CAT 2025 Slot-3 Analysis
Section Breakdown, Difficulty Level & Expected Percentiles
The CAT 2025 examination, conducted on 30 November 2025, adhered to its long-standing tradition of being held on the last Sunday of November. Administered across three slots, this year’s test was conducted by IIM Kozhikode and followed the standard CAT structure: a 120-minute exam comprising VARC, DILR, and QA, with a marking scheme of +3/–1 for MCQs and +3/0 for TITA questions. As expected, no changes were introduced to the exam pattern when compared to CAT 2024.
This detailed breakdown provides a complete overview of CAT 2025 Slot-1, including section-wise insights, difficulty levels, slot-wise differences, and expected percentile ranges. The morning session forms the basis of our CAT 2025 Slot-1 Analysis in this page, while the afternoon and evening sessions are similarly in a different article.
Our insights are derived from first-hand exam experience:
- Slot 1: Varun Krishnan
- Slot 2: Kushal Bohra
- Slot 3: Ajay Zener
Their combined perspectives enable a reliable and data-backed CAT 2025 Exam Analysis, helping aspirants understand how the paper performed across sessions and what it means for percentile expectations.
CAT 2025 Slot-3 Analysis: The CAT 2025 Slot-3 paper closely mirrored the structure and difficulty level of Slot-1. Similar to the morning and afternoon session, Slot-2 featured two TITA parajumble questions in the VARC section.
The DILR section once again had only one graph-based question, the other questions were LR / Numerical Login based questions. QA continued the same trend, with the majority of questions drawn from Arithmetic and Algebra, together contributing roughly 16 questions.
Overall, the CAT 2025 Slot-3 pattern remained fully consistent with Slot-1 and a bit tougher than slot-2 with no change in the number of questions or the broad categories tested across sections.
CAT 2025 Pattern
| Section | Questions | MCQ | TITA | Time | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VARC | 24 | 22 | 2 | 40 mins | 72 |
| DILR | 22 | 12 | 10 | 40 mins | 66 |
| QA | 22 | 14 | 8 | 40 mins | 66 |
| Total | 68 | 48 | 20 | 120 mins | 204 |
CAT 2025 Exam Analysis: Table of Contents
CAT 2025 Slot -3 Analysis
Detailed Slot 1 Analysis
Will be available on 30th November at 19:30 PM
The CAT 2025 Slot-3 Analysis shows that the paper was slightly higher on the difficulty level as compared to slot-2 and comparable to that of slot-1. The DILR section was LR heavy and there and the questions were mostly based on numerical logic. It was similar to that of morning slot and tougher than the afternoon slot.
Like the other slots the slot-3 also had two parajumble questions in the VARC section. Students reported that two sets were doable in the DILR section. The QA section was dominated by Arithmetic and Algebra questions.
Across DILR and QA sections, candidates who began with a quick scan of the paper were able to identify several easy and moderate-level questions, helping them maintain high accuracy without unnecessary time pressure. The structure rewarded smart question selection over deep engagement with overly complex problems. Based on the overall difficulty and student feedback, 40–44 meaningful attempts with strong accuracy were likely required to reach the 99th percentile in CAT 2025 Slot-3.
| Section | Questions | MCQ | TITA |
|---|---|---|---|
| VARC | 24 | 20 | 4 |
| DILR | 22 | 14 | 8 |
| QA | 22 | 16 | 6 |
| Total | 68 | 50 | 18 |
Analysis: The CAT 2025 Slot-3 paper was slightly tougher than the slot-2 paper. While the total number of questions and the section-wise distribution remained unchanged, there were some notable shifts. The DILR had more LR questions as compared to the DI questions. QA emerged as the toughest section of the three.
A quick scan of the paper would have helped candidates identify several easily doable questions, supporting high accuracy. Overall, an attempt of around 40–44 questions with good accuracy was likely needed to reach the 99th percentile.
Section-Wise Analysis of CAT 2025 Slot - 3
VARC Analysis of CAT 2025 Slot - 3
The VARC section of CAT 2025 was of comparable difficulty across all the three slots. The CAT 2025 slot-3 was a moderate paper. Instead of being a scoring section, it demanded careful reading and high accuracy, primarily because the RC questions were more nuanced than usual.
