CAT 2025 Exam Analysis Out: Slot Wise Difficulty and Scores
2 minute read
• Updated on 1 Dec, 2025, 8:36 AM, by Ishita Tanwar
The CAT 2025 exam was conducted by IIM Kozhikode on 01-12-2025 across 3 slots nationwide. Nearly 2.95 lakh candidates appeared for the test at more than 350 centres in 170 cities. As per the initial response, the overall paper was rated moderate in difficulty, with variation across sections and slots. The exam is the primary gateway to MBA admission in over 1600 institutes, including all IIMs. The official CAT 2025 answer key is expected by 05-12-2025, followed by the objection window and result processing.
CAT 2025 Slot Wise Difficulty Level and Exam Pattern Review
Before looking at section-wise performance, it is important to understand how the overall difficulty varied across the day. Slot 1 was considered the easiest among the three, while Slot 2 was marginally tougher. Slot 3 again returned to a moderate level.
- Slot 1 Timing: 08:30 to 10:30
- Slot 2 Timing: 12:30 to 14:30
- Slot 3 Timing: 16:30 to 18:30
VARC had a strong dominance of reading comprehension passages, while Quantitative Aptitude was heavily based on Arithmetic. DILR maintained a balanced but time-consuming structure across all slots.
CAT 2025 Section Wise Question Distribution and Difficulty
The CAT 2025 paper followed the standard format with 68 total questions across 3 sections. The balance between speed and accuracy played a crucial role in overall performance.
Experts observed that while VARC was scoring for well-prepared candidates, QA was time-intensive, and DILR required strong logical clarity.
CAT 2025 Score vs Percentile Expected Range
Based on the moderation level of CAT 2025 and candidate feedback, expected score vs percentile projections have been prepared for reference. These are indicative and may shift after normalization.
Top IIM cutoffs are expected between 95 to 100 percentile, depending on category and program.
CAT 2025 Answer Key, Response Sheet, and Next Admission Stages
The CAT 2025 response sheet and answer key will be released by 05-12-2025. Candidates will be able to calculate their tentative scores and raise objections within the stipulated timeline. After the objection review, the final result will be prepared. Shortlisting for IIM GD-PI-WAT rounds and non-IIM MBA admission processes will follow the declaration of the CAT 2025 result. Final admission offers will depend on CAT score, academic background, work experience, and interview performance.
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