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CAT 2025 Exam Analysis: Slot-Wise Difficulty, Good Attempts & Score vs Percentile
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The CAT 2025 exam is scheduled to be held on 30th November, and students across the country are gearing up to tackle this crucial test. This page will provide detailed, slot-wise analysis as each session concludes, helping aspirants understand the difficulty level, question patterns, and section-wise insights from expert evaluators. While waiting for the CAT 2025 updates, students can also refer to the CAT 2024 analysis for reference and preparation guidance. In this article, you will find a complete breakdown of each section, expert opinions on section-wise difficulty level, topic-wise question trends, and CAT strategies to approach the exam effectively.
LiveCAT 2025 LIVE: IIM Kozhikode to conduct MBA entrance exam for 2.95 lakh tomorrow; mobile jammers deployedNov 29, 2025 | 5:09 PM ISTRead More
Candidates going to appear for the CAT 2025 will have to bring CAT 2025 admit card along with a valid photo ID proof such as Aadhar card, PAN card, driving license for verification of identity.
Here are other do's candidates must follow for the exam day.
- To avoid last-minute stress, reach the exam centre at least one hour before the exam. Refer to the admit card for details on the exam time and venue.
- To avoid unnecessary scrutiny, wear simple, comfortable clothing without any metal objects and follow the dress code.
- Manage your time wisely during the exam and focus on accuracy rather than answering all the questions. Use the on-screen timer to keep track.
This Story also Contains
- CAT 2025 Exam Analysis
- CAT 2024 Slot 3 Highlights
- CAT 2024 Slot 2 Highlights
- CAT 2024 Slot 1 Highlights
- CAT Score Vs Percentile
- CAT Answer Key 2025
- CAT 2024 Question Paper
- CAT All Slots Analysis
CAT 2025 Exam Analysis
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 is expected to be moderate to difficult. A detailed CAT sectional analysis and overall CAT 2025 exam analysis will be provided here after the test concludes.
CAT Stats: Registered & Appeared
CAT exam 2025 will be held on Sunday, November 30, 2025, at 380+ test centres spread across 170 cities in India. Check out below the number of candidates who appeared and registered last year.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Total number of candidates registered for CAT | 3.29 lakh |
| Total number of candidates who appeared for CAT | 2.93 lakh |
| Appeared female candidates for CAT | 1.07 lakh |
| Appeared male candidates for CAT | 1.86 lakh |
| Appeared transgender candidates for CAT | 5 |
| Overall attendance for CAT | 89% |
CAT 2024 All Slot Analysis Download Link
| CAT Analysis | Download Link | CAT In-depth video analysis |
|---|---|---|
| CAT slot 1 analysis | Download now | Watch here |
| CAT slot 2 analysis | Download now | Watch here |
| CAT slot 3 analysis | Download now | Watch here |
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 NowCAT 2024 Slot 3 Highlights
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section
One of the data interpretations was based on the intersection of 3 horizontal lines and 3 vertical lines, while another data interpretation question was based on a bar graph. One more data interpretation question was asked in the exam, and that was based on the GDP per capita of 8 countries. One set was based on a line graph.
Quantitative Aptitude Section
A question based on the remainder theorem was also asked in the CAT Slot 3 paper. One question was based on a chord. A question based on time, speed, and distance was asked, one on an average topic, and one question was based on profit and loss.
CAT 2024 Slot 3: Section-wise analysis
| Section name | Number of questions | Difficulty level |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension | 24 | Moderate to difficult |
| Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning | 22 | Easy to moderate |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 22 | Easy to moderate |
| Total | 68 | Moderate |
CAT 2024 Slot 2 Highlights
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 that of 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 2024 Slot 1 Highlights
As the CAT slot 1 examination concluded on 10.30 AM, 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 total number of questions in the CAT exam. There were a total of 68 questions in the CAT instead of 66 questions.
- The quantitative aptitude section was observed to be 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 in jumbled order.
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 |
What is a slot in the CAT exam?
The slot in the CAT exam refers to the three shifts in which the exam will be conducted: slot 1 (morning) from 8:30 am to 10:30 am, slot 2 (afternoon) from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm, and 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 themselves of the CAT answer key and use it 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.
| TITLE | DOWNLOAD LINK |
| CAT 2024 Official Answer Key | Download Now |
CAT 2024 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.
| TITLE | DOWNLOAD LINK |
| CAT 2024 Question Paper | Download 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 an analysis of all the slots of the CAT 2024 examination. The links to the ebooks are provided below.
