CAT 2025 Exam Analysis: Slot-Wise Difficulty, Good Attempts & Score vs Percentile

CAT 2025 Exam Analysis: Slot-Wise Difficulty, Good Attempts & Score vs Percentile

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CAT Application Date:01 Aug' 25 - 13 Sep' 25

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Himanshu ShekharUpdated on 08 Sep 2025, 03:17 PM IST
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IIM Kozhikode will conduct the CAT 2025 exam on November 30, 2025. Post conclusion of the CAT 2025 entrance exam, detailed exam analysis will be available on the same page after the conclusion of all slots. The CAT exam analysis will focus on the CAT exam difficulty level, changes in the CAT paper pattern, the number of good attempts and sectional CAT cutoffs. Continue reading to explore the detailed CAT sectional analysis and overall CAT paper analysis for all slots.

LiveCAT 2025 Registration LIVE: IIM Kozhikode to close application window today; IIM admission criteriaSep 13, 2025 | 9:09 AM IST

IIM CAT 2025 paper includes quantitative ability (QA), data interpretation and logical reasoning (DILR), and verbal ability and reading comprehension. 

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This Story also Contains

  1. CAT Exam Analysis 2025
  2. CAT Slot 3 Highlights (Last year)
  3. CAT Slot 2 Highlights (Last year)
  4. CAT Slot 1 Highlights (Previous year)
  5. CAT Score Vs Percentile
  6. CAT Answer Key 2025
  7. CAT 2025 Question Paper
  8. CAT All Slots Analysis
CAT 2025 Exam Analysis: Slot-Wise Difficulty, Good Attempts & Score vs Percentile
CAT Exam Analysis For Slot 1, Slot 2, Slot 3 Question Papers

CAT Exam Analysis 2025

As per the CAT aspirants, this MBA entrance exam is on the tougher side. All three slots of the CAT exam demonstrate a similar level of difficulty. This year, the CAT 2025 exam was easy to moderate. A detailed CAT sectional analysis and overall CAT 2025 exam analysis has been provided here after the test concludes.

CAT Stats: Registered & Appeared

CAT exam 2025 will be held on November 30, 2025, Sunday, at 380+ test centres spread across 170 cities in India. Check out below the number of candidates appeared and registered last year.

ParticularsDetails
Total number of candidates registered for CAT3.29 lakh
Total number of candidates appeared for CAT2.93 lakh
Appeared female candidates for CAT1.07 lakh
Appeared male candidates for CAT1.86 lakh
Appeared transgender candidates for CAT5
Overall attendance for CAT89%
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CAT Slot Analysis Download Link (Last year)

CAT 2025: VARC, DILR, and Quant MCQs & Weightages
Comprehensive CAT prep guide with focused practice on Verbal Ability, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude.
Download Now

CAT Slot 3 Highlights (Last year)

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section

One of the data interpretation was based on intersection of 3 horizontal lines and 3 vertical lines while the another the another data interpretation question was based on bar graph. One more di question was asked in exam and that was based on GDP per capita of 8 countries. One set was based on line graph.

Quantitative Aptitude Section

A question based on remainder theorem was also asked in CAT Slot 3 paper. One question was based on chord. Question based on time, speed and distance was asked, one on average topic and one question was based on profit and loss.

CAT Slot 3: Section-wise analysis (Last year)

Section nameNumber of questionsDifficulty level
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension24Moderate to difficult
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning22Easy to moderate
Quantitative Aptitude22Easy to moderate
Total68Moderate
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CAT Slot 2 Highlights (Last year)

The CAT slot 2 was concluded at 2.30 PM. As per the reviews from the CAT exam takers, the CAT slot 2 was moderate to difficult and the pattern of the CAT exam was similar to the slot 1. Also, the DILR section of slot 2 of the CAT exam was felt difficult. The main highlights of the CAT slot 2 exam analysis are mentioned below.

  • There were a total of 68 questions in CAT slot 2 as same as slot 1 instead of 66 questions.
  • Around 22 questions were asked from the CAT DILR section in the slot 2 exam.
  • The CAT slot 2 was observed to be easier than slot 1 and slot 2 of the CAT 2023 question paper.
  • There were no questions on para jumbles in the VARC section of the CAT slot 2 exam.

