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The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2025 was conducted on November 30, 2025, across three slots. This CAT 2025 exam analysis covers slot-wise difficulty levels, section-wise question patterns, expected score vs percentile estimates, and memory-based question papers to help candidates evaluate their performance. Aspirants preparing for the next admission cycle should also note that CAT 2026 is scheduled for November 29, 2026. Explore the detailed CAT 2025 Slot 1, Slot 2, and Slot 3 analyses below to understand the previous year's paper and identify important preparation trends for the upcoming exam.
This Story also Contains
- CAT 2025 Slot-by-Slot Master Weightage Matrix PDF
- CAT 2025 Exam Analysis
- CAT 2025 Slot 3 Highlights
- CAT 2025 Slot 1 Highlights
- CAT 2025 Score vs Percentile: Slot-Wise Estimates
- CAT Answer Key 2025
- CAT 2025 Question Paper
- CAT All Slots Analysis
- CAT 2026 Recommended eBooks
CAT 2025 Slot-by-Slot Master Weightage Matrix PDF
Understand the section-wise and topic-wise question distribution across CAT 2025 slots. Use past exam trends to identify important topics and plan a more focused preparation strategy for CAT 2026.
CAT 2025 Exam Analysis
CAT 2025 was conducted in three slots. Candidate feedback and expert reviews provided insights into the difficulty level of each section, including Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA). The following CAT 2025 exam analysis covers slot-wise question trends, section-wise difficulty levels, and estimated score-versus-percentile ranges.
Exam component | Particulars |
Exam date | November 30, 2025 |
Conducting IIM | IIM Kozhikode |
Number of slots | 3 |
Total questions | 68 |
VARC questions | 24 |
DILR questions | 22 |
QA questions | 22 |
Exam duration | 120 minutes |
Score versus percentile | Slot-wise estimates available below |
CAT 2026 exam date | November 29, 2026 |
CAT Stats: Registered & Appeared
The CAT 2025 examination was conducted across test centres in cities throughout India. The table below summarises candidate registration and attendance figures reported for the examination.
Particulars | CAT 2025 |
Registered candidates | Approximately 2.95 lakh |
Candidates who appeared | Approximately 2.58 lakh |
Attendance rate | Approximately 87.5% |
CAT 2025 Slot-Wise Exam Analysis Videos
CAT 2025 Slot 3 Highlights
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section
According to candidate feedback, the DILR section in CAT 2025 Slot 3 was easy to moderate. Reported question types included circular arrangements, scatter-plot-based sets, and double sets. Incoming- and outgoing-call-based data interpretation sets were also reported to be time-consuming.
Quantitative Aptitude Section
Reported topics in CAT 2025 Slot 3 Quantitative Aptitude included Logarithms, Percentages, Time, Speed and Distance, Time and Work, Triangles, Inequalities, Surds, and Number System. Some Arithmetic questions reportedly required multi-step calculations. The overall difficulty assessment should be read alongside the section-wise analysis below.
CAT 2025 Slot 3: Section-wise analysis
Section name | Number of questions | Difficulty level |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 24 | Easy to Moderate |
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 22 | Easy to Moderate |
Quantitative Aptitude (QA) | 22 | Moderate to Difficult |
Total | 68 | Easy to Moderate |
CAT 2025 Slot 2 Highlights
CAT 2025 Slot 2 was conducted from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM on November 30, 2025. According to candidate feedback, the overall paper was moderate to difficult, with DILR reported as a challenging section. The key observations below summarise the reported VARC question types and the section-wise difficulty assessment.
The VARC section reportedly contained four reading comprehension passages and was considered manageable by some candidates.
The section reportedly included two para-jumble questions, two odd-one-out questions, and two para-summary questions. Candidate feedback described the overall VARC section as manageable.
CAT 2025 Slot 2: Section-wise analysis
Section name | Number of questions | Difficulty level |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension | 24 | Moderate to Difficult |
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning | 22 | Difficult |
Quantitative Aptitude | 22 | Moderate to Difficult |
CAT 2025 Slot 1 Highlights
CAT 2025 Slot 1 was conducted from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM on November 30, 2025. The analysis below summarises reported question types in Quantitative Aptitude and VARC, along with the section-wise difficulty assessment. These observations can help CAT aspirants understand the previous year's paper and identify topics to revise for future examinations.
