CAT 2025 Difficulty Level: CAT 2025 exam was conducted successfully on November 30th, 2025, in three slots – Slot 1, Slot 2, and Slot 3. in this blog we have shared the CAT slot-wise difficulty level for all three slots. Candidates who appeared for the CAT exam today can check the analysis and difficulty.
Students can refine their preparation strategy by analysing the past year’s difficulty level and preparing themselves for the final D-Day!
Latest Updates – Check Live CAT Percentile Predictor 2025 based on Response sheet Here
Table of Contents
CAT 2025 Slot 1 Analysis & Difficulty Level (Updated)
The first slot was conducted successfully at 10:30 AM. It was noted that QA was doable in terms of difficulty level with most of the number-based questions, DILR was difficult than last year and similar to CAT exam 2023 and CAT 2022 was similar. VARC was similar to last year.
The difficulty level of CAT 2025 – Slot 1 was moderate. The section-wise level of difficulty was as follows:
- VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension): Moderate
- DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning): Moderate to difficult
- QA (Quantitative Ability): Moderate.
CAT 2025 Slot 1 Analysis
| Section | No. of questions | Questions | Difficulty Level |
| VARC | 24 | 4 Passages * 4 Questions
2 Para summary, 2 Para Jumble 2 Para completion, 2 Odd one out |
Moderate |
| DILR | 22 | 2 Sets * 5 Questions
3 Sets * 4 Questions |
Moderate – Difficult |
| QA | 22 | Algebra – 8, Arithmetic- 7, Geometry- 2,
Number System- 4-5, Modern Maths- 1 |
Moderate |
| Total | 68 | Moderate |
CAT 2025 Slot 2 Analysis & Difficulty Level (Updated)
The 2nd slot of CAT 2025 was over at 02:30 PM. It was noted that CAT 2025 Slot 2 was similar to Slot 1. In the Verbal section, the passages remained readable, but the questions were tougher than in Slot 1. DILR was very similar to Slot 1.
The CAT 2025 live exam analysis is live now for slot 2!
The difficulty level of CAT 2025 – Slot 2 was moderate. The section-wise level of difficulty was as follows:
- VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension): Moderate
- DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning): Moderate to Difficult
- QA (Quantitative Ability): Moderate To Difficult.
CAT 2025 Slot 2 Detailed Analysis
| Section | No. of questions | Questions | Non MCQ Questions | Time in Minutes | Difficulty Level | No. of Doable Questions |
| VARC | 24 | 4 Passages * 4 Questions
2 Parajumbles, 2 Parasummary, 2 Paracompletion, 2 Odd one out |
4 | 40 | Moderate | 2 RC + 4 VA (10-12) |
| DILR | 22 | 2 Sets * 5 Questions
3 Sets * 4 Questions |
10 | 40 | Moderate – Difficult | 2-2.5 sets (8-9 Qs) |
| QA | 22 | Algebra – 7, Arithmetic- 8,
Geometry- 3 , Number System- 4, Modern Maths- 0 |
7-8 | 40 | Moderate | 6-7 Qs |
| Total | 68 | 22-23 | 120 | Moderate | 24-28 |
CAT 2025 Slot 3 Analysis & Difficulty Level
The overall breakup of CAT 2025 Slot 3 paper with section-wise marking scheme and difficulty level of the exam has been tabulated below.
| CAT Exam Sections | Number of Questions | Questions (topics) | TITA
(Type in The Answer) |
Difficulty Level | Number of Doable Questions |
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 24 | 4 Passages * 4 Questions
2 Parajumbles, 2 Parasummary, 2 Paracompletion, 2 Odd one out |
4 | Easy to Moderate | 8-9(Net correct) |
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 22 | 2 Sets * 5 Questions3 Sets * 4 Questions | 11 | Moderate | 5-6 (Net correct) |
| Quantitative Ability (QA) | 22 | Algebra – 7, Arithmetic- 8,Geometry- 3 , Number System- 4,
Modern Maths- 0 |
8 | Difficult | 5-6 (Net correct) |
| TOTAL | 68 | 23 | Moderate to Difficult |
CAT Exam Pattern 2025
The Expected CAT Exam Pattern 2025 is:
| Total duration | 120 Minutes |
| Sectional Duration | 40 Minutes each |
| Sections | VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension), DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning), QA (Quantitative Ability) |
| Total questions (expected) | 68 questions |
| Sectional Questions | (24 in VARC, 22 each in DILR & QA) |
| Marking scheme | +3 for correct MCQs, −1 for incorrect MCQs, no negative for TITA (Type In The Answer) questions. |
Also read: CAT exam day guidelines 2025
CAT 2025 Expected Difficulty Level
| Section | Past Trends (2019-24) | CAT 2025 Difficulty Level | Score For 99%ile |
| VARC | Fluctuating (Moderate→Tough) | Easier to Moderate | 41 |
| DILR | High variability | Moderate to difficult | 38 |
| QA | Mostly Moderate | Moderate | 33 |
Also Read – CAT 2025 Score vs Percentile
CAT 2025 Section-Wise Difficulty Level Analysis of Past 5 Years
CAT VARC Previous Year Analysis
- The Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension section has remained relatively consistent in difficulty across CAT, with the nature of passages differing in each, while in VA part, there were no questions in 2024.
