CAT 2025 Exam Analysis: Common Admission Test is the initial step for candidates who wish to pursue their dream to enter in top IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management). CAT exam analysis refers to the complete understanding of CAT exam paper after successful completion of exam in terms of difficulty level, number of questions asked across sections, important topics that covers good weightage in VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension), DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning) and QA (Quantitative Ability) as well as what would be the recent changes made by exam authorities in CAT exam. This will help candidates in analyzing their overall performance and later guide them respective to the future references to lead an amazing CAT percentile.
This blog is a complete guide for CAT exam analysis and candidates can check number of questions asked, difficulty level and important topics across sections that have asked in the CAT previous year papers. Detailed analysis (slot-wise) help CAT aspirants to cover overall information about CAT.
CAT Exam Analysis 2025 – Expected CAT Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme
The full form of CAT is Common Admission Test. The exam is widely categorized into three major sections – VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension), DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning ) and QA (Quantitative Ability). The CAT exam is strictly aligned in the same order with overall 68 questions according to the last year CAT exam analysis. It is quiet important for the candidates to cover impactful analysis of exam paper so that they will not only understand their own performance but also lead the CAT result in terms of future perspectives. Candidates will cover the detailed information about the CAT exam pattern and marking scheme mentioned in the table below.
| Key Aspects (CAT 2025 Exam Analysis) | Description |
| CAT Full Form | Common Admission Test |
| CAT Exam Pattern | 3 Sections VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension) DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning) QA (Quantitative Ability) No of Questions (Expected) VARC – 24 DILR – 22 QA – 22 |
| CAT Marking Scheme | For correct answers (+3) For incorrect answers (-1) Unattempted – 0 |
Also Check: CAT Exam Pattern
CAT Exam Analysis 2025 (Slot 1)
| CAT 2025 Exam Analysis (Slot 1) | Difficulty Level | Number of Questions (Expected) | Scaled Score |
| VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension) | Will be Notified Later | 24 | Will be Notified Later |
| DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning) | Will be Notified Later | 22 | Will be Notified Later |
| QA (Quantitative Ability) | Will be Notified Later | 22 | Will be Notified Later |
CAT Exam Analysis 2025 (Slot 2)
| CAT 2025 Exam Analysis (Slot 2) | Difficulty Level | Number of Questions (Expected) | Scaled Score |
| VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension) | Will be Notified Later | 24 | Will be Notified Later |
| DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning) | Will be Notified Later | 22 | Will be Notified Later |
| QA (Quantitative Ability) | Will be Notified Later | 22 | Will be Notified Later |
CAT Exam Analysis 2025 (Slot 3)
| CAT 2025 Exam Analysis (Slot 2) | Difficulty Level | Number of Questions (Expected) | Scaled Score |
| VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension) | Will be Notified Later | 24 | Will be Notified Later |
| DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning) | Will be Notified Later | 22 | Will be Notified Later |
| QA (Quantitative Ability) | Will be Notified Later | 22 | Will be Notified Later |
Also Check: CAT Exam Timing
Why CAT Exam Analysis is Important for Success?
Let’s assume you are a CAT aspirant who is going to appear for the exam for the first time with no experience of bifurcating questions according to the analysis. In such scenario, candidates will analyze the past year papers to distinguish sections in terms of difficulty level, number of questions asked, high-weightage topics across VARC, DILR & QA along with marking scheme,
Prior understanding of the entire pattern will be really helpful for the serious candidates that lead their overall performance and later help them in future references for giving CAT exam. The best way to prior analyze the paper is by solving the CAT previous year questions according to slot 1, slot 2 and slot 3.
CAT Exam Analysis – Overall Difficulty Level
The most important factor that is responsible for tackling the actual CAT exam is the difficulty level. In CAT 2024, the VARC section predominantly covers moderate level and same goes for other two sections. Similarly, the difficulty level across CAT past year papers are widely described in the table given below.
