- December 02, 2025
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The CAT 2025 Slot 1 Analysis has just been released, and it sets the benchmark for the entire exam day! Aspirants are eager to know the CAT 2025 difficulty level, what a safe attempt looks like, and the expected score needed to hit that coveted 99th percentile.
This comprehensive post provides the full CAT 2025 Analysis, covering the paper structure, section-wise breakdown, and the crucial score vs. percentile predictions based on early student feedback and expert insights.
CAT 2025 Slot 1 was conducted from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The overall feeling among students and experts points to a paper that was Moderate-Difficult, with the DILR section emerging as the most challenging component. The structure remained consistent with the previous year (CAT 2024).
| Section | No. of Questions | TITA Questions | CAT Slot 1 good attempts (Accuracy) | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VARC | 24 | 4 | 17-18 | Moderate-Difficult |
| DILR | 22 | 7-8 | 8-9 | Difficult |
| QA | 22 | 7-8 | 13-14 | Moderate-Difficult |
| Total | 68 | 18-22 | 40-43 | Moderate-Difficult |
Understanding the individual sections is key to projecting your expected score and for candidates preparing for the later slots.
The CAT VARC analysis confirms the section was Moderate-Difficult. The pattern involved 4 Reading Comprehension (RC) passages along with Verbal Ability (VA) questions like Para Jumbles, Summary, and Odd-one-out.
| Key Highlights | Details from CAT 2025 Slot 1 |
|---|---|
| No. of Passages | 4 |
| Major RC Topics | Complex Systems, Economics, Mental Disorders, Electronic Music |
| Good Attempts | 17-18 (for a high percentile) |
The CAT DILR analysis is the most critical takeaway. This section was unanimously rated as Difficult and was the primary differentiating factor. Candidates who managed to solve even 2 or 3 sets accurately will likely score very well.
| Key Highlights | Details from CAT 2025 Slot 1 |
|---|---|
| No. of Sets | 5 (with 4-5 questions each) |
| Types of Sets | Bar Graph, Circular Arrangements, Table with Missing Values, Games and Tournaments, Quant-Based LR |
| Good Attempts | 8-9 (Highly selective attempts) |
The CAT QA analysis showed a paper that was Moderate-Difficult, featuring a familiar Arithmetic-heavy distribution.
| Key Highlights | Details from CAT 2025 Slot 1 |
|---|---|
| Major Topics Covered | Arithmetic (highest weightage), Ratios, Algebra, Number System, Modern Maths |
| Good Attempts | 13-14 |
The overall higher difficulty level compared to previous years means the CAT 2025 score vs percentile will likely see a dip in the required raw marks for the same percentile band.
Based on the paper's difficulty and expected accuracy, here is the estimated score range for different percentiles in CAT 2025:
| Score (Marks) | Expected Percentile |
|---|---|
| 127+ | 99.9+ |
| 95 – 103 | 99+ |
| 79 – 94 | 97 – 99 |
| 70 – 78 | 95 – 97 |
| 58 – 69 | 90 – 95 |
| 44 – 57 | 80 – 90 |
Key Takeaway: A total score of around 95 marks (raw score) is projected to be sufficient for a 99th percentile, while a score of 70-78 could comfortably place a candidate in the 95th percentile band.
Conclusion
The CAT 2025 Slot 1 Analysis indicates a test that prioritised strategy and selection, especially in the DILR section. If you attempted around 40-43 questions with high accuracy, you are likely in a very strong position.
Aspirants for later slots or those looking ahead to CAT 2026 should focus heavily on mastering challenging DILR sets and ensuring strong fundamentals in VARC and Quant.

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