This year’s paper included four medium-length Reading Comprehension passages, each carrying four questions. The themes varied widely—from Opinion about Dams, Forest Act, Tribal Behavior and AI & Ethics. These passages drew from diverse disciplines such as Economics, Psychology, Science and Social Sciences, ensuring that students were tested on both comprehension and interpretation.
Despite the passages being relatively readable, the real challenge lay in the question framing, which demanded strong inferential skills. Two of the passages were easy read and the other two were tough reads. Passages required deeper thought due to subtle answer choices and less-direct questioning. As a result, the VARC section in CAT 2025 emerged as one where precision mattered more than speed, and even well-prepared candidates needed to approach it with considerable focus.
An attempt of 22 questions with an accuracy of around 70% would have been a very strong attempt in this paper.
| Topic | Questions | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 16 (4 x 4) | Moderate |
| Para Completion | 2 | Moderate |
| Summary Based Questions | 2 | Moderate |
| Parajumbles | 2 | Moderate |
| Odd Sentence Parajumbles | 2 | Easy |
DILR Analysis of CAT 2025 Slot - 3
The CAT 2025 Slot-3 Analysis shows that the DILR section was a moderate one. It was not a very easy section. All the five sets were doable but time consuming and required careful analysis. There were no questions which could have been termed as a Graph based DI question. Four of the questions were number logic based and one was an arrangement question (Circular Arrangement). Compared to the afternoon slot, the slot-3 DILR section was much tougher. The primary challenge came not from conceptual difficulty but from time management, as students needed to quickly identify the most scoring sets.
Slot-2 featured five sets in total:
Three sets with four questions each, and
Two sets with five questions each.
One had to carefully go through all the sets and pick the most familiar one to solve, so selecting question was time taking and none of the questions were easy to solve. Overall, the CAT 2025 Slot-3 Analysis indicates that the exam rewarded a blend of logical clarity and strategic pacing. A focused attempt of around 8-9 questions with approximately 90% accuracy is likely sufficient to achieve the 99th percentile in the DILR section.
| Topic | Questions | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Circular Arrangment (LR) | 4 | Easy |
| Currency Exchange (DI) | 5 | Moderate |
| Balance of Trade (Number Logic) | 5 | Moderate |
| Solving Puzzle (LR) | 4 | Easy |
| Mobile Operator (Number Logic) | 4 | Easy |
QA Analysis of CAT 2025 Slot - 3
The CAT 2025 Slot-3 Analysis highlights that the Quantitative Aptitude section was a moderate one. There were about 5 very easy questions in the paper. The rest of the questions were moderate and required good conceptual clarity to solve. Many of the questions were also calculation intensive and time consuming. The QA section of slot 3 was comparable to that of the other two slots.
A significant portion of the section— nine questions—was drawn from Arithmetic, reinforcing its role as the dominant topic. Concepts such as Ratios, Profit & Loss, Time–Speed–Distance, Averages, Time & Work and Mixtures & Solutions appeared were present in the paper. Students consistently shared that many of these questions could be solved with strong conceptual understanding but were calculation intensive.
Because of this favourable distribution, the overall attempt rate in QA was noticeably higher than in earlier years. Slot-3 demonstrated that CAT continues to reward candidates with strong fundamentals, particularly in Arithmetic, which forms the core of quantitative reasoning in the exam.
According to the insights from the CAT 2025 Slot-3 Analysis, accuracy remained the decisive factor. With ample scoring opportunities available, an attempt of around 11-12 well-chosen questions with roughly 90% accuracy is expected to translate to a 99th percentile score in the Quantitative Aptitude section.
| Topic | Questions | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic | 9 | Moderate |
| Algebra | 7 | Moderate |
| Geometry | 3 | Moderate |
| Number System | 2 | Moderate |
| Modern Mathematics | 1 | Moderate |
Overall Analysis of CAT 2025 Slot -3
CAT 2025 Slot-3 was a moderate paper that clearly rewarded students who had prepared consistently and strategically. All three sections maintained a balanced structure without any extreme spikes in difficulty. Among them, the QA section leaned slightly easier due to a higher concentration of Arithmetic questions, which are generally more accessible for well-prepared candidates.