CAT 2025 Quantitative Aptitude Analysis
The Quantitative Aptitude section covered a diverse range of topics, including Algebra, Geometry, Arithmetic, and Modern Mathematics. The topic-wise distribution of questions is as follows:
Surds and Indices: 1 question
Coordinate Geometry: 2 questions
Quadratic Equations: 1 question
Logarithms: 1 question
Profit and Loss: 2 questions, covering Marked Price and Investment
Mixtures and Alligation: 1 question
Permutation and Combination: 1 question
Time and Work: 1 question
Time, Speed, and Distance (TSD): 1 question
Linear Equations: 2 questions
Past 10 years CAT Question Papers with Solutions
Ace CAT with confidence! Download the Past 10 Years' CAT Question Papers with detailed answers to understand exam trends, improve accuracy, and maximize your percentile.
Download EbookCAT 2025 VARC Analysis
The VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension) section featured a mix of verbal ability questions and reading comprehension passages. The topic-wise breakdown is as follows:
Para Jumbles: 4 questions
Para Summary: 2 questions
Reading Comprehension (RC): 4 passages, with 4 questions per passage (16 questions in total)
RC Passage Length and Difficulty: The reading comprehension passages were relatively short, easy to read, and appeared more manageable for candidates.
CAT 2025 Slot 1: Section-wise analysis
Section name | Number of questions | Difficulty level |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension | 24 | Moderate to Difficult |
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning | 22 | Difficult |
Quantitative Aptitude | 22 | Lengthy and Difficult |
CAT 2025 Score vs Percentile: Slot-Wise Estimates
The table below presents estimated CAT score vs percentile for Slots 1, 2, and 3. These figures are indicative estimates rather than official percentile conversions. Actual percentiles depend on candidate performance and the normalisation process across slots.
Section-Wise Score Vs Percentile CAT 2025
CAT Percentile | CAT 2025 Slot 1 Score Vs Percentile | CAT slot 2 score vs percentile | CAT slot 3 score vs percentile |
99.95 | 110+ | 110+ | 112+ |
99.9 | 100-104 | 102-105 | 102-104 |
99.5 | 90-92 | 89-91 | 88-90 |
99 | 78.-82 | 77-79 | 76-78 |
97 | 66-68 | 65-67 | 65-67 |
95 | 56-58 | 55-57 | 54-56 |
90 | 45-48 | 44-46 | 44-45 |
85 | 40-42 | 38-40 | 38-40 |
80 | 35-36 | 34-35 | 34-35 |
75 | 32-33 | 31-32 | 30-32 |
70 | 30-31 | 29-30 | 29-30 |
60 | 25-26 | 24-25 | 24-25 |
What is a slot in the CAT exam?
The slot in the CAT exam refers to the three shifts in which the exam will be conducted: slot 1 (morning) from 8:30 am to 10:30 am, slot 2 (afternoon) from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm, and slot 3 (evening) from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Refer to this article for a section-wise CAT exam review.
Which slot in CAT is toughest?
In the CAT 2025 exam, according to students, Slot 1 was said to be slightly more challenging compared to Slot 2 and Slot 3.
CAT Answer Key 2025
The aspirants who appeared in the CAT 2025 exam can refer to the CAT answer key and solutions to calculate their probable marks. The official CAT answer key has been released by CAT, conducting IIM, giving the answers to the CAT exam questions for each section and slot. Candidates can avail themselves of the CAT answer key and use it to calculate their scores in the CAT exam.
TITLE | CAT 2024 Answer Key Download Link | CAT 2025 Answer Key Download Link |
CAT Official Answer Key |
CAT 2025 Question Paper
The candidates can refer to the question papers from all the slots of the CAT examination using the links provided in the table below.
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CAT All Slots Analysis
In addition to all the information given in the article, the candidates can download and go through the comprehensive ebook designed by Careers360 experts that consists of an analysis of all the slots of the CAT 2025 examination. The links to the ebooks are provided below.