TITLE | DOWNLOAD LINK |
CAT 2024 All Slot Paper Analysis |
CAT Analysis - Changes in the Question Paper
| Year | CAT exam conducting IIM | CAT exam time duration | Section name | CAT exam date |
| CAT 2014 | IIM Indore | 170 Minutes | 2 Sections: 1. Quantitative Ability 2. Data Interpretation | November 16 & November 22, 2014 |
| CAT 2015 | IIM Ahmedabad | 180 Minutes | 3 Sections: | November 29, 2015 |
| CAT 2016 | IIM Bangalore | 180 Minutes | 3 Sections: | December 4, 2016 |
| CAT 2017 | IIM Ahmedabad | 180 Minutes | 3 Sections: | November 26, 2017 |
| CAT 2018 | IIM Calcutta | 180 Minutes | 3 Sections: | November 25, 2018 |
| CAT 2019 | IIM Kozhikode | 180 Minutes | 3 Sections: | November 24, 2019 |
| CAT 2020 | IIM Indore | 120 Minutes | 3 Sections: | November 29, 2020 |
| CAT 2021 | IIM Ahmedabad | 120 Minutes | 3 Sections: | November 28, 2021 |
| CAT 2022 | IIM Bangalore | 120 Minutes | 3 Sections: | November 27, 2022 |
| CAT 2023 | IIM Lucknow | 120 Minutes | 3 Sections: | November 26, 2023 |
| CAT 2024 | IIM Calcutta | 120 Minutes | 3 Sections: 1. Quantitative Ability 2. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning 3. Verbal and Reading Comprehension | November 24, 2024 |
| CAT 2025 | IIM Kozhikode | 120 Minutes | 3 Sections 1. Quantitative Aptitude 2. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning 3. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension | November 30. 2025 |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What are the key sections in CAT 2025 and their weightage?
A:
CAT 2025 consists of three major sections: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA). Each section is equally important, with varied difficulty levels across slots, making sectional strategy essential for top percentile scoring.
Q: How to prepare for VARC in CAT effectively?
A:
Focus on improving reading speed, comprehension accuracy, and vocabulary. Practicing RC passages, para jumbles, and verbal reasoning questions daily enhances performance in the VARC section. Slot-wise analysis provides insights into trending question types and passage difficulty.
Q: What is the best strategy for DILR section in CAT?
A:
Time management and practice are key for DILR. Analyze previous years’ slot-level questions to identify patterns in puzzles, tables, and graphs. Developing a quick assessment skill helps in attempting high-scoring sets under limited time.
Q: How to tackle the Quantitative Ability (QA) section in CAT?
A:
Focus on fundamentals of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and modern math. Practice sectional mocks and previous years’ questions to identify frequently tested topics. CAT 2025 slot analyses highlight which topics were calculation-heavy or tricky, aiding targeted preparation.
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.
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Hello,
Here are Documents Required for CUSAT CAT (NRI Quota):
- Academic Documents includes (Class 10-mark sheet, Class 12-mark sheet, Transfer Certificate)
- NRI Sponsorship Documents
- Other Supporting Documents (Candidate’s passport, Proof of residence abroad)
To know more access below mentioned link:
https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/cusat-cat-application-form
Hope it helps.
You can get the previous year's CUSAT CAT papers in pdf format sample papers from careers360 article. Follow the link given below from careers360 to get the the CUSAT CAT previous years question papers.
Link- https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/cusat-cat-sample-papers
Hello,
Since the CAT application form correction window is closed, you must contact the CAT help desk immediately to explain the situation, as you can't edit a wrong date of birth after submission. If it's a major error like date of birth, you may need to go to the exam center with proof and the correct admit card, although getting it corrected before the exam date is the most important first step.
I hope it will clear your query!!
Hi there,
You have to apply separately for each symbiosis college, like SIBM Pune, as they as not automatically included. The CAT form automatically includes many IIMs, but the SNAP exam is a separate test that is given for admission to Symbiosis Institute, which requires its own separate application and fee.
Hope it helps!!!
Toppers usually study 3–6 focused hours a day, but it’s not just about time — it’s about smart preparation and consistency. Focus on quality practice, regular mocks, and targeted revision.
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