- VARC in 2023 was easier than in 2022.
- The VARC section was moderate in level of difficulty, making it similar to CAT 2020. VARC was slightly lengthy in 2021, which was contrary to expectations. There were a total of 24 questions to be attempted in 40 minutes.
CAT 2025 Expected Score And Net Questions For VARC Section
| Percentile Rank | Score | Net Qs |
| 99.5 | 45 | 16 |
| 99 | 41 | 15 |
| 97 | 34 | 12 |
| 95 | 30 | 11 |
| 90 | 29 | 10 |
| 85 | 20 | 8 |
| 80 | 18 | 7 |
Also read: How to approach RCs and Para Jumbles in CAT 2025 VARC section
CAT DILR Previous Year Analysis
- CAT 2024 Slot 1 DILR is significantly easier than CAT 2023, with several sets rated “Easy-Moderate”. There were 5 sets instead of 4 in 2024.
- Among the CAT 2023 slots, DILR was the most difficult in Slot 1
- Historical CL blog posts underscore that DILR has witnessed the highest variability in difficulty across years.
- The DILR section had 20 questions distributed across 4 sets, with 5 questions each. CAT 2022 DILR was difficult than the CAT 2021 DILR section. The number of non-MCQs was 6. The total number of doable questions was around 8-10.
- The DILR section in CAT 2021 consisted of 20 questions, distributed across 4 sets (4+4+6+6). DILR went back to CAT 2020 level of difficulty and was moderate to difficult; the number of non-MCQs was 5.
CAT 2025 Expected Score And Net Questions For DILR Section
| Percentile Rank | Score | Net Qs |
| 99.5 | 41 | 14 |
| 99 | 38 | 13 |
| 97 | 31 | 11 |
| 95 | 28 | 10 |
| 90 | 23 | 8 |
| 85 | 19 | 7 |
| 80 | 17 | 6 |
Also read: How to improve Speed and accuracy in CAT 2025 DILR Section
CAT Quantitative Ability Previous Years Analysis
- CL’s CAT 2024 Slot 1 QA is tagged as “Moderate” and easier than the prior year. CL analysis notes that Arithmetic and Algebra dominate, with Geometry and Modern Math playing selective roles.
- The CAT 2023 QA section was difficult compared to the CAT 2022 QA
- The QA section of CAT 2022 was easy to moderate in terms of the level of difficulty. It had 22 questions to be attempted in 40 minutes. The section had 8 non-MCQs. Arithmetic dominated this section.
- The QA section of CAT 2021 was similar to that of CAT 2018 and CAT 2020, in terms of LOD. It had 22 short and sweet questions to be attempted in 40 minutes. The section had 8 non-MCQs.
CAT 2025 Expected Score And Net Questions For QA Section
| Percentile Rank | Score | Net Qs |
| 99.5 | 37 | 13 |
| 99 | 33 | 12 |
| 97 | 25 | 9 |
| 95 | 22 | 8 |
| 90 | 19 | 7 |
| 85 | 14 | 5 |
| 80 | 11 | 4 |
Also read: How to Improve Accuracy in CAT QA section
CAT Difficulty Level 2025 Trends – Importance
- Consistency in pattern –The data would help students understand the section-wise format, which has stabilised in recent years.
- Normalisation across slots – candidates must know that slot difficulty differences persist, and accurate expectation helps aspirants adapt.
- Effective time strategy – When you know a section is likely to be “moderate”, you can allocate time differently rather than chase the peak difficulty scenario.
Also read: Is 99%ile enough in CAT for Top IIMs?
How to Prepare For CAT 2025 Based on Previous Years Difficulty
- Focus on accuracy over volume: With Quant and DILR trending moderately, it’s smarter to aim for fewer, solid attempts than many weak ones.
- Target RC mastery: Given the expectation of tougher RCs, daily reading of diversified topics and timed RC drills will help you handle the inference overload.
- Timed sectional mocks: Use CL’s sectional mocks to simulate 40-minute time windows, especially for DILR, where selection matters.
- Analyse every mock: CL stresses the importance of identifying topic-wise weak areas, especially for ARITH/ALG in QA and arrangements/networks in DILR.
Conclusion
With the help of our consistent analysis of CAT exam patterns over the last five years, aspirants can approach CAT 2025 with much more clarity.
If you align your preparation with these insights drawn directly from CL’s analysis, you’ll be in a much stronger position on exam day.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Will CAT 2025 be harder than CAT 2024?
While it is difficult to affirm whether CAT 2025 will be harder than CAT 2024, as per our projection, VARC section is expected to be on the easier side, while DILR is expected to be easy to moderate, and QA is expected to be moderate to difficult.
2. Which section is likely to be toughest in CAT 2025?
DILR and QA may edge out the toughest spot, given the trend of higher variability in DILR and speed in QA.
3. How many marks would typically fetch 99th percentile in CAT based on CL data?
CL estimates for CAT 2024 put the 99 percentile at around 103 marks. This year, the expectation is that around a 95 score could fetch 99 percentile.
