The CAT 2025 Question Paper is one of the most important resources for MBA aspirants preparing for one of India’s most competitive entrance exams. Every year, lakhs of candidates appear for the CAT to secure admission to top B-schools such as the IIMs, FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai, IITs, and other leading management institutes.
This article provides a complete guide to the CAT 2025 question paper, covering the updated exam pattern, difficulty level, slot-wise structure, section-wise breakup (VARC, DILR & QA), key trends from previous years, common question types, and effective preparation strategies. Students can also access slot-wise downloadable PDFs of the CAT 2025 question papers with answers below.
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Table of Contents
CAT 2025 Question Paper Pattern
| Particulars | Details |
| Exam Date | 30 Nov 2025 |
| Conducting Body | IIM |
| Number of Sessions | 3 (Morning, Afternoon, Evening) |
| Mode | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Expected Total Questions | 68Â |
| Sections | VARC, DILR, QA |
| Exam Duration | 120 minutes (40 minutes per section) |
| Marking Scheme | +3 for correct MCQ, -1 for wrong MCQ; Non-MCQ (TITA) → 0 negative marking |
Know your MBA PI Calls with Career Launcher’s IIM Call Predictor 2025
CAT 2025 Question Paper PDF Download
Download the CAT 2025 slot-wise question papers with answer keys below to review questions, check solutions, and improve your preparation.
| Slot | Session | Question Paper PDF Link |
| Slot 1 | Morning | Download Slot 1 Paper |
| Slot 2 | Afternoon | Download Slot 2 Paper |
| Slot 3 | Evening | Download Slot 3 Paper |
CAT 2025 Question Paper – Slot 1 Analysis
| Section | Difficulty Level | No. of Questions | Good Attempts |
| VARC | Moderate | 24 | 10-12 |
| DILR | Moderate-Difficult | 22 | 8-9 |
| QA | Moderate | 22 | 11-12 |
Also Read – Why CAT PYQs are Important
CAT 2025 Question Paper – Slot 2 Analysis
| Section | Difficulty Level | No. of Questions | Good Attempts |
| VARC | Moderate | 24 | 10-12 |
| DILR | Moderate-Difficult | 22 | 8-9 |
| QA | Moderate | 22 | 6-7 |
CAT 2025 Question Paper – Slot 3 Analysis
| Section | Difficulty Level | No. of Questions | Good Attempts |
| VARC | Easy-Moderate | 24 | 12-13 |
| DILR | Moderate | 22 | 8-9 |
| QA | Difficult | 22 | 8-9 |
CAT Difficulty Trends – Slot Wise (Last 3 Years)
CAT 2024 Exam Analysis
| Section | Most Difficult | Moderately Difficult | Least Difficult |
| VARC | Slot 2 | Slot 1 | Slot 3 |
| DILR | Slot 1 | Slot 2/3 | – |
| QA | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 |
Download CAT 2024 question paper PDF
CAT 2023 Exam Analysis
| Section | Most Difficult | Moderately Difficult | Least Difficult |
| VARC | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 |
| DILR | Slot 3 | Slot 1 | Slot 2 |
| QA | Slot 3 | Slot 2 | Slot 1 |
Also Check: CAT 2023 question paper with solutions
CAT 2022 Exam Analysis
| Section | Most Difficult | Moderately Difficult | Least Difficult |
| VARC | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 |
| DILR | Slot 3 | Slot 1 | Slot 2 |
| QA | Slot 3 | Slot 2 | Slot 1 |
To practice the latest exam pattern, you can also attempt our free CAT mock tests.
How to Attempt the CAT Question Paper (Section-wise Strategy)
Before diving into the paper, it’s important to have a clear approach – here’s a section-wise strategy on how aspirants should ideally attempt the CAT exam.
VARC – 40 minutes
- Start by scanning all RC passages for 1-2 minutes and pick the easiest or most familiar one to boost confidence.
- Limit each RC to 8-9 minutes (reading + solving); postpone long or dense passages for later.
- Aim to finish 2-3 RCs first, ensuring you have 10-12 minutes left for the VA section.
- Tackle VA after RCs, focusing on para summaries, odd-one-out, etc., while keeping accuracy high.
