CAT 2025 Paper Analysis: Slot-wise, Section-wise Chapter Mix
Slot-by-slot, section-by-section analysis of CAT 2025: question counts, sets and passages, TITA, chapter mix compared with 2023–24, and what it means for CAT 2026.
This CAT 2025 paper analysis covers all three slots, section by section. Every slot had the same structure: VARC 24 questions (16 reading comprehension in 4 passages plus 8 verbal ability), DILR 22 questions in 5 sets and QA 22 questions, a total of 68 per slot, with about 23 TITA questions per slot in our records. The biggest changes from 2023–24 were in DILR, where mathematical-reasoning sets disappeared and tables and arrangements took over, and in QA, where Simple Equations jumped to the joint most-tested chapter.
Each slot paper is linked below with full solutions, so you can attempt it before reading the detail.
How we counted
We tagged every question in the nine CAT 2025 section papers on our site by chapter or question type, and compared the result with our tagging of CAT 2023 and 2024. "Sets" and "passages" are the distinct shared sets or passages we recorded in each paper. TITA (type in the answer, no options) counts are from our records and given as approximate. CAT 2025 QA and VARC questions each carry a single tag; shares are computed on the tags.
CAT 2025 paper analysis: slot-wise overview
| Slot | VARC | DILR | QA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slot 1 | CAT 2025 VARC Slot 1: 24 Qs, 4 passages, about 4 TITA | CAT 2025 LRDI Slot 1: 22 Qs, 5 sets, about 11 TITA | CAT 2025 QA Slot 1: 22 Qs, about 8 TITA |
| Slot 2 | CAT 2025 VARC Slot 2: 24 Qs, 4 passages, about 4 TITA | CAT 2025 LRDI Slot 2: 22 Qs, 5 sets, about 11 TITA | CAT 2025 QA Slot 2: 22 Qs, about 8 TITA |
| Slot 3 | CAT 2025 VARC Slot 3: 24 Qs, 4 passages, about 4 TITA | CAT 2025 LRDI Slot 3: 22 Qs, 5 sets, about 11 TITA | CAT 2025 QA Slot 3: 22 Qs, about 8 TITA |
The structure was identical across slots, so differences in difficulty came from the content. Scores are normalised across slots before percentiles are worked out, so a harder slot does not by itself put you at a disadvantage.
VARC: 16 RC, 8 verbal ability, same mix in every slot
All three VARC papers had four RC passages with 16 questions, plus 2 para jumbles, 2 para summaries, 2 odd-one-out and 2 missing-sentence questions. Para completion, asked 6 times in each of 2022, 2023 and 2024, did not appear in 2025. Odd one out and missing sentence, which had appeared only in CAT 2024 Slot 1 since 2021, became standard. About 4 VARC questions per slot were TITA in our records, which fits the jumbles and odd-one-out questions.
| VARC type | Qs 2023–24 | Share 2023–24 | Qs 2025 | Share 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 96 | 66.7% | 48 | 66.7% |
| Para Jumbles | 16 | 11.1% | 6 | 8.3% |
| Para Summary | 15 | 10.4% | 6 | 8.3% |
| Para Completion | 12 | 8.3% | 0 | 0.0% |
| Odd one out | 2 | 1.4% | 6 | 8.3% |
| Missing Sentence | 3 | 2.1% | 6 | 8.3% |
For type-by-type strategy, see CAT VARC question types.
DILR: five sets per slot, very different mixes
Each DILR slot had 22 questions in 5 sets. By our tagging, the sets were three of four questions and two of five. The set types differed sharply between slots:
| DILR set type | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank & Ordering | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Routes & Networks | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Tables & Graphs | 4 | 4 | 13 |
| Arrangements | 4 | 9 | 4 |
| Games & Tournaments | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Puzzles | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Selection & Distribution | 0 | 4 | 5 |
- Slot 1 was the most varied: five sets of five different types (rank and ordering, routes and networks, a table, arrangement, and a tournament).
- Slot 2 leaned on arrangements (9 questions, about two sets) plus a puzzle, a table and a selection set.
- Slot 3 was table-heavy: 13 questions of tables and graphs (about three sets), plus one selection and one arrangement set.
About 11 of the 22 DILR questions per slot were TITA in our records, the highest share of any year. Compared with 2023–24:
| DILR set type | Qs 2023–24 | Share 2023–24 | Qs 2025 | Share 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tables & Graphs | 20 | 16.0% | 21 | 31.8% |
| Arrangements | 10 | 8.0% | 17 | 25.8% |
| Selection & Distribution | 10 | 8.0% | 9 | 13.6% |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 41 | 32.8% | 0 | 0.0% |
| Puzzles | 21 | 16.8% | 5 | 7.6% |