TITLE | DOWNLOAD LINK |
CAT 2024 All Slot Paper Analysis |
CAT Analysis - Changes in the Question Paper
Year | CAT exam conducting IIM | CAT exam time duration | Section name | CAT exam date |
CAT 2014 | IIM Indore | 170 Minutes | 2 Sections: 1. Quantitative Ability 2. Data Interpretation | November 16 & November 22, 2014 |
CAT 2015 | IIM Ahmedabad | 180 Minutes | 3 Sections: | November 29, 2015 |
CAT 2016 | IIM Bangalore | 180 Minutes | 3 Sections: | December 4, 2016 |
CAT 2017 | IIM Ahmedabad | 180 Minutes | 3 Sections: | November 26, 2017 |
CAT 2018 | IIM Calcutta | CAT 2025 VARC Analysis180 Minutes | 3 Sections: | November 25, 2018 |
CAT 2019 | IIM Kozhikode | 180 Minutes | 3 Sections: | November 24, 2019 |
CAT 2020 | IIM Indore | 120 Minutes | 3 Sections: | November 29, 2020 |
CAT 2021 | IIM Ahmedabad | 120 Minutes | 3 Sections: | November 28, 2021 |
CAT 2022 | IIM Bangalore | 120 Minutes | 3 Sections: | November 27, 2022 |
CAT 2023 | IIM Lucknow | 120 Minutes | 3 Sections: | November 26, 2023 |
CAT 2024 | IIM Calcutta | 120 Minutes | 3 Sections: 1. Quantitative Ability 2. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning 3. Verbal and Reading Comprehension | November 24, 2024 |
CAT 2025 | IIM Kozhikode | 120 Minutes | 3 Sections 1. Quantitative Aptitude 2. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning 3. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension | November 30. 2025 |
CAT 2026 | IIM Indore | 120 Minutes | 3 Sections 1. Quantitative Aptitude 2. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning 3. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension | November 29. 2026 |
CAT 2026 Recommended eBooks
Explore our recommended CAT 2026 eBooks to strengthen your concepts, practise exam-level questions, and improve your preparation with focused study resources.
eBook Title | Download Link |
CAT 2025 Slot-by-Slot Master Weightage Matrix PDF | |
15 CAT Myths That Waste Months of Preparation | |
8 Expert-Curated Philosophy Editorials with CAT-Style Questions | |
CAT Quant PYQs- Complete 5-Year Question Bank (2021 - 2025) PDF | |
CAT 2026: AI VS Coaching - Which is Better | |
CAT DILR PYQs Complete 5-Year Question Bank (2021 - 2025) | |
CAT VARC PYQs- Complete 5-Year Question Bank (2021 - 2025) PDF | |
CAT RC 2026: 12 Tones That Can Change Your Answer | |
CAT 2026: 10 Most Repeated Concepts in Quant | |
CAT Time & Work: Top 30 Practice Questions with Answer Key & Detailed Solutions | |
CAT Quadratic Equations: Top 30 Practice Questions with Answer Key & Detailed Solutions | |
Top 25 Reading Comprehension Passages to Practice for CAT 2026 | |
CAT 2026 VARC SAMPLE PAPER | |
CAT 2026 DILR SAMPLE PAPER | |
CAT 2026 Quant SAMPLE PAPER | |
CAT 2026 Last 2 Months Revision Plan PDF |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What are the key sections in CAT and their weightage?
A:
CAT consists of three major sections: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA). Each section is equally important, with varied difficulty levels across slots, making sectional strategy essential for top percentile scoring.
Q: How to prepare for VARC in CAT effectively?
A:
Focus on improving reading speed, comprehension accuracy, and vocabulary. Practicing RC passages, para jumbles, and verbal reasoning questions daily enhances performance in the VARC section. Slot-wise analysis provides insights into trending question types and passage difficulty.
Q: What is the best strategy for DILR section in CAT?
A:
Time management and practice are key for DILR. Analyze previous years’ slot-level questions to identify patterns in puzzles, tables, and graphs. Developing a quick assessment skill helps in attempting high-scoring sets under limited time.
Q: How to tackle the Quantitative Ability (QA) section in CAT?
A:
Focus on fundamentals of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and modern math. Practice sectional mocks and previous years’ questions to identify frequently tested topics. CAT 2025 slot analyses highlight which topics were calculation-heavy or tricky, aiding targeted preparation.
Q: Which section is considered as the toughest in the CAT exam?
A:
The Quantitative Aptitude section of the CAT examination is considered as the most difficult section because this section involves calculations. Candidates need to work on learning shortcut techniques to crack this section.
Q: Is there negative marking in CAT?
A:
Yes, 1 mark will be deducted for each wrong answer in MCQ questions. There is no negative marking for TITA and unattempted questions.
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