The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2025 examination is one of the most competitive management entrance examinations in the country. Every year, lakhs of candidates appear for the CAT examination to secure admissions to the top IIMs and other institutions in the country. In the CAT 2024 examination, candidates were asked two extra questions in the Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section, thus making the total 68 questions from 66. This was a surprise in the CAT question paper as the candidates were not expecting this change. So, the candidates should know what to expect in the CAT 2025 exam. There is no official update on the changes in the CAT 2025 pattern by IIM Kozhikode, which is going to conduct the CAT 2025 examination. In this article of Careers360, we will discuss the various new updates in the CAT 2025 exam. A brief CAT 2025 vs CAT 2024 comparison is also provided so that the candidates will have an idea of what to expect in the CAT 2025 exam.
This Story also Contains
- CAT Exam Pattern
- Key Trends from CAT 2024
- What to Expect in CAT 2025
- Changes in Candidate Strategy for CAT 2025
- CAT 2025 Important Topics
- Best Books for CAT 2025 Preparation
- CAT 2025 Preparation Resources by Careers360
CAT 2025 vs CAT 2024: What to Expect in CAT 2025 This Year
CAT Exam Pattern
The CAT exam pattern is decided by the IIM that will be conducting the CAT exam of the respective year. As far as the new updates in the CAT 2025 exam from IIM Kozhikode are concerned, there is no specific change in the CAT 2025 pattern till now. This means that there will not be significant changes in the CAT 2025 pattern.
Particulars | CAT Exam Pattern and Syllabus |
CAT exam time duration | 2 Hours (120 Minutes) & (160 Minutes for PwD) |
Name of the Section | - Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) - Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) - Quantitative Aptitude (QA) |
Section-wise CAT exam time duration | - 40 Minutes for Each Section (VARC, DILR, QA) - 53 Minutes 20 Seconds for PwD candidates for each section |
Number of Questions | 68 |
Total Marks | 204 |
Mode of the CAT 2025 exam | Computer-Based Mode (CBT) |
CAT Marking Scheme | - For every right answer, +3 will be awarded - For every wrong answer in MCQs, -1 will be deducted - No negative marks for Non-MCQs |
Key Trends from CAT 2024
While the CAT 2024 examination was much more doable than the CAT 2023 examination, there were a few notable trends in the CAT 2024 examination which must be considered by the candidates. At times, the CAT examination is observed to follow similar trends of the previous years. Hence, the candidates should have a good understanding of what happened in the previous year of the CAT examination as a part of their CAT 2025 exam preparation. A few of the notable trends from the CAT 2024 examination are given below for the reference of the candidates.
Emphasis on RC-based VARC section
One of the major new updates in the CAT 2025 exam that the candidates can expect is the focus of the reading section questions in the CAT VARC section. In the CAT 2024 examination,16 questions out of the 24 were asked solely from the Reading Comphrehension section. The RC section had the greatest weightage from a single subtopic of any section in the CAT 204 question paper. Going by the previous year's CAT exam trends, the candidates can expect RC to be emphasised in the CAT 2025 VARC section. The candidates are strongly advised to consider the RC section as an important CAT VARC 2025 topic and start their preparation by solving a lot of CAT VARC questions on the Reading Comprehension section.
More Mixed-Type DILR Sets
One of the major changes in the CAT 2024 pattern was that more questions were asked in the CAT DILR section. 2 more CAT DILR questions were added in the CAT 2024 question paper, and this allowed the examiners to add more mixed-type DILR sets, which had required the candidates to use multiple concepts of various concepts to solve the questions. After the CAT 2025 examination, performing an analysis on the CAT 2025 vs the CAT 2024 comparison might also reveal the presence of mixed-type DILR sets. These DILR questions might be confusing and require abundant CAT DILR practice. So, the candidates should ensure that they cover all the important CAT DILR topics so that they can solve the questions from multiple DILR concepts. Lagging the preparation in one topic can severely hamper the answering capabilities of the candidates.
Quant section focused heavily on arithmetic and algebra
In the CAT quantitative aptitude section, more than 50% of the questions were asked directly from the arithmetic and algebra sections, which makes them the most important CAT quantitative aptitude topics. Experts have also predicted that both the algebraic and arithmetic sections will be heavily tested in the CAT 2025 examination as well. 7-9 questions can be expected from the arithmetic section of the CAT 2025 examination, which will help the candidates perform well in the examination. More often than not, the quantitative aptitude section has proved to be the most decisive section of the CAT examination and solving 13+ questions under this section with good accuracy can help the candidates to score very well in this section. One of the new updates in the CAT 2025 exam might be an arithmetic-heavy quantitative aptitude question paper in 2025.
What to Expect in CAT 2025
Having a clear understanding of what to expect in the CAT 2025 exam is necessary for candidates who are aiming to secure a good CAT 2025 score. Being unaware of the new updates in the CAT 2025 exam might throw surprises at the candidates in the examination, which might later transform into panic and underperformance. By analysing the CAT previous year question papers, Careers360 has devised a set of parameters that the candidates can expect in the CAT 2025 examination. It is important for the candidates to understand all the changes in the CAT 2025 pattern and prepare accordingly to secure a good CAT percentile.
Possible Continuation of the 68-Question Pattern
Going by the previous year trends, the candidates can expect 68 questions to be asked in the CAT 2025 question paper as well. This includes 24 questions from the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section, followed by 22 questions from both the Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section and the Quantitative Aptitude section. The sectional time limit of 40 minutes will also likely be followed, and the duration of the CAT examination, which is currently set to 120 minutes, will also be continued. But the difficulty level of the CAT examination is something that cannot be predicted. According to the past year trends and the expert analysis, the difficulty level of the CAT examination is expected to be moderate to difficult.
More non-MCQ (TITA) Questions
CAT TITA questions refer to Type in The Answer questions, which are those questions that do not come with options. 20 questions from each slot of the CAT 2024 examination were TITA questions. This alone constitutes 33% of the CAT question paper. Going by the CAT exam trends, the number of questions asked under the TITA section is on the rise year by year. Going by this trend, the candidates can expect an increased number of TITA questions under the CAT QA, DILR and VARC sections. This may variably increase the difficulty of the CAT exam because TITA questions may negate the possibility of making educated guesses.
RCs may increase in length or complexity
Normally, in the reading comprehension section of the CAT VARC, the candidates will be asked 4 passages with 4 questions each, making the total number of questions 16. Among the passages, 2 passages will be of moderate difficulty, and the remaining one will be difficult and one easy passage. The length of the CAT RC passages is generally 500 - 600 words. The difficulty level of the RC passages is increasing as this is the most scoring section of the CAT question paper. One of the key expected changes in the CAT 2025 pattern is the increase in the length of the CAT RC passages. An increase in the length and complexity of the passages is expected to be one of the important CAT 2025 vs CAT 2024 differences.
Unfamiliar Logic Game Questions in DILR
There is no official CAT syllabus released by the authorities. But under the CAT DILR section, games and tournaments are a very important topic. In the CAT2024 question paper, a question under the games and tournaments topic was asked in both slots 1 and 3. But from recent CAT exam analysis, it can be inferred that the questions on games and tournaments are becoming slightly more complex and less direct, involving the usage of multiple concepts of CAT DILR and higher-order thinking skills. In CAT 2025, also, the candidates can also expect a lengthy and complex games and tournaments section. The DILR section is one in which the candidate’s CAT time management skills will be put to the test.
Increased Time Pressure Constraints
The competition level of the CAT examination is at an all-time high. To select the best out of the best candidates in the CAT examination, the authorities have ensured to improve the standards of the CAT question papers. This would mean more difficult or time-consuming questions. It is necessary for the candidates to identify the questions that can be solved easily first. Hence, choosing the right questions should always be a priority for the candidates. Only this will help the candidates to answer as many questions within the limited time. The candidates are strongly advised to practice as many CAT sample papers and CAT mock tests as possible to make the most out of their CAT preparation and enhance their time management skills.
Changes in Candidate Strategy for CAT 2025
The CAT exam question paper is evolving every year, so should the CAT preparation strategy of the candidates. Now that the candidates are aware of what to expect in the CAT 2025 exam, they should amend their CAT preparation timetable accordingly. Some of the important changes that the candidates into the CAT 2025 preparation are provided below.
The candidates should prioritise the reading comprehension section as the question paper is expected to be RC-heavy. This means that the candidates should spend more time reading the necessary CAT materials, such which includes newspapers, blogs and RC questions from the previous year's CAT question papers. This will help the candidates to gain the much-needed CAT RC practice, which is necessary for scoring well in the CAT RC section.
As far as the DILR section of the CAT exam is concerned, the candidates should try out various questions involving various DILR puzzles and quizzes, as these types of questions are predicted to be majorly asked in the CAT DILR section.
The candidates should prioritise time management. It is essential to start by focusing on accuracy and then speed during the CAT preparation journey of the candidates. The goal should be to answer as many questions as possible with more than 90% accuracy, instead of answering a lot of questions by making the majority wrong.
The candidates should be adaptable. They should be ready for the possible changes and surprises in the CAT 2025 examination. These changes should not affect them or catch them unguarded. It is important for the candidates to solve as many as CAT previous year questions to adapt to the CAT exam pattern and have a good understanding of what to expect in the CAT 2025 exam.
The candidates should regularly visit the official websites and go through the official CAT materials for the list of any possible changes in the CAT 2025 pattern and new updates in the CAT 2025 exam.
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CAT 2025 Important Topics
It is necessary for the candidates to have a solid understanding of the various important topics of the CAT 2025 examination will give the candidates an upper hand when compared to their counterparts. Since it is expected that there will be no major changes in the CAT 2025 pattern, understanding the CAT 2025 important topics and being aware of the new updates in the CAT 2025 exam will be a game-changer for the candidates.
CAT Section | Important Topics |
VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension) | - Reading Comprehension (RC) - Para Summary - Para Completion - Odd One Out |
DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning) | - Games and Tournaments - Routes and Networks - Logical Arrangement and Ordering - Quant-Based Logical Reasoning - Graphs - Table-Based DI - Quant-Based DI |
QA (Quantitative Aptitude) | - Mixtures and Alligations - Time, Speed and Distance - Ratio and Proportion - Time and Work - Percentages - Surds and Indices - Logarithms - Linear & Quadratic Equations - Sequence and Series - Triangles - Coordinate Geometry - Permutations and Combinations - Remainders - Factors and Exponents |
Best Books for CAT 2025 Preparation
Now that the candidates are on course for their CAT 2025 preparation, referring to the best CAT books can also be an added bonus. This will help the candidates with sufficient CAT preparation through abundant CAT practice exercises and CAT preparation materials. The list of the best CAT 2025 preparation books shortlisted for each section by Careers360 is listed below.
CAT Section | Book Name | Author Name |
Quantitative Aptitude | Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations | R.S. Aggarwal |
Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT | Sarvesh Verma |
NCERT Mathematics Books (Class 9–10) | NCERT |
How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT | Arun Sharma |
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning | How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT | Arun Sharma |
Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT | Nishit K. Sinha |
A Modern Approach to Logical Reasoning | R.S. Aggarwal |
Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency | Ananta Ashisha |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension | How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT | Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay |
Word Power Made Easy | Norman Lewis |
PSC for VA for CAT | Nishit Sinha |
High School English Grammar & Composition | Wren & Martin |
CAT 2025 Preparation Resources by Careers360
The candidates can download the various CAT preparation resources designed by Careers360 using the links given below.
eBook Title | Download Links |
3000+ Most Important Words - Vocabulary Builder | Download Now |
500+ Most Important Idioms and Phrases | Download Now |
300+ Most Important Phrasal Verbs | Download Now |
Permutation & Combination - Video Lectures and Practice Questions | Download Now |
Mastering DILR Questions with Expert Solutions | Download Now |
CAT 2025 Exam's High Scoring Chapters and Topics | Download Now |
Mastering CAT Exam: VARC, DILR, and Quant MCQs & Weightages | Download Now |
CAT 2025 Mastery: Chapter-wise MCQs for Success for VARC, DILR, Quant | Download Now |
CAT 2025 Quantitative Aptitude Questions with Answers | Download Now |
CAT DILR Questions with Solution, Download LRDI Questions for CAT | Download Now |
CAT 2025 Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) Study Material | Download Now |
