CAT 2025 Exam Analysis: Difficulty Level, Section Insights, Good Attempts and Expected Scores Vs Percentiles
CAT 2025 is finally over. The exam was conducted by IIM Kozhikode on 30th November 2025 across 3 slots. Overall, CAT 2025 was moderately difficult, with variation in difficulty across slots. VARC had readable but lengthy passages, DILR continued to be the most decisive section, and QA varied noticeably across slots.
Below is the complete combined analysis with slot-wise summaries, good attempts, and expected percentiles.
Quick Access to Detailed Slot-Wise Articles
Tap below to read the in-depth analysis for each slot:
- CAT 2025 Slot 1 Analysis – Tap here
- CAT 2025 Slot 2 Analysis – Tap here
- CAT 2025 Slot 3 Analysis – Tap here
Check InsideIIM’s CAT 2025 Percentile Predictor & Interview Shortlist Chances – Click Here!
CAT 2025 Exam Pattern Overview
- Total Questions: 68
- Sectional Time Limit: 40 minutes each
- Sections: VARC (24), DILR (22), QA (22)
- TITA Questions: 21 to 23, depending on the slot
- Overall Difficulty: Moderate to Moderate Difficult based on slot
Slot-wise Summary of CAT 2025
| Slot | Overall Difficulty | Easiest Section | Toughest Section |
| Slot 1 | Moderate | VARC | DILR |
| Slot 2 | Moderate Difficult | QA | VARC |
| Slot 3 | Moderate Difficult | VARC | QA |
CAT 2025 Section-wise Analysis
Below is the consolidated view of how each section performed across the three slots.
1. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
Difficulty Across Slots:
- Slot 1: Easy to Moderate
- Slot 2: Moderate
- Slot 3: Easy to Moderate
All three slots had 4 reading comprehension passages and 8 verbal ability questions. The RCs were around 400 to 450 words, and RC difficulty varied slightly by slot. Slot 3 saw the easiest RCs, while Slot 2 had denser passages with trickier options.
VARC Structure
- Total Questions: 24
- TITA: 4
- VA Types: Para Summary, Para Jumble, Para Completion, Odd One Out
General Observations
- Slots 1 and 3 had more approachable RCs.
- Slot 2 RCs had denser ideas and closer options.
- VA remained moderate across all slots.
Good Attempts by Slot
- Slot 1: 12 to 14
- Slot 2: 10 to 12
- Slot 3: 12 to 13
2. Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
Difficulty Across Slots:
- Slot 1: Moderate to Difficult
- Slot 2: Moderate Difficult
- Slot 3: Moderate
Each slot had a similar structure with a mix of 4 and 5 question sets. Slot difficulty varied based on the presence of dense arrangements or calculation-heavy sets.
DILR Structure
- Total Questions: 22
- TITA: 9 to 11
General Observations
- Slot 1 had one scoring set and multiple tricky sets.
- Slot 2 was the most time-consuming because the two sets were difficult.
- Slot 3 had one easy set (circular arrangement) and a manageable graph-based set.
Good Attempts by Slot
- Slot 1: 10
- Slot 2: 8 to 9
- Slot 3: 8 to 9
3. Quantitative Ability (QA)
Difficulty Across Slots:
- Slot 1: Moderate
- Slot 2: Moderate
- Slot 3: Difficult
QA was heavily dominated by arithmetic and algebra in all three slots. Slot 3 was clearly the toughest with more time-consuming questions and fewer straightforward TITA opportunities.
QA Structure
- Total Questions: 22
- TITA: 8 to 9
Topic Distribution (Across Slots)
- Arithmetic (TSD, T and W, Ratio, Percentage, Mixtures)
- Algebra (Functions, Logs, Quadratics, Inequalities)
- Number Systems
- Geometry and Mensuration
- Modern Math (limited presence)
Good Attempts by Slot
- Slot 1: 11 to 12
- Slot 2: 6 to 7
- Slot 3: 8 to 9
Expected Score vs Percentile (Consolidated Across Slots)
CAT 2025 – SLOT 1
| Percentile | VARC | DILR | QA | Overall |
| 99.9 | 51–53 | 45–47 | 47–50 | 120–125 |
| 99.5 | 43–45 | 38–40 | 38–40 | 100–103 |
| 99 | 39–42 | 33–34 | 33–35 | 88–91 |
| 98 | 33–35 | 28–31 | 29–30 | 81–84 |
| 95 | 29–30 | 24–26 | 24–27 | 68–70 |
| 90 | 21–23 | 18–19 | 18–20 | 53–57 |
| 85 | 16–19 | 14–15 | 14–16 | 43–47 |
| 80 | 15–17 | 11–13 | 11–13 | 37–40 |
| 75 | 14–15 | 9–11 | 10–12 | 33–35 |
CAT 2025 – SLOT 2
| Percentile | VARC | DILR | QA | Overall |
| 99.9 | 50–52 | 40–42 | 40–43 | 111–115 |
| 99.5 | 43–45 | 35–36 | 35–38 | 95–97 |
| 99 | 39–42 | 30–34 | 28–30 | 82–83 |
| 98 | 33–36 | 25–27 | 25–27 | 74–76 |
| 95 | 30–32 | 21–23 | 19–20 | 64–66 |
| 90 | 23–25 | 16–17 | 15–17 | 50–52 |
| 85 | 18–20 | 12–13 | 13–14 | 41–43 |
| 80 | 17–18 | 11–12 | 12–13 | 37–40 |
| 75 | 15–17 | 9–10 | 10–12 | 33–34 |
CAT 2025 – SLOT 3
| Percentile | VARC | DILR | QA | Overall |
| 99.9 | 50–53 | 43–45 | 44–46 | 115–119 |
| 99.5 | 43–45 | 36–37 | 36–37 | 99–101 |
| 99 | 39–42 | 31–33 | 29–30 | 85–87 |
| 98 | 33–35 | 26–28 | 26–28 | 74–77 |
| 95 | 29–30 | 22–24 | 23–30 | 64–66 |
| 90 | 21–23 | 17–18 | 16–17 | 50–52 |
| 85 | 16–19 | 14–15 | 14–15 | 40–43 |
| 80 | 15–17 | 11–12 | 11–12 | 37–39 |
| 75 | 14–15 | 9–11 | 10–11 | 30–33 |
Conclusion
CAT 2025 showed clear variation across slots, especially in DILR (Slot 2 toughest) and QA (Slot 3 toughest). Slot 1 remained the most balanced. Normalisation will play a key role this year.
Students should now check their percentile predictions and expected interview shortlists through Ayana, InsideIIM’s AI-powered MBA counsellor.