Based on the difficulty level and student feedback, the score benchmarks for a 99 percentile in each section are estimated as follows:
VARC: A score of 40–44 marks
DILR: A score of 24–27 marks
QA: A score of 30–33 marks
Considering the overall paper, a total score of 90 marks or above is projected to place a candidate at the 99th percentile in CAT 2025 Slot-2.
CAT 2025 Slot -3: Score Vs Percentile
| Score | Percentile |
|---|---|
| 105+ | 99.5+ |
| 90+ | 99+ |
| 85+ | 98+ |
| 80+ | 97+ |
| 74+ | 95+ |
| 60+ | 90+ |
| 52+ | 85+ |
| 46+ | 80+ |
CAT 2025 Slot - 3 Video Analysis
For a deeper understanding of the exam, make sure to watch the CAT 2025 Slot-1 Analysis video presented by GradSquare Mentor Varun Krishnan, who took the first slot of CAT 2025 at the Chennai test centre. In this comprehensive walkthrough, Varun offers firsthand insights based on his actual test-taking experience, providing a clear and reliable CAT 2025 Exam Analysis.
The video breaks down the Slot-1 paper section by section—highlighting difficulty levels, question types, distribution patterns, and smart attempt strategies. Varun also shares key takeaways that will help aspirants grasp the nuances of the CAT 2025 Slot-1 exam and benchmark their own performance with greater accuracy.
FAQ's About CAT 2025 Slot-3 Analysis
How difficult was CAT 2025 compared to CAT 2024?
CAT 2025 was generally considered more challenging than CAT 2024 across most slots. VARC in particular saw a notable increase in difficulty, while DILR was more structured and solvable, and QA ranged from moderate to easy depending on the slot.
Were there any major changes in the CAT 2025 exam pattern?
No. CAT 2025 followed the same pattern as CAT 2024—three sections (VARC, DILR, QA), 120 minutes, +3/–1 marking for MCQs and +3/0 for TITA. However, the total number of questions increased from 66 to 68 due to two additional DILR questions.
How many attempts are needed for 99 percentile in CAT 2025?
Based on student feedback and slot-wise analysis, approximately:
Slot-1: 44–50 attempts
Slot-2: 44–50 attempts
Slot-3: 44–50 attempts
Final percentile may slightly vary due to normalization across slots.
Which section was the toughest in CAT 2025?
VARC: Most difficult, especially inference-based RCs
DILR: Moderate and very approachable across slots
QA: Moderate, with Slot-3 being the easiest of the three
What were the RC topics in CAT 2025?
The RC passages covered themes such as:
Behavioural Economics
Wildlife extinction (Australia)
Craftsmanship vs. Materialism
Cultural shifts due to OTT platforms
What was the ideal number of attempts in DILR for 99 percentile?
Across slots, 13–14 questions with 80% accuracy was considered sufficient for the 99th percentile.
How many questions came from Arithmetic in QA?
More than 10+ questions were from Arithmetic in CAT 2025, making it the dominant area.
What was the easiest section in CAT 2025?
DILR was widely reported as the most approachable, with clear logic and manageable setups.
Is CAT 2025 normalization expected to be strict?
Yes. Because the difficulty varied across slots, especially in VARC, normalization will play a major role in adjusting final percentiles.
What score corresponds to 85 percentile in CAT 2025?
Using a normal distribution fit from the score vs percentile table, 85 percentile ≈ 52–54 marks.
What score corresponds to 75 percentile in CAT 2025?
Based on the same distribution, 75 percentile ≈ 40–41 marks.
Where can I watch the CAT 2025 video analysis?
Each slot breakdown is covered by GradSquare mentors:
Slot-1 – Varun Krishnan
Slot-2 – Kushal Bohra
Slot-3 – Ajay Zener
Videos are linked in the respective sections of this page.
How reliable is this CAT 2025 analysis?
This analysis is based on first-hand exam experience from mentors who took all three slots and aggregated feedback from multiple test-takers, making it one of the most accurate breakdowns available.