| Section | CAT 2024 Difficulty Level | CAT 2023 Difficulty Level | CAT 2022 Difficulty Level | CAT 2021 Difficulty Level | CAT 2020 Difficulty Level |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | Moderate | Moderate to Difficult | Moderate | Moderate to Difficult | Moderate to Difficult |
| Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) | Moderate | Easy to Moderate | Difficult | Difficult | Difficult |
| Quantitative Ability (QA) | Moderate | Difficult | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Overall | Moderate | Difficult | Moderate-Difficult | Moderate-Difficult | Moderate-Difficult |
Complete CAT Exam Analysis – Last 3 Year CAT Papers (Section-Wise)
The complete analysis for the Common Admission Test by covering the previous year question papers slot-wise offers the examination of difficulty level which helps in covering the bifurcation of high-weightage topics across sections, Talking about the VARC section, major portion is covered by the Reading Comprehensions of various genres followed by the Verbal Ability. The Quantitative Aptitude section is the complete game of mathematical aptitude and reasoning covering important topics such as Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Number System and Modern Maths. Lastly, one of the tricky sections which is the major factor to attract competition among the pool of aspirants is DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning). Getting good scores among the sections lead to an amazing CAT percentile which will be really helpful during the IIM admission process.
This section covers the slot-wise complete analysis of last 3 year CAT papers including CAT 2024 exam analysis, CAT 2023 & CAT 2022 exam analysis along with understanding the important topics across VARC, DILR and Quants.
CAT Exam Analysis 2024 – VARC, DILR & QA
Let’s change our point of view a little regarding the CAT exam analysis because the competition level of the CAT exam paper is slightly more due to lakhs of candidates appeared to sit in the Common Admission Test. Now a common question that most of the candidates worried about is – Do slots varies according to the difficulty level?
The answer for the same is yes – the CAT exam slots generally varies according to the difficulty level. But to maintain or ensures the transparency in CAT, exam authority introduced a new term “Normalisation Process” which eradicates all discrimination and discrepancy that might occur due to different questions in different slots. But the overall difficulty of the CAT exam is based on the performance of candidates rather directly pointing out the slots, so it is advisable to the candidates that they should work on streamlining their CAT exam preparation strategy and stop anticipating the stress about CAT exam slots. The detailed analysis of the CAT exam paper is mentioned below that varies according to the slot 1, slot 2 and slot 3.
CAT 2024 Exam Analysis – Slot 1
| CAT Exam Analysis – Difficulty & Normalisation Process (Slot 1) | |||
| Slot 1 | Scaled Score | CAT Percentile | |
| VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension) | 32 | 39.24 | 99.05 |
| DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning) | 28 | 33.21 | 99.55 |
| QA (Quantitative Ability) | 24 | 22.76 | 95.49 |
| Overall | 95.21 | 99.58 |
CAT Exam Analysis 2024 – Slot 2
| CAT Exam Analysis– Difficulty & Normalisation Process (Slot 2) | |||
| Slot 2 | Scaled Score | CAT Percentile | |
| VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension) | 32 | 34.41 | 97.93 |
| DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning) | 28 | 25.81 | 98.29 |
| QA (Quantitative Ability) | 24 | 25.66 | 96.94 |
| Overall | 85.88 | 99.15 |
CAT Exam Analysis 2024 – Slot 3
| CAT Exam Analysis – Difficulty & Normalisation Process (Slot 3) | |||
| Slot 3 | Scaled Score | CAT Percentile | |
| VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension) | 32 | 27.81 | 94.21 |
| DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning) | 28 | 35.73 | 99.79 |
| QA (Quantitative Ability) | 24 | 24.34 | 96.25 |
| Overall | 87.88 | 99.27 |
CAT 2023 Exam Analysis – Check Section-Wise
CAT Exam Analysis 2023 – Quantitative Ability
| CAT QA Topics | Number of Questions |
| Arithmetic | 7-9 |
| Geometry & Mensuration | 2-4 |
| Algebra | 5-9 |
| Moderate Math | 1-3 |
| Number System | 2-3 |
CAT 2023 Exam Analysis -Slot 2 – Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
| CAT VARC Topics | Number of Questions |
