CAT 2025 Slot 1 Analysis: Exam Pattern, Difficulty Level & Key Insights
The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2025, organized by IIM Kozhikode, was conducted today, November 30, 2025, from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM. Slot 1 marked the beginning of the exam day, and while detailed student-led insights will follow soon, here is the confirmed structure, first impressions, and key exam information to help aspirants understand this year’s paper format.
Check InsideIIM’s CAT 2025 Percentile Predictor & Interview Shortlist Chances – Click Here!CAT 2025 Slot 1: Exam Overview
CAT 2025 followed the familiar structure of 68 questions spread across three sections, each timed for 40 minutes.
Key Highlights
- Total Questions: 68
- Sectional Time Limit: 40 minutes each
- Marking Scheme:
- +3 for correct answers
- -1 for incorrect MCQs
- No negative marking for TITA
- +3 for correct answers
Section-Wise Question Distribution
- VARC: 24
- DILR: 22
- QA: 22
Overall Difficulty: Moderate
Similar to CAT 2023; slightly better balanced compared to CAT 2024.
CAT 2025 Slot 1: Section-Wise Analysis
1. Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
VARC continued last year’s pattern with 4 RCs (16 questions) and 8 VA questions. Compared to CAT 2024, two para jumbles made a return, while RCs felt denser but had more eliminable options.
Key Features
- Total Questions: 24
- TITA: 4
- RC Length: 400–450 words
- VA Types:
- 2 Para Summary
- 2 Para Jumble
- 2 Para Completion
- 2 Odd One Out
- 2 Para Summary
Reading Comprehension Breakdown
| Passage Topic | Questions | Difficulty | Doable |
| Income Inequality | 4 | Moderate–High | 2 |
| Electronic Music | 4 | Moderate–High | 2 |
| Mental Insanity | 4 | Moderate–High | 2 |
| Complex Systems | 4 | Moderate–High | 2 |
| Total | 16 | Moderate–High | 7–8 |
Verbal Ability Breakdown
| Question Type | No. of Qs | Difficulty | Doable |
| Para Summary | 2 | Moderate | 2 |
| Para Completion | 2 | Moderate–Difficult | 1 |
| Odd One Out | 2 | Moderate–Difficult | 1 |
| Para Jumble | 2 | Moderate | 1–2 |
| Total | 8 | Moderate | 4–5 |
Ideal Attempts
12–14 attempts with good accuracy would be competitive.
2. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)
Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult
DILR was more challenging than CAT 2024 and closer to CAT 2023 levels. Slot 1 featured 5 sets with a mix of arrangements, graphs, and mixed reasoning.
Question Set Breakdown
| Set Topic | Questions | Difficulty | Doable |
| LRDI – Ticket | 5 | Moderate | 2 |
| Circular Arrangement | 4 | Difficult | 1–2 |
| Radar Graph – Import/Export | 4 | Easy | 4 |
| DILR – Taps | 4 | Moderate–Difficult | 2 |
| AR-Based Arrangement | 5 | Moderate | 2–3 |
| Total | 22 | Moderate–Difficult | 8–9 |
Ideal Attempts
10 attempts (covering 2–2.5 sets) with 70–80% accuracy.
3. Quantitative Ability (QA)
Difficulty: Moderate
QA had a balanced spread but saw a noticeable increase in Number System questions. Arithmetic and Algebra together dominated the section.
Structure
- Total Questions: 22
- TITA: 9
Topic-Wise Split
| Topic | Questions | Difficulty |
| Number System (Factors, Digits, Sets) | 3 | Easy–Moderate |
| Algebra (Logs, Linear Eqns, Functions, Inequalities) | 6 | Moderate |
| Arithmetic (TSD, TW, SI/CI, Ratio, Percentage, Mixtures, Max–Min) | 8 | Moderate |
| Modern Math (P&C) | 1 | Easy |
| Geometry & Mensuration | 4 | Moderate |
| Total | 22 | Moderate |
Ideal Attempts
11–12 questions with strong accuracy can fetch a high percentile.
CAT 2025 vs CAT 2024 & CAT 2023: Difficulty Comparison
| Section | CAT 2025 | CAT 2024 | CAT 2023 |
| VARC | Easy–Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| DILR | Moderate–Difficult | Moderate–Difficult | Moderate–Difficult |
| QA | Moderate | Difficult | Moderate |
| Overall | Moderate | Moderate–Difficult | Moderate |
CAT 2025 Slot 1: Ideal Attempts & Scores
| Section | Ideal Attempts | Ideal Score (2025) |
| VARC | 12 (5–6 VA) | 41 |
| DILR | 10 (2–2.5 sets) | 38 |
| QA | 11–12 | 33 |
| Total | — | ≈ 95 |
CAT 2025 Slot 1 at a Glance
- Overall paper was moderate, comparable to CAT 2024
- VARC was the most manageable section.
- DILR required careful selection; some sets were time-consuming.
- QA was balanced, with straightforward questions from Number System.
- An attempt strategy focusing on accuracy over volume would perform well.
As the day progresses, detailed Slot 2 and Slot 3 analyses will help identify trends in difficulty and expected percentiles for the exam.
