CAT 2025 Slot 1 Analysis: Difficulty Level, Good Attempts, Expected Cutoff Explained

CAT 2025, conducted by IIM Kozhikode, commenced today across three slots. The first session, held from 8:30 am to 10:30 am, has concluded, with early student feedback indicating that the exam was slightly tougher than CAT 2024, particularly in the DILR section.

According to initial reactions and expert assessments, Slot 1 featured a total of 68 questions to be attempted within 120 minutes, adhering to the traditional three-section pattern—VARC, DILR, and QA.

Section-Wise Analysis of CAT 2025 Slot 1

VARC: Manageable but Dense

The VARC section remained largely similar to last year’s paper in terms of difficulty.

• 24 questions (20 MCQs + 4 TITA)

• Dense reading passages but straightforward questions

• Heavy focus on central-idea and comprehension-based items

• Difficulty level aligned with CAT 2024 Slot 1

DILR: Slightly Tougher

This section saw a marginal increase in difficulty.

• 22 questions

• Around 11–12 TITA questions

• A “good attempt” is estimated at 10 questions

• Students found the sets more time-consuming and complex compared to last year

QA: Comparable to 2024, Number-Focused

The Quantitative Ability section maintained a similar profile to last year’s paper.

• 22 questions

• Strong emphasis on number system and arithmetic-based questions

• 10+ attempts considered comfortable; 11–12 may provide an advantage

• Overall feel was moderately tricky

Overall Takeaway

CAT 2025 Slot 1 was moderately tougher than CAT 2024, primarily due to a challenging DILR segment. As CAT remains the primary entrance test for admission to the country’s premier B-schools, including the 21 IIMs, Slot 1’s difficulty level sets expectations for the remaining slots.

Slot 2 and Slot 3 analysis will be updated as the exam progresses.