CAT 2025 Slot-Wise Analysis: Quant Toughest, VARC & DILR Manageable

The recently held CAT 2025 exam by IIM Kozhikode across three slots on 30 November 2025 has drawn mixed responses — while VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension) and DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning) generally remained manageable, the Quantitative Aptitude (QA/Quant) section proved to be the most challenging, especially in Slot 3.

Slot by Slot — What Candidates and Analysts Report?

Slot 1 (08:30–10:30)

• Overall difficulty was seen as “easy to moderate.”
• DILR was considered fairly doable, though some sets required careful reasoning.
• Quant was trickier than DILR, particularly arithmetic and some algebra questions.
• VARC maintained a moderate difficulty level — reading comprehension + verbal ability mix with para-jumbles, para summaries, odd-one-out and para-completions.

Slot 2 (12:30–14:30)

• Test takers described paper as moderately difficult overall.
• Quant got tougher compared to Slot 1, with heavier algebra and calculation-intensive problems.
• DILR and VARC remained similar to Slot 1, though DILR sets had a few challenging data-interpretation sets.

Slot 3 (16:30–18:30)

• This slot was reported as the toughest overall, majorly due to an arithmetic-heavy and calculation-intensive Quant section.
• VARC and DILR remained manageable — VARC had RCs and verbal ability questions, DILR had logical reasoning and data interpretation, though DILR was slightly simpler compared to Quant.

What This Means for Candidates: Good Attempt & Answer Key Timing?

• The official pattern repeated this year: 68 questions total — 24 from VARC, 22 each from DILR and Quant.
• Marking scheme remains standard: +3 for correct, –1 for wrong MCQs; no negative marking for TITA questions.
• Based on expert analysis, a good attempt range for achieving a high percentile would involve a balanced performance across sections — especially with high accuracy in VARC and DILR and selective solving in Quant.
• The official answer key and response sheet for CAT 2025 are expected to be released soon, which will allow candidates to tally their responses and estimate probable scores.

Strategic Takeaways for CAT 2025 Aspirants

• If you appeared in Slot 3, focus on calculations and time-management — Quant was the main differentiator.
• Strong performance in VARC and DILR can significantly boost the overall percentile, even if Quant was challenging.
• Wait for the official answer key before making admission decisions; raw attempt-based estimates may vary after normalisation.
• Backup plans (other MBA entrance tests or next CAT) are worth considering if performance was impacted — but don't lose hope; holistic profile matters too.

Follow KollegeApply for the latest updates on College Admissions, Courses, Exam Dates, Results, Scholarships, Career Guidance, Education News, and Policy Changes — everything needed to stay ahead in the education journey