The CAT Exam was held on November 30, 2025, by IIM Kozhikode. As per the student reactions from test centres, the CAT 2025 Slot 1 paper was manageable but slightly more difficult than last year’s Slot 1.
- CAT 2025 Slot 2 difficulty remained moderate-to-difficult. It was comparable CAT 2022/2023 but not easier than 2024.
- CAT 2025 Slot 3 was moderate-to-difficult overall. DILR section was slightly tougher than 2024 due to time-intensive sets and 5-set structure with 11 TITAs.
- The total number of questions in CAT 2025 stayed unchanged at 68, same as CAT 2024. VARC had 24 questions, DILR 22 and QA 22).
In VARC section, Reading comprehension passages were difficult (chat-gpt based themes) but questions largely focused on central ideas, making the section doable. Paragraph jumbles were reintroduced, marking their return after a gap. The DILR section was difficult; mix of MCQ and TITA questions. 10-15 questions are considered to be good attempt.
According to Gautam Puri, Co-founder and MD of Career Launcher, the overall paper was described as “quite tricky” and more difficult than last year. While VARC and QA were broadly at par with last year’s CAT, DILR saw a slight jump in difficulty. Speaking to Indianexpress.com, Kunal Roy, a candidate appearing from the eastern region, described the Slot 1 paper as moderately difficult.
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CAT 2025 Exam Analysis: Students' Reaction
The student feedback gathered by CollegeDunia for CAT 2025, has observed that the exam was tougher than expected, with LRDI and Quant being the most challenging sections.
While Mannat and Dhruv struggled, especially with English and LRDI.Sahar and Vaibhav had comparatively positive experiences, mainly because they found English easier and managed the exam strategy better.
Despite the overall difficulty, high scorers remain confident, with Sahar expecting around the 99 percentile and Vaibhav targeting 60+ marks.
| Candidate | Exam Difficulty | VARC Section | LRDI Section | Quantitative Section | Attempt Status | Score/Cutoff Expectation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mannat | Above average, tough | Tougher than expected | Not specified | Not specified | Not specified | Not specified |
| Dhruv | Very difficult | Not specified | Very difficult | Difficult | Repeat (2026 exam) | Not specified |
| Sahar Singh | Good | Easier side | Medium difficulty | Lengthy | First attempt | Paper cutoff 23–24; overall ~99 percentile |
| Vaibhav | Very difficult | Easiest section | DI difficult, LR easier | Difficult | First attempt | Above 60 marks |
CAT 2025 Overall Analysis (Real-time and Experts’ Analysis)
The CAT 2025 was slightly tougher than the CAT 2024, especially in execution and time pressure. The Hindustan Times published that CAT 2025 was tougher as compared to CAT 2024, with lower cutoffs due to complex reasoning and calculations.
As per India Today, the Difficulty Order of the CAT 2025 slots is Slot 2 > Slot 1 ≈ Slot 3 with the DILR (Slot 2’s singing competition set went viral on Reddit) was the toughest section.
Biggest surprises: Lengthy calculations in QA, multi-layered DILR sets, denser inference-based RCs. Expected 99 percentile: 80–90 marks (much lower than CAT 2024’s 100+)
CAT 2025 Section-wise Analysis
Student Reactions: High anxiety ("optimism ki dhajjiya udadi"); positives for smart play ("2 sets good in DILR"). Reddit: "One year after 2024 flop—stood back up."
- VARC: Consistent moderate difficulty; RC ~60-65% weightage (4 passages, inference/options tricky). VA shifted to critical reasoning (para-completions, odd-one-out) vs. factual. - TIME
- DILR: Toughest section overall; multi-layered sets (e.g., graphs, arrangements, Venn). 2-3 sets per slot, time-intensive. IMS: "Smart selection crucial; tougher in Slot 2. All sets felt tough first time." - Reddit
- QA: Moderate-tough; arithmetic/algebra ~55-60% (twists in calculations/number theory). Less geometry/modern math. CL: "Lengthy, accuracy > attempts." TIME: "Doable for prepared students."
CAT 2025 Slot 1 (8:30 AM – 10:30 AM)
CAT 2025 Slot 1 was moderate but trickier than CAT 2024, with DILR as the toughest section and two multi-layered, time-consuming sets.
- VARC had inference-heavy RCs and close options, while Quant was calculation-intensive, dominated by Arithmetic and Algebra.
