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CAT 2025 Slot 3 marks the conclusion of this year’s exam, and students can now check the memory-based questions and detailed difficulty insights shared by test-takers. The answer key has been released on 4th December. Until then, this overview gives a clear picture of how Slot 3 was structured, the types of questions asked, and the overall difficulty level. The CAT 2025 complete analysis below helps candidates assess their performance and understand the exam pattern before the official papers go live.
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This section covers the detailed Slot 3 analysis for all three CAT sections - VARC, DILR, and Quant. It gives you a clear view of the difficulty level, question trends, and overall exam experience in Slot 3.
Overall Level: Moderate to Difficult
Relative difficulty: Slot 3 was slightly more difficult than Slot 1 and easSlot 2.
Two RC passages were difficult.
One passage was clearly doable.
Argument-based questions were included (such as “if true” / “if false” type).
No pattern change from earlier years.
2 Parajumbles
2 Para Summary
2 Odd One Out (these were tricky)
2 Para Completion (these were doable)
Comparable to 2024 but slightly easier in some parts.
Overall, VARC leaned moderately with selective difficulty in RCs and Odd One Out
Overall Level: Easy to Moderate
A circular arrangement-based set appeared (with 6–7 friends).
A scatter plot graph-based DI set was included.
Two double-sets mentioned on the board (4 questions + 4 questions).
Incoming and outgoing calls type set.
Overall, the section felt manageable with moderate reasoning load.
Overall Level: Most difficult among all three sections in Slot 3.
Logarithm-based question
Percentages
Time, Speed, and Distance (straightforward)
Time and Work
Triangles (very easy)
One number system question
Inequality (1 question)
Surds (1 question)
8–9 questions from Arithmetic
Many questions were calculation-intensive
Despite familiarity of topics, the overall feel of the section was higher difficulty compared to Slot 1 and Slot 2.
Download the CAT 2025 question paper PDFs for Slot 1, Slot 2 and Slot 3 from the table below. These free CAT 2025 question paper PDFs also include slot-wise analysis of CAT 2025 exam, recalled questions, and early percentile predictions to help you understand how you may have performed.
Title | Download Link |
CAT 2025 Question Paper PDF Slot 1 (Memory-Based) | |
CAT 2025 Slot 2 Question Paper PDF (Memory-Based) | |
CAT 2025 Slot 3 Question Paper PDF (Memory-Based) | |
CAT 2025 Question Paper PDF Download (All Slots) |
Read More: CAT 2025 Cutoff for IIM ABC
Slot 3 is the final session of the CAT 2025 exam and is often perceived as the most unpredictable slot. Many years have seen Slot 3 carry higher difficulty, especially in sections like DILR and Quantitative Ability. Because of this, the Slot 3 paper plays an important role in score normalisation.
For students, Slot 3 analysis becomes essential to:
Understand whether the paper was tougher or easier than other slots
Estimate the percentile range realistically
Identify weak areas section-wise
Plan for the next stage of admissions (GDPI/WAT)
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This section compares the expected score vs percentile across Slot 1, Slot 2, and Slot 3. It helps you understand how performance may vary between slots and what score range could translate into a specific percentile.
| Percentile | CAT 2025 Slot 1 (Prediction) | CAT 2025 Slot 2 (Prediction) | CAT 2025 Slot 3 (Prediction) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 99.95 | 115+ | 110+ | 112+ |
| 99.9 | 103–106 | 101–105 | 102–104 |
| 99.5 | 90–92 | 89–91 | 88–90 |
| 99 | 78–80 | 77–79 | 76–78 |
| 97 | 66–68 | 65–67 | 65–67 |
| 95 | 56–58 | 55–57 | 55–57 |
| 90 | 45–48 | 44–46 | 44–45 |
| 85 | 40–42 | 39–41 | 39–40 |
| 80 | 35–36 | 34–35 | 34–35 |
| 75 | 32–33 | 31–32 | 31–32 |
| 70 | 30–31 | 29–30 | 29–30 |
| 60 | 25–26 | 24–25 | 24–25 |
Check out the following CAT 2025 score vs percentile for Slot 1,2 and 3.
| CAT 2025 Slot 1 Score vs Percentile | Click on the Link |
| CAT 2025 Slot 2 Score vs Percentile | Click on the Link |
| CAT 2025 Slot 3 Score vs Percentile | Click on the Link |
There has been no official notification regarding changes in the CAT examination pattern for 2025. Therefore, the CAT 2025 Slot 3 paper had followed the same exam structure and marking scheme as the previous year.
