 \mathrm{pm}. The two trains pass each other at a station ZZ , where the distance between XX and ZZ is three-fifths of that between XX and YY. How many hours does train TT take for its journey from XX to YY ?
TITA Answer:
Question 23 of 200
CAT 2018 Slot 1QAGeometry • SolidsModerate
A right circular cone, of height 12ft, stands on its base which has diameter 8ft. The tip of the cone is cut off with a plane which is parallel to the base and 9ft from the base. With π=22/7\pi = 22/7 , the volume, in cubic ft, of the remaining part of the cone is
TITA Answer:
Question 24 of 200
If log⁡1281=p\log_{12}81 = p , then 34−p4+p3\frac{4-p}{4+p} is equal to
Question 25 of 200
A wholesaler bought walnuts and peanuts, the price of walnut per kg being thrice that of peanut per kg . He then sold 8 kg8 \mathrm{~kg} of peanuts at a profit of 10%10 \% and 16 kg16 \mathrm{~kg} of walnuts at a profit of 20%20 \% to a shopkeeper. However, the shopkeeper lost 5 kg5 \mathrm{~kg} of walnuts and 3 kg3 \mathrm{~kg} of peanuts in transit. He then mixed the remaining nuts and sold the mixture at Rs. 166 per kg, thus making an overall profit of 25%25 \%. At what price, in Rs. per kg, did the wholesaler buy the walnuts?
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Frequently Asked Questions about CAT 2018 Question Paper (All Slots Archive)

How many slots were conducted in CAT 2018?

CAT 2018 was conducted in 2 distinct exam slots by the conducting IIM convenor.

Can I solve slot-wise papers for CAT 2018?

Yes! You can explore individual slot papers (Slot 1, Slot 2, Slot 3) or individual sectional cuts (QA, DILR, VARC) using the links below.

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