CAT 2025 Exam Analysis — Slot-wise Review (Slots 1, 2 & 3)
Quick summary: IIM Kozhikode conducted CAT 2025 in three slots on November 30, 2025. Across slots, the paper kept the same 3-section structure and sectional time limits, but DILR and QA felt tougher in places — which could tighten score ranges for percentiles this year. This article breaks down Slot 1, Slot 2 and Slot 3 and compares with last year's trend in simple language.
Exam facts at a glance
• Exam date: November 30, 2025.
• Slots: Morning, Afternoon, Evening (each 120 minutes; 40 minutes per section).
• Total questions: 68 (VARC 24, DILR 22, QA 22).
• Marking: +3 for correct, -1 for wrong, no negative for non-MCQs (TITA) where applicable.
Slot 1 — Morning (approx. 8:30–10:30)
Student and expert reactions called Slot 1 “tricky” — VARC was manageable, QA mostly standard, but DILR had a small jump in difficulty. VARC had four RC passages and usual verbal questions (para jumble, para summary, odd one out). DILR included a mix of DI sets and LR puzzles; some sets were time-consuming and a few were tough.
VARC (Slot 1)
Four passages (4 Qs each) — generally dense but answerable. Verbal Ability included para formation and odd-one-out items. Overall: easy-to-moderate for well-practised readers.
DILR (Slot 1)
Five sets with a mix of DI and LR. One DI set (Spider + Bar) looked approachable while other LR sets were time-consuming. Attempting 10 good questions would be a strong performance in this slot.
Slot 2 — Afternoon (approx. 12:30–14:30)
Slot 2 was reported as slightly more approachable than Slot 1 overall. VARC again followed the known structure with 4 passages; one passage was dense with close options. DILR gave a better spread of solvable sets compared with Slot 1, making it friendlier for candidates who avoid time traps. QA stayed dominated by arithmetic and algebra topics.
Slot 3 — Evening (approx. 16:30–18:30)
Early reviews called Slot 3 similar to the earlier slots: VARC easy-to-moderate, DILR and QA variable. Slot 3 continued the trend that small differences in difficulty across slots may change what counts as a 'good attempt' for a target percentile.
Section-wise short summary
VARC
24 Qs | 40 minutes. Mix of RC + VA. Passages dense but questions are often about central ideas. Good reading speed and careful option elimination helps.
DILR
22 Qs | 40 minutes. Sets ranged from approachable DI to heavy LR puzzles. Time management and set selection are key — prefer quick DI sets first, leave time-consuming LR for later.
QA
22 Qs | 40 minutes. Heavy on Arithmetic & Algebra, some Geometry. Standard CAT topics — accuracy and shortcut techniques matter most.
How this compares with CAT 2024
Pattern and sectional counts remained the same as last year. The main difference was slight variation in difficulty inside DILR and some slots showing more time-consuming sets. In short: structure unchanged, but spot-difficulty (especially LR) nudged higher in some slots.
Percentile impact — what to expect
Because DILR and QA had pockets of higher difficulty, score ranges may tighten (meaning fewer raw marks could separate close percentiles). For aspirants this year: accurate attempts and smart selection (not just attempts) will matter more than ever.
Quick tips for students (post-exam)
- Count only accurate attempts when you estimate percentile — avoid optimistic guessing.
- For DILR, simulate set selection in mocks (pick approachable sets first).
- In QA, focus on arithmetic speed and one-line geometry tricks.
- In VARC, practise dense RCs and elimination techniques for close options.
Sample 'Good Attempt' guidance
(Rough estimates based on slot difficulty reports — aim for accuracy over raw attempts)
Target 95+ percentile
~40–46 marks (high accuracy; strong VARC + QA + selective DILR).
Target 90–95 percentile
~33–40 marks (balanced accuracy, 10–12 in QA, 8–10 in VARC, 10 in DILR if accurate).
Final thoughts
CAT 2025 kept the standard format but added pockets of higher difficulty in DILR and QA in certain slots. That makes test-day tactics and accuracy the deciding factors this year. If you gave the test — breathe, estimate conservatively, and focus on next steps (result, sectional cut-offs, and interviews).
Updated: December 1, 2025 • Sources: expert institute analyses & student reactions.
