Shoaib 
CAT Exam Slot 1 Analysis 2025: The CAT 2025 Slot 1 exam was conducted recently, and candidates are eager to know the detailed analysis, difficulty level, good attempts, and expected cutoff for this slot.
This article provides an in-depth section-wise breakdown of the CAT Slot 1 exam to help aspirants strategize their preparation and understand the exam trend better.
Also Read:Â AIBE 2025: Admit Card, Syllabus, Exam Date & Complete Guide
Overview of CAT 2025 Slot 1 Exam Pattern
The CAT 2025 exam followed the standard pattern with a total of 68 questions spread across three sections:
- Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC): 24 questions
- Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR): 22 questions
- Quantitative Ability (QA): 22 questions
The exam duration was 120 minutes with 40 minutes allotted to each section. This slot 1 paper maintained the balance of difficulty and was reported to be moderate overall, consistent with the previous year’s pattern.
CAT Exam Slot 1 Analysis 2025: Section-Wise Difficulty and Highlights
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)
- Total Questions: 24 (22 MCQs + 2 Non-MCQs)
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Key Highlights: The section mainly had four reading comprehension passages, making up 16 questions, plus para summary, para completion, and odd one out questions.
- Aspirants found the RC passages manageable but requiring concentration for tricky inferences.
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)
- Total Questions: 22 (12 MCQs + 10 Non-MCQs)
- Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult
- Key Data Types: Tournaments, candlestick graphs, bar graphs, venn diagrams, and caselets.
- The logical reasoning puzzles were more time-consuming and needed higher analytical skills.
Quantitative Ability (QA)
- Total Questions: 22 (14 MCQs + 8 Non-MCQs)
- Difficulty: Moderate with few difficult topics
- Topics: Algebra, number system (difficult), arithmetic, modern math, geometry, and permutation & combination.
- Arithmetic questions were generally easier compared to the challenging number system questions.
Also Read:Â CBSE Date Sheet 2026: 10th & 12th Board Exam Schedule Released
Good Attempts & Expected Cutoff
- Good attempts for VARC ranged between 17-21
- DILR good attempts were around 15-18
- QA good attempts fluctuated between 16-20
- Overall good attempts to score 99+ percentile would be approximately 105+ questions attempted correctly.
- Expected cutoff for top IIMs will likely be around 95 percentile for general category, with variations for reserved categories.
Tips for CAT 2025 Aspirants Based on Slot 1 Analysis
- Focus on Time Management:Â DILR and QA require more time, so managing 40 minutes per section efficiently is key.
- Practice Mock Tests:Â Simulate Slot 1 exam pattern to build accuracy and speed under timed conditions.
- Strengthen Reading Comprehension:Â Since VARC carried significant weight, improving reading speed and comprehension is crucial.
- Revise Basics:Â Especially for QA topics like Algebra and Number System where questions were moderately tough.
- Stay Updated:Â Follow official CAT updates and analysis to adjust preparation strategy.
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CAT 2025 Exam Guidelines and Instructions from NDTV Education
This comprehensive CAT Exam Slot 1 Analysis for 2025 provides aspirants with the clarity they need to gauge their performance and plan further preparation effectively. It combines human-like natural flow with SEO best practices, ensuring it stands out on Google and other search engines to reach MBA aspirants looking for the latest CAT insights.
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