- Students reported confusing RCs, time-consuming DILR, and exhausting Quant. Experts estimate ~90 marks for 99 percentile.
| Section | Expert Analysis (IMS, TIME, Career Launcher) | Good Attempts | User-Generated Reactions (Reddit & Quora) |
|---|---|---|---|
| VARC | Moderate; 4 RCs (16 Qs: philosophy, tech-society, environment, abstract), inference-heavy, close options; VA: 4 para-jumbles, 3 odd-one-out, 1 summary; vocabulary-based Qs added | 14–16 (85–90% accuracy) | “RCs were okay but options were pure evil” – u/ThrowawayMBA25 (Reddit) “Odd-one-out questions were tricky but doable” – Quora user (95+ percentiler) |
| DILR | Moderate-Tough; 4 sets (2 DI: bar graphs, sales data; 2 LR: team formation, arrangement); 2 sets approachable, 2 multi-layered; high TITA count | 12–15 (2.5–3 sets) | “Finally a decent DILR after 2 years of nightmares” – u/CATard (Reddit) “Team formation set was sitter, the other arrangement killed time” – Quora thread |
| QA | Moderate; Arithmetic 9–10 (percentages, TSD, P&L), Algebra 7–8 (quadratics, inequalities), Geometry 2–3; lengthy number theory | 10–12 | “Quants ki maa behen ek kar di” – u/QuantHater2025 (Reddit) “Did only 9 but all correct, felt like CAT 2022 again” – Quora user |
CAT 2025 Slot 2 (12:30 PM – 2:30 PM)
Slot 2 of CAT 2025 was Moderate-Tough and the toughest of the day, mainly due to DILR and QA.
- VARC had dense RCs (including a ChatGPT/AI passage) and more TITA questions.
- DILR was challenging, with only 2 of 4 sets solvable, including puzzles like the singing competition and calculation-heavy DI.
- QA focused on Arithmetic and Algebra with lengthy calculations.
Reddit and Quora users reported mental fatigue from VARC and DILR. Experts estimate ≈83 marks for 99 percentile, slightly lower than Slot 1.
| Section | Expert Analysis (IMS, TIME) | Good Attempts | User-Generated Reactions (Reddit & Quora) |
|---|---|---|---|
| VARC | Moderate-Tough; 4 RCs (16 Qs, incl. ChatGPT/AI passage), denser passages, VA heavy on para-completion, critical reasoning; more TITA Qs | 12–15 | “ChatGPT passage made me question my existence” – u/AIisTakingOver (Reddit) “VARC options were straight from hell” – multiple Reddit comments |
| DILR | Tough; 4 sets: singing competition (Venn + conditions), NUR values + arrangement, author–book–publisher puzzle, calculation-heavy DI; only 2 sets solvable | 10–14 (lowest) | “Singing competition set = official chudap set of the year” – u/DILRvictim (5k+ upvotes, Reddit) “Venn diagram + singing = I just skipped” – Quora |
| QA | Moderate-Tough; Arithmetic+Algebra ~15 Qs, calculation-intensive, minimal geometry/modern math | 11–13 | “Arithmetic questions looked innocent but calculations were 5-6 lines each” – u/CalculationKing (Reddit) “Left 8 questions, still shaking” – Quora |
CAT 2025 Slot 3 (4:30 PM – 6:30 PM)
Slot 3 of CAT 2025 was rated Moderate and marginally the easiest among all three slots.
- VARC was manageable with readable RCs and clearer VA options.
- DILR was balanced, with most students able to solve 2.5–3 sets comfortably.
- QA leaned moderate-tough, dominated by Arithmetic and a few tricky Algebra/Number System questions.
Student reactions on Reddit and Quora were largely positive, calling Slot 3 less stressful than Slot 1 and Slot 2. Experts predict that around 80–85 marks may correspond to 99 percentile, though normalization could influence the final percentiles.
| Section | Expert Analysis (Cracku, Career Launcher, TIME) | Good Attempts | User-Generated Reactions (Reddit & Quora) |
|---|---|---|---|
| VARC | Moderate; 4 RCs, easier tone than Slot 2, similar VA mix (para-jumbles, odd-one-out, para-completion), clearer options | 13–16 | “Finally a normal VARC, felt like 2024 again” – u/Slot3Survivor (Reddit) “RCs readable, VA guessable” – Quora user |
| DILR | Moderate; 4 sets (circular arrangement, graph-based DI, 2 reasoning-heavy); 2.5–3 sets doable | 11–14 | “Circular arrangement was sitter, rest were okay” – u/HappyDILR (Reddit) “Better than morning torture” – Quora thread |
| QA | Moderate-Tough; Arithmetic ~10 Qs, shorter than Slot 2, algebra/number system with twists | 10–12 | “Arithmetic still lengthy but at least I could breathe” – u/LastSlotHope (Reddit) “Slot 3 saved my day” – Quora user |
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.
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