| Reading Comprehension | 15-16 |
| Para Summary | 2-3 |
| Para Jumbles | 2-3 |
| Odd One Out/Para Completion | 1-2 |
CAT Exam Analysis 2023 – Slot 3 – Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
| CAT DILR Topics | Number of Questions |
| Matrix and Grid | 6-7 |
| Misc. | 10-11 |
| Matrix Arrangement | 6-7 |
| Reasoning-based DI | 9-10 |
| Order and ranking | 2-3 |
| Arithmetic Caselets | 2-3 |
| Venn Diagram | 6-7 |
| Scheduling and Matrix | 5-6 |
| Logic Based Table | 2-3 |
| Mathematical AR | 3-4 |
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CAT Exam Analysis 2022 – Check Slot-Wise Analysis
CAT 2022 Exam Analysis for Quantitative Ability
| CAT QA Topics | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 |
| Arithmetic | 7-8 | 7-8 | 7-8 |
| Geometry | 3-4 | 3-4 | 4-5 |
| Algebra | 5-6 | 6-7 | 5-6 |
| Numbers | 3-2 | 1-2 | 2-3 |
| Modern Math | 3-4 | 4-5 | 3-4 |
CAT Exam Analysis 2022 for Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
| CAT VARC Topics | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Para Summary | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Para Jumbles | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Odd One Out/Para Completion | 2 | 2 | 2 |
CAT Exam Analysis 2022 for Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
| Total Questions in DILKR | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 |
| 20 | Analytical Grid – 5 | Salesmen – 5 | Maths & Grid – 5 |
| Routes & Networks – 5 | Routes & Networks -5 | Bar Graphs – 5 | |
| Arrangement – 5 | FDA and EU – 5 | Number Arrangement – 5 | |
| Numerical LR – 5 | Scatter Plot Problems – 5 | Venn Diagrams – 5 |
CAT Exam Analysis – VARC, DILR & QA (Weightage)
CAT Exam Analysis for VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension)
| VARC Topics for CAT Exam | No. of Questions in CAT Exam | Difficulty Level |
| Reading Comprehension | 16 | Moderate to Difficult |
| Odd Sentence | 2 | Easy to Moderate |
| Parajumbles | 3-4 | Moderate to Difficult |
| Summary | 2-3 | Easy to Moderate |
| Overall | 24 | Moderate to Difficult |
CAT Exam Analysis for DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning)
| DILR Important Topics for CAT Exam | Count | % of Total |
| Caselets | 18 | 15.79% |
| Reasoning-Based Data Interpretation | 16 | 14.04% |
| Quant-Based Reasoning | 13 | 11.40% |
| Venn Diagrams | 10 | 8.77% |
| Special Charts | 9 | 7.89% |
| Scheduling-Based Puzzle | 9 | 7.89% |
| Distribution-Based Puzzles | 8 | 7.02% |
| Tables | 7 | 6.14% |
| Games and Tournaments | 7 | 6.14% |
| Bar Graphs | 6 | 5.26% |
| Network & Routes | 5 | 4.39% |
| Ranking and Ordering | 3 | 2.63% |
| Arrangement | 3 | 2.63% |
| Grand Total | 114 | 100.00% |
CAT Exam Analysis for QA (Quantitative Ability)
| QA Important Topics for CAT Exam | CAT 2024 | CAT 2023 | CAT 2022 |
| Average, Ratio, Mixture and Alligation | 3-5 Questions | 4-6 Questions | 3-5 Questions |
| Profit and Loss, SI, CI Percentages | 2-3 Questions | 2-3 Questions | 1-3 Questions |
| TSD & Time and Work (Very Very Important Topic) | 2-3 Questions | 2-3 Questions | 3-5 Questions |
| Geometry | 2-3 Questions | 3 Questions | 3 Questions |
| Quadratic, Polynomials, Simple Equations | 1-2 Questions | 3-4 Questions | 1-3 Questions |
| Progression and Series | 1-2 Questions | 2 Questions | 1-3 Questions |
| Inequalities, Modulus and Functions | 1-2 Questions | 1-2 Questions | 3-4 Questions |
| Logarithm, Surds and Indices | 2 Questions | 1-3 Questions | 0-1 Questions |
| Probability, P & C | 0-1 Questions | 1 Question | 1 Question |
| Number System | 2-3 Questions | 1-2 Questions | 1 Question |
CAT Exam RC Topics Analysis (2021-2024)
| CAT Year-Wise | Important RC Topics | ||
| Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | |
| CAT 2024 | The Western Barred Bandicoot Revival | The Ethics and Transparency of Peer Review in Academia | Planetary Protection and Human Exploration of Mars |
| Economics, Human Behaviour, and Interdisciplinary Borrowing | Medieval Spice Trade and European Colonial Expansion | Language Extinction and Liberal Arts Education | |
| Crafts, Creativity, and the Modern Labour Market | Unintended Consequences of Technological Innovation | Moutai’s Marketing and Chinese Nationalism | |
| Streaming, Cultural Memory, and Digital Ownership | Drivers of Carnivore–Human Conflicts | AI, Language, and the Future of Democracy | |
| CAT 2023 | Geographic Determinism and Human Phenomena | Second-Hand Fashion and Sustainability | The Nutmeg’s Curse – Amitav Ghosh |
| Indian Ocean Novels and Postcolonial Literature | Why Liberalism Failed – Patrick Deneen | Rationality – Steven Pinker | |
| The Original Affluent Society – Marshall Sahlins | Positivism and the Nature of Historical Facts | Cultural Property Laws and Archaeology | |
| Return of Wolves in France | Netflix and the Cultural Integration of Europe | Romantic Aesthetics and the Problem of Definition | |
| CAT 2022 | The Idea of the Copy in China and the West | Camouflage in Cephalopods | Human-Centered Automation |
| Stoicism, Epicureanism, and Emotion | Philosophy of Social Sciences | Logic of Bios and Technos | |
| Critical Theory of Technology | Engineering Ethics and Social Justice | Orientalism and the Indian Past | |
| The Undead and Human Imagination | Evolution of Musicking | Chicago School and Crime | |
| CAT 2021 | A Thirst for Empire (History of Tea) | The Scandal of Knowledge | History of the Unconscious |
| Maya Personhood | Linguistic Diversity and Monolingualism | Accuracy, Entropy, and Time | |
| Utopia and Dystopia | Nationalism and Gender Roles in Colonial India | The Language Instinct (Chomsky–Pinker) | |
| Cuttlefish and Self-Control | Truth and Power | Nano-Sentinels and Soft Robots | |
Also Check: CAT 2025 Exam Day Guidelines
CAT Exam Analysis: Check CAT Score vs Percentile
This section covers the detailed CAT exam analysis according to the CAT marks vs percentile. Check the complete information mentioned below in the table.
| Percentile | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| 99.9 | 123 | 101 | 109 | 124 | 130 |
| 99.5 | 104 | 84 | 92 | 110 | 115 |
| 99 | 96 | 76 | 84 | 98 | 101 |
| 97 | 79 | 61 | 72 | 82 | 85 |
| 95 | 70 | 54 | 62 | 73 | 76 |
| 90 | 58 | 44 | 49 | 60 | 63 |
| 80 | 44 | 35 | 36 | 45 | 48 |
Other Related Links: CAT Exam Analysis
CAT Exam Analysis – Which IIM Will Conduct Exam?
This section covers the detailed table about the cat exam conducting body (year-wise) along with the difficulty level across VARC, DILR and QA. This year IIM Kozhikode is going to conduct CAT 2025.
| Year | IIM | VARC | DILR | QA |
| 2025 | IIM Kozhikode | Moderate (expected) | Moderate to Tough (expected) | Moderate (expected) |
| 2024 | IIM Calcutta | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| 2023 | IIM Lucknow | Moderate to Difficult | Moderate | Difficult |
| 2022 | IIM Bangalore | Moderate | Difficult | Moderate |
| 2021 | IIM Ahmedabad | Moderate to Difficult | Difficult | Moderate |
| 2020 | IIM Indore | Moderate to Difficult | Difficult | Moderate |
| 2019 | IIM Kozhikode | Moderate | Moderate to difficult | Moderate |
| 2018 | IIM Calcutta | Moderate | Difficult | Difficult |
| 2017 | IIM Lucknow | Moderate | Moderate to difficult | Easy |
Conclusion: CAT Exam Analysis 2025
It is important strategy for the candidates to analyze CAT paper properly upon successful completion of exam to use the relevant information like difficulty level, number of questions asked across VARC, DILR & QA, marking scheme, and more in the near future references. This overall analysis will help candidates to improve performance by understanding the strengths and weaknesses. So candidates should give their 100% percent to score maximum percentile in the CAT 2025 exam.
CAT Exam Analysis – FAQs
CAT exam analysis is really important to understand several factors such as the difficulty level, number of questions across sections, high-weightage topics covered and more.
According to the past year analysis of CAT exam papers, the expected 95+ marks are good enough to score more than 99 percentile in CAT 2025.
Difficulty level of exam is completely depends on the performance of candidates and the level of questions asked. To putting everything on the slot is completely reluctant which later leads to the normalisation process by exam authorities to ensure fairness in the CAT 2025.
Yes, the CAT exam analysis will definitely affects the overall performance because the analysis of past year trends make candidates comfortable to sit for the CAT (Common Admission test).
There are there major sections expected to be there in CAT 2025 – VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension), DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning) and QA (Quantitative Ability).
According to the common pattern, the CAT marking scheme covers +3 marks for the correct answer, -1 for the incorrect attempt and 0 for unattempted answer.
IIM Kozhikode will going to conduct the CAT 2025 exam.
