The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2025, conducted across three slots on November 30, 2025, witnessed a moderately difficult overall difficulty level compared to last year, according to experts. The exam was divided into three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA), each allotted 40 minutes, with no option to switch between sections midway.
Experts observed that the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section of the CAT 2025 exam maintained a difficulty level similar to that of CAT 2024 but was slightly easier. Meanwhile, the DILR section stood out as considerably more challenging than the previous year. Quantitative Ability (QA) retained a difficulty level close to CAT 2024, though leaning slightly towards being tougher.
CAT 2025 Slot 1 ‘Quite Tricky’
According to an analysis by Gautam Puri, Co-Founder and MD of Career Launcher, the Slot 1 paper of the CAT 2025 exam was quite tricky and was more difficult compared to the previous year’s Slot 1 paper. There were no major pattern changes or question-type surprises this year.
The Verbal Ability section in CAT 2025 saw the reintroduction of Para Formation questions, which had been absent last year, with two questions included. Additionally, there were two questions each from Para Summary, Sentence Placement, and Para Odd One Out. Notably, the Para Odd One Out appeared in two formats: one required identifying the odd statement, while the other involved eliminating the odd statement and then arranging the remaining sentences to form a logical paragraph. According to Ramnath Kanakadandi, Senior Course Director, T.I.M.E., overall, the VA subsection was of moderate difficulty, although it included a couple of challenging questions.
CAT 2025 Slot 1: Quant Dominated by Arithmetic and Algebra
The CAT 2025 morning slot presented a marginally greater difficulty level than the CAT 2024, primarily due to challenging DILR questions and lengthy Quant calculations. In the Quantitative Ability section, there were no surprises with 22 questions spanning usual CAT topics. Arithmetic and Algebra formed the bulk of the section, while Numbers and Modern Math had minimal representation. Geometry featured three questions, reflecting a consistent topic distribution.
CAT 2025 Slot 2 Expert’s Analysis: Difficulty Level, Doable Questions
According to Gautam Puri, the VARC section, with 24 questions, reflected a moderate difficulty level similar to CAT 2022, with 10-12 questions deemed doable. The DILR section, comprising 22 questions, ranged from moderate to difficult, closely mirroring the challenge level of CAT 2023, with eight to nine questions achievable. The Quantitative Ability section, also with 22 questions and eight non-MCQs, was moderately difficult and aligned closely with CAT 2023’s patterns, based on the expert’s analysis. This slot tested candidates’ precision and time management, given the range of question complexities spanning moderate to challenging levels across all sections.
Engineering Background Aspirant Finds Slot 2 Quant and VARC Manageable, DILR Lengthy and Tough
Aryan Akhouri, an engineering graduate from BIT Mesra, observed that the Quant section in CAT 2025 slot 2 focused mostly on arithmetic and geometry, with a couple of questions each on time and work, and profit and loss, but notably had no questions on probability. Aryan described the VARC and Quant sections as comparatively easy but said the DILR section was lengthy and quite difficult.
CAT 2025 Slot 3: Moderate VARC, Tough DILR, Most Challenging Quant
The CAT 2025 Slot 3 section-wise analysis reveals a balanced but challenging experience for aspirants. The VARC section maintained an easy to moderate difficulty level, consistent with previous slots and last year’s exam, with around eight to nine questions considered doable for a 90th percentile score. The DILR section presented moderate difficulty, demanding careful time management as only five to six questions were deemed achievable. The Quantitative Ability section stood out as the toughest of the three sections in Slot 3 and across the day, with five to six questions being reasonably solvable for aspirants targeting a 90th percentile.
Students React: CAT 2025 Slot 3 Poses Tough Quant and Lengthy DILR Challenges
Abheet Pandey, a slot 3 test-taker, echoed these sentiments by calling Quant the toughest section on the day due to several time-consuming questions from geometry, algebra, and higher-order arithmetic. However, he found VARC relatively easier with manageable passages and question types he was comfortable with. He also noted that DILR was more approachable compared to earlier slots, featuring logical sets that required steady analysis rather than intense calculation.
Aditya, a 2024 graduate from IIT Dhanbad, described CAT 2025 Slot 3 as overall challenging. He remarked that Quant was tougher than usual, with a strong focus on geometry and quadratic equations. The VARC section was moderate, though one reading comprehension passage was particularly complex. The DILR section was lengthy and involved detailed analysis, posing significant difficulty for candidates.
Across all three slots of CAT 2025, candidates faced a balanced mix of question complexities requiring careful time management and strategic question selection to maximise scores. Student feedback corroborates these insights, highlighting tougher Quant and lengthy DILR sections but manageable VARC.
