CAT 2025 – Slot 1 Test Analysis
(Sunday, November 30 – 8:30 to 10:30 am)
The first slot of CAT 2025 took place today between 8.30 am and 10:30 am. The structure of CAT 2025 had no major changes compared to that of the 2024 CAT, with a total of 68 questions.
Section-wise details:
Verbal Ability (VA)
- Segmentation and question-type distribution were adjusted.
- Paragraph Jumbles were reintroduced, marking their return after a gap.
- Breakdown of non-RC questions: 2 Summary questions (MCQ), 2 Paragraph Completion questions (MCQ), 2 Odd Sentence Out questions (TITA), 2 Paragraph Jumbles (TITA)
DILR
The section also showed refinements in segmentation and the MCQ vs TITA mix
- Overall structure of the section remained unchanged: 2 sets with 5 questions each and 3 sets with 4 questions each.
- Total 11 TITA questions and 11 MCQ questions
QA
- The number of questions remained unchanged at 22
- Total 8 TITA questions and 14 MCQ questions
| Section No. | Section Name | Duration | MCQs | TITA | Total |
| I | VARC | 40 min | 20 | 4 | 24 |
| II | DI and LR | 40 min | 11 | 11 | 22 |
| III | QA | 40 min | 14 | 8 | 22 |
| Total | 120 min | 45 | 23 | 68 |
The marking scheme was +3 for every correct and -1 for incorrect. There was no negative marking for TITA Qs.
Based on the feedback received from several candidates who have appeared in the first slot, our initial estimate of the percentiles and scores*** is as follows. These estimates will be suitably revised soon after the CAT releases the response sheets.
| Percentile | VARC Score | DILR Score | QA Score | Overall |
| 99.9 | 51 | 46 | 48 | 122 |
| 99.5 | 44 | 39 | 40 | 103 |
| 99 | 40 | 34 | 33 | 90 |
| 98 | 34 | 31 | 30 | 81 |
| 95 | 30 | 26 | 25 | 70 |
| 90 | 23 | 19 | 18 | 53 |
| 85 | 19 | 15 | 16 | 45 |
| 80 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 40 |
| 75 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 34 |
*** Students are advised not to take any B-School application decision based on these initial estimates. They serve only as the first indicator of likely performance.
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
The VA-RC section consisted of 16 Reading Comprehension questions and 8 Verbal Ability questions. The Reading Comprehension section featured the addition of vocabulary-based application questions — a question type not previously seen in the CAT. The passage on “Alienists and the art of diagnosing mental disorders” was easier. The passages on “Income inequality and economic growth” and “Objections to Electronic Music as a musical genre” were of moderate difficulty and required careful reading. The passage on “Complex Systems and the dynamics of tail events” was tough to read, had difficult questions and lengthy options. About 10 to 12 RC questions could be attempted with high accuracy. Verbal Ability questions reintroduced parajumbles after the gap of a year. So, the section had 2 questions each of Summary (MCQ), Paragraph Completion(MCQ), Odd Sentence questions (TITA), and Jumbled Paragraphs (TITA). In VA, 5 or 6 attempts with high accuracy were possible. Overall, the VARC section was more difficult than that of CAT 2024 Slot 1. The LOD of the VARC section, specially the RCs, was comparable to the VARC of several SimCATs.
| Area / Questions | No of Qs. | Type | LOD |
| Reading Comprehension | 16 | MCQ | Overall: Medium |
| RC-1: Alienists and the art of diagnosing mental disorders | 4 | MCQ | Easy |
| RC-2: Income inequality and economic growth | 4 | MCQ | Medium |
| RC-3: Objections to Electronic Music as a musical genre | 4 | MCQ | Medium |
| RC-4: Complex Systems and the dynamics of tail events | 4 | MCQ | Difficult |
| Verbal Ability | 08 | MCQ & TITA | Overall: Medium |
| Paragraph completion | 2 | MCQ | 1 Easy, 1 Medium |
| Summary | 2 | MCQ | 2 Medium |
| Odd Sentence Questions | 2 | TITA | 2 Medium |
| Jumbled Paragraphs | 2 | TITA | 1 Easy, 1 Medium |
An attempt of 12 or 13 questions with an accuracy of approximately 60% will fetch around 85%ile score in VARC.