Particulars | CAT Exam Pattern |
CAT exam time duration | 2 Hours (120 Minutes) |
Name of the Section | Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) |
No of Questions | 68 Questions |
Total marks of CAT exam | 204 |
Mode of the CAT 2025 exam | Computer-Based Mode (CBT) |
CAT Marking Scheme | For every right answer, +3 will be given For every wrong answer in MCQs, a negative mark of -1 will be deducted Non-MCQs do not have any negative marks |
The CAT 2025 Slot 3 Question Paper with Solutions will be made available on this page shortly. This section is designed to help candidates get a clear understanding of the Slot 3 paper and assess their performance accurately.
We will provide:
Memory-based questions collected from multiple test-takers to closely resemble the actual exam.
Expert-curated solutions with step-by-step explanations for every question, including MCQs and TITA-type questions.
Section-wise CAT Slot 3 difficulty analysis highlighting which sections were toughest and which were easier, so students can gauge their strengths and weaknesses.
Expected cut-offs based on difficulty level, number of attempts, and past trends.
Good attempts benchmark for each section to help candidates estimate their percentile range.
To be updated soon
To be updated soon
To be updated soon
This section is especially useful for future candidates, who can immediately check how their performance compares based on CAT Slot 1 analysis and CAT Slot 2 analysis, and for aspirants preparing for future CAT exams, as it provides insights into question patterns, difficulty trends, and time management strategies.
By revisiting this section after the exam, candidates will be able to:
Understand the actual difficulty level of the Slot 3 paper.
Identify high-weightage topics and tricky question types.
Estimate raw score and percentile before the official results.
Plan their next steps for GDPI/WAT preparation with confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
CAT 2025 had around 68 questions across three sections: VARC, DILR, and Quant. The exact number may vary slightly each year based on the exam structure.
CAT (Common Admission Test) is a national-level entrance exam used by IIMs and many top B-schools in India to shortlist candidates for MBA and PGDM programs. It tests aptitude in Verbal Ability, Logical Reasoning, Data Interpretation, and Quantitative Aptitude.
One of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) conducts CAT each year. The responsibility rotates among the IIMs.
The official answer key and response sheet are usually released a few days after the exam by the conducting authority, the Indian Institute of Management.
Slot 3 is usually considered the most challenging session, especially in DILR and Quantitative Ability. However, the final difficulty level will be known only after analysing the memory-based questions.
On Question asked by student community
Hello,
Here are some top colleges accepting XAT and CAT exams :
Top colleges accepting CAT:
IIMs (All Indian Institutes of Management)
FMS Delhi
SPJIMR Mumbai
MDI Gurgaon
IIT Bombay (SJMSOM)
IIT Delhi (DMS)
IIFT
IMT Ghaziabad
JBIMS Mumbai
Top colleges accepting XAT:
XLRI Jamshedpur
XIMB Bhubaneswar
IMT Ghaziabad
Great
Hi there,
A female candidate with a CAT percentile of 67.97 and low sectional scores should target private and tier-2/3 B-schools that accept overall CAT scores in the 60–70 percentile range and have flexible sectional criteria.
Some suitable options include AIMS Institute Bangalore, Doon Business School Dehradun, Christ Institute of
Hi there,
Yes, you are eligible for XISS Ranchi with a CAT percentile of 67.60.
According to recent admission trends, the CAT cutoff for the PGDM in Human Resource Management for the general category has been around 60 percentile. For other programs such as Marketing, Finance, and Rural Management, the
Hi there,
Careers360 offers a wide range of eBooks and study materials to assist with CAT preparation. You can access past CAT question papers with solutions to understand the exam pattern and difficulty level. Additionally, there are quantitative aptitude handbooks, cheat sheets, and section-specific practice sets for arithmetic, algebra, and
Hi there,
The minimum eligibility criteria for a general candidate to receive a call from IIM Sambalpur are as follows:
VARC: 65%ile
QUANTS: 65%ile
LRDI: 65%ile
Overall: 90%tile
Keep practising and aim to improve your score. You can also focus on other management exams where you may secure a strong
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