- Avoid starting with tricky para jumbles, as they consume time and disrupt momentum; attempt them only after RCs.
DILR – 40 minutes
- Use the first 3-4 minutes to scan all four sets, judging their structure, data format, and constraints, set selection decides most of your success.
- Choose one easy and one moderate set to balance accuracy and score stability.
- Avoid overly data-heavy or multi-layered sets that require large tables or long condition chains, they drain time with low ROI.
- Prioritise accuracy over attempts, solving even 1.5-2 sets well can yield a strong score, especially in tough papers.
- Stay calm and don’t over-invest time, if you’re stuck, move on quickly to prevent score loss.
QA – 40 minutes
- Start with your strongest topics, mainly Arithmetic, and quickly solve all straightforward questions to build speed and confidence.
- After the first sweep, move to Algebra and Geometry, choosing only conceptually clear and familiar questions.
- Never spend more than 1.5 minutes on a single problem, CAT QA rewards smart question selection, not lengthy calculations.
- Maintain 85%+ accuracy, even if attempts are moderate; precision matters more than high volume.
- Stay calm and focused, ignoring difficult traps and tackling each question with clear intent and discipline.
Importance of Solving CAT Previous Year Papers
Solving CAT Previous Year Papers helps you understand the real exam pattern, difficulty level, and commonly asked question types. It also improves your speed, accuracy, and time management, making it the closest simulation of the actual CAT exam.
Key benefits of practising CAT PYQs:
- Understand CAT’s exact question style & difficulty
- Spot recurring concepts and trends
- Improve speed under real exam pressure
- Get comfortable with TITA questions & interface
- Best benchmark to measure true performance
Download CAT Previous Year Question Papers:
[ https://www.careerlauncher.com/cat-mba/cat-question-paper/ ]
Common Mistakes Students Make in the CAT Exam
Spending too long on a single question
Many students waste 3-4 minutes on one question, which disrupts momentum and reduces overall attempts. If a question doesn’t click in 90 seconds, it’s better to move on.
Not selecting the right DILR set
Jumping into the wrong DILR set can trap you for 15-20 minutes. A quick 3-4 minute scan helps identify which sets are doable and which ones to avoid.
Attempting quantity over accuracy
Trying to attempt too many questions often leads to careless mistakes. CAT rewards accuracy more than volume, so maintaining 80-90% accuracy is more important than high attempts.
Mismanaging sectional time
Poor time allocation within sections leaves key questions untouched. Having a clear internal plan-like how many minutes per RC or QA question-prevents panic and improves performance.
Avoiding TITA questions
Students skip TITA questions thinking they’re tough, but they carry no negative marking. Even partial logic or elimination can fetch easy, risk-free marks.
Conclusion
Overall, the CAT 2025 question paper reflected a balanced yet challenging design, with meaningful variations across different slots. A strong grasp of the exam pattern, awareness of previous year trends, and a clear section-wise strategy remain crucial for aspirants aiming to excel in future attempts. Careful analysis of questions and answers from each slot can help students refine their approach and improve their performance.
Frequently Asked QuestionsÂ
Q: How many slots were there in CAT 2025?
A: CAT 2025 was conducted in three slots – Morning, Afternoon, and Evening.
Q: What was the total number of questions in CAT 2025?
A: CAT 2025 had approximately 66 questions, in line with recent exam trends.
Q: What was the exam duration and section timing?
A: The total exam duration was 120 minutes, with 40 minutes allotted to each section – VARC, DILR, and QA.
Q: What marking scheme was followed in CAT 2025?
A: Each correct MCQ carried +3 marks, each incorrect MCQ had a -1 penalty, while TITA (non-MCQ) questions had no negative marking.
Q: Are the CAT 2025 question paper PDFs available for download?
A: Yes, the slot-wise CAT 2025 question paper PDFs along with answer keys are available on this page.
Q: Were the questions different across slots?
A: Yes, each slot had a different set of questions, though the overall difficulty level and structure were comparable.
Q: Can solving the CAT 2025 paper help future aspirants?
A: Yes, practicing with the CAT 2025 paper helps students understand the latest pattern, question style, and difficulty level, making it highly useful for future attempts.