An attempt of 16 or 17 questions with an accuracy of approximately 70% will fetch 95+ percentiles in VARC.
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
Overall structure of the section remained unchanged with 22 questions spread over 5 sets- 2 sets with 5 questions each and 3 sets with 4 questions each. However, one important deviation was that half the section (11 questions) was TITA.
Overall, the Level of difficulty of the section was Medium to Difficult and it was one notch more difficult in comparison with the DILR Section of CAT 2024.
| Set No. | Area | Set Description | No. of Questions | Question Type | LOD |
| Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning | 22 | MCQ and TITA | Medium to Difficult | ||
| 1 | Data Interpretation | Performance rating of 6 employees | 5 | 4 TITA | Medium |
| 2 | Data Interpretation | Import-Export data of 5 countries | 4 | 4 MCQ | Easy to Medium |
| 3 | Logical Reasoning | Circular arrangement set involving 4 persons and 7 chairs | 5 | 4 MCQ, 1 TITA | Medium |
| 4 | Logical Reasoning | Five persons tapping yes and no | 4 | 2 MCQ, 2 TITA | Medium to Difficult |
| 5 | Logical Reasonings | Train movement from stations A to E | 4 | 4 TITA | Medium |
An attempt of about 8 questions with an accuracy of approximately 80% will fetch around 85 %ile score in DILR.
An attempt of about 12 questions with an accuracy of approximately 85% will fetch 95 + percentiles in DILR .
Quantitative Ability
This section was similar in terms of level of difficulty as compared to CAT-2024 and was dominated by Arithmetic (8 questions), followed by Algebra (4 questions) and Numbers (4 questions). There were 3 questions each on Geometry and Modern Math. The questions on Arithmetic were relatively on an easier side. The questions on Algebra were somewhat complex. In Arithmetic, the questions were from different topics such as SICI, Time and Work, Time-Speed-Distance, Ratio Proportion, Mixtures & Alligations, and Profit & Loss. In Algebra, the questions were dominated by Quadratic equations, Inequality with logarithms etc. In Modern Math, the questions were on Progressions, Permutations etc. In Geometry, the questions were on Circles-Quadrilaterals, and Coordinate Geometry.
Number of TITA (8 questions) and MCQ (14 questions) in this section.
| Area/Q Type | No of Questions |
| Quantitative Ability | 14 MCQs, 8 TITA Overall LOD: MEDIUM |
| Arithmetic | 8 |
| Algebra | 5 |
| Geometry | 3 |
| Modern Math | 3 |
| Numbers | 3 |
Attempting the right questions was the key. In general, it would be relatively easier to score about 16-18 marks but slightly tougher to score 30+ in this section.
An attempt of 7 – 8 questions with an accuracy of approximately 80% will fetch around 85 %ile score in QA.
An attempt of 12-13 questions with an accuracy of approximately 85% will fetch 95 + percentiles in QA .
THE PROCESS
At many centers, shoes and metallic objects (including metal jewelry) were not allowed. Only the admit card and the ID proof were allowed. As in the previous years, the authorities took possession of the admit cards. The candidates were given a small pad with IIM CAT Logo on the cover for rough work, and a pen – which were also taken away at the end of the exam.
TEST INTERFACE
The test interface was user-friendly and exactly the one provided in the official CAT Mock Test. A simple calculator was provided, and not a scientific one. There was an arrow provided near the question palette which when clicked expanded the question window to full-screen view by hiding the question palette & vice versa
At the end of the test, a summary of the number of questions attempted, visited, and not visited was displayed for each section.
There was a button marked ‘Question Paper’ that opened up a screen containing all the questions of the section. This was used by students for planning their approach for the section.
*** The scores and percentiles mentioned in this analysis are indicators based on the feedback from students and IMS experts. They are in no way related to the results which IIMs are expected to declare in January 2026. You are advised to wait for the results.