CAT 2025 Slot 1 Exam Slightly Tougher, DILR Emerges as Key Challenge (Source: X/@careers360)
The Common Admission Test, CAT 2025 was organized by IIM Kozhikode. The exam began on November 30 with the first slot concluded at 10:30 am. The national-level MBA entrance exam is scheduled in three slots throughout the day. About 2.95 lakh candidates are appearing for the exam across three slots. The first slot began at 8:30 am and ended at 10:30 am. The CAT 2025 slot 1 analysis reveals that the question paper was easy to moderate. VARC had maximum questions from RC and Quants was dominated by Arithmetic. The second slot began at 12:30 pm and ended on 2:30 pm. the third and final slot will be held from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. CAT 2025 exam is beimg conducted at over 350 test centres in 170 cities across India.
CAT is India’s top MBA exam conducted by the IIMs. The score is accepted by over 1600 B-Schools in India. CAT cut off of the IIMs and top MBA colleges is always between 95 to 100 percentile. Thus, candidates have to aim for higher scores. Check here all about the exam, slot wise CAT 2025 analysis.
This year's Competition test had the familiar format, with 68 questions to be solved in 120 minutes, divided into three sections of fixed timing:
VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension): 40 minutes
DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning): 40 minutes
QA (Quantitative Ability): 40 minutes
Puri observed that even though the pattern was the same, the paper this year "felt trickier than last year".
The VARC section was doable. Verbal ability questions were easy, and the RC passages, though dense, had central themes and thus were navigable for the candidates.
Total Questions: 24 (20 MCQs + 4 TITA)
Difficulty: Similar to CAT 2024 Slot 1
According to Puri, DILR was the toughest part of the paper and “marginally more difficult than last year.” There were a large number of TITA questions, which made accuracy and time control crucial.
Total Questions: 22
TITA Questions: 11–12
Good Try: Approximately 10 questions
Difficulty: Higher than CAT 2024
QA maintained last year's level, with many number-based questions. Those who solved 11–12 questions accurately are likely to get a good score.
Total Questions: 22
Doable Questions: 10+
Difficulty: Similar to CAT 2024
Slot 1 of CAT 2025 had been a bit tougher overall, and for many students, DILR acted as the main deciding factor. Smart question selection played a major role in performance. With CAT 2025 being the gateway test to 21 IIMs and other prestigious business schools, it remains the most decisive moment in the careers of thousands of management aspirants across the nation.
Also Read: CBSE Announces Big Overhaul for 2026 Boards: Check New Question Paper Pattern Update