CAT Slot 1 Highlights (Previous year)

As the CAT slot 1 examination concluded on 10.30 AM, November 24 2024, it was observed that there were some noticeable changes in the exam when compared to slot 1 of the 2023 examination. The highlights of the CAT 2024 slot 1 examination is given below:

  • Students reported that, there is a change in the number of total questions in CAT exam. There were a total of 68 questions in CAT instead of 66 questions.
  • The quantitative aptitude section was observed to be more easier than the slot 1 CAT 2023 question paper.
  • The RC passages were lengthy but doable according to most of the students.
  • There were no questions on parajumbles in the VARC section.
  • The level of the TITA questions had increased slightly.
  • In VARC, the questions were of jumbled order.
CAT Syllabus: Subjects & Chapters
Select your preferred subject to view the chapters

CAT Score Vs Percentile

Given below are the expected overall CAT score vs percentile along with the sectional score vs percentile CAT 2025.

Section-Wise Score Vs Percentile CAT 2025

Percentile

Score VARC

Score DILR

Score QA

Overall Score

99.5

42

30

30

86

99

36

25

25

74

95

30

20

22

52

90

24

14

13

42

80

20

11

9

35

70

18

9

7

30

Also Check: CAT Score vs Percentile

What is slot in CAT exam?

The slot in CAT exam refers to the three shifts in which the exam will be conducted, slot 1 (morning) from 8:30 am to 10:30 pm, CAT exam slot 2 (afternoon) from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm, and CAT exam slot 3 (evening) from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Refer to this article for a section-wise CAT exam review.

Which slot in CAT is toughest?

In last year's CAT, according to students, Slot 2 was said to be slightly more challenging compared to Slot 1 and Slot 3.

CAT Answer Key 2025

The aspirants who will appear in the CAT 2025 exam can refer to the CAT answer key and solutions to calculate their probable marks. The official CAT answer key will be released by CAT conducting IIM giving the answers to the CAT exam questions for each section and slot. Candidates can avail of the CAT answer key and check to calculate their scores in the CAT exam. In this CAT exam analysis 2025, we will also discuss the answer key and sectional score slot-wise after the conclusion of CAT 2025.

TITLEDOWNLAOD LINK
CAT 2025 Official Answer KeyDownload Now

CAT 2025 Question Paper

The candidates can refer to the question papers from all the slots of the CAT examination using the links provided in the table below.

TITLEDOWNLOAD LINK
CAT 2024 Question PaperDownload Now

People also search for:

CAT All Slots Analysis

In addition to all the information given in the article, the candidates can download and go through the comprehensive ebook designed by Careers360 experts that consists of analysis of all the slots of the CAT 2024 examination. The links to the the ebooks is provided below.

TITLE

DOWNLOAD LINK

CAT 2024 All Slot Paper Analysis

Download Now

CAT Analysis - Changes in the Question Paper

YearCAT exam conducting IIMCAT exam time duration
Section nameCAT exam date
CAT 2014IIM Indore170 Minutes2 Sections:
1. Quantitative Ability
2. Data Interpretation
November 16 & November 22, 2014
CAT 2015IIM Ahmedabad180 Minutes

3 Sections:
1. Quantitative Ability
2. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
3. Verbal and Reading Comprehension

November 29, 2015
CAT 2016IIM Bangalore180 Minutes

3 Sections:
1. Quantitative Ability
2. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
3. Verbal and Reading Comprehension

December 4, 2016
CAT 2017IIM Ahmedabad180 Minutes

3 Sections:
1. Quantitative Ability
2. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
3. Verbal and Reading Comprehension

November 26, 2017
CAT 2018IIM Calcutta180 Minutes

3 Sections:
1. Quantitative Ability
2. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
3. Verbal and Reading Comprehension

November 25, 2018
CAT 2019IIM Kozhikode180 Minutes

3 Sections:
1. Quantitative Ability
2. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
3. Verbal and Reading Comprehension

November 24, 2019
CAT 2020IIM Indore120 Minutes

3 Sections:
1. Quantitative Ability
2. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
3. Verbal and Reading Comprehension

November 29, 2020
CAT 2021IIM Ahmedabad120 Minutes

3 Sections:
1. Quantitative Ability
2. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
3. Verbal and Reading Comprehension

November 28, 2021
CAT 2022IIM Bangalore120 Minutes

3 Sections:
1. Quantitative Ability
2. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
3. Verbal and Reading Comprehension

November 27, 2022
CAT 2023IIM Lucknow120 Minutes

3 Sections:
1. Quantitative Ability
2. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
3. Verbal and Reading Comprehension

November 26, 2023
CAT 2024IIM Calcutta120 Minutes3 Sections:
1. Quantitative Ability
2. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
3. Verbal and Reading Comprehension
November 24, 2024

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the expected CAT 2025 difficulty level?
A:

As per the concluded slots, the CAT 2025 exam is expected to be moderate to difficult.

Q: Which section is considered as the toughest in the CAT exam?
A:

The Quantitative Aptitude section of the CAT examination is considered as the most difficult section because this section involves calculations. Candidates need to work on learning shortcut techniques to crack this section.

Q: Is there negative marking in CAT?
A:

Yes, 1 mark will be deducted for each wrong answer in MCQ questions. There is no negative marking for TITA and unattempted questions.

Q: Was CAT 2025 tough?
A:

The CAT 2025 exam was moderately to difficult, with some variation in difficulty levels among different slots.

Q: When will CAT exam 2025 analysis be released?
A:

CAT 2025 exam analysis will be released after the conclusion of the CAT exam.

Q: What will a candidate know from CAT exam analysis 2025?
A:

With the help of CAT exam analysis, candidates can know complete details related to sectional difficulty level as well as expected sectional and overall cutoff.

Q: Are question papers of CAT for slot 1, slot 2 and slot 3 different?
A:

Yes, there will be separate question papers for slot 1, slot 2, and slot 3. No questions from any slot will be repeated in the other slot of the CAT examination.

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Questions related to CAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CAT ?

Hello Aspirant,

Since your payment status shows "S" , it means your payment is successful. The "payment unsuccessful" message on the form is likely a temporary system error or a delay in updating.

Do not make another payment.

Making a second payment could cause a double debit, which is difficult to get a refund for. You should:

  1. Wait 24-48 hours for the status to update automatically.

  2. Download and save a copy of your form and a screenshot of the "S" payment status as proof.

  3. Check your bank statement to confirm the money has been debited.

  4. If the issue is not fixed after 48 hours, contact the official CAT helpdesk immediately with your transaction details.

Hello

The CAT 2025 exam is a national-level MBA entrance test for IIMs and top B-schools in India. It will be held on 30th November 2025 in computer-based mode across ~170 cities.
The registration is open from 1st August to 13th September 2025 on iimcat.ac.in .
Admit cards will be available from 5th November 2025 onward.
Graduates with at least 50 marks (45 for SC/ST/PwD) are eligible to apply.
The exam tests English, Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude in three timed sections.

Yes, you can pursue an MBA at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), Lucknow, through the CAT exam.

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Educational Qualification: A bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD candidates) from a recognized university.

  • Entrance Exam: A valid CAT score is required for admission.

Admission Process:

  1. Application: Register online through the BBAU admission portal.

  2. Entrance Exam: Appear for the CAT exam and obtain a valid score.

  3. Counseling: Shortlisted candidates will be called for counseling based on their CAT scores.

  4. Document Verification: Submit necessary documents for verification.

  5. Fee Payment: Complete the fee payment to confirm admission.

Course Details:

  • Duration: 2 years (full-time).

  • Specializations: Finance, Marketing, Human Resource Management, among others.

Placement Opportunities:
BBAU has a strong placement record, with top companies recruiting MBA graduates.

For more details and to apply, visit the  official BBAU MBA admission page

Hello Amgothu

With 305 marks in ICAR PG and being from ST category, your chances of getting an AIEEA (CAT) seat is good, especially in plant sciences and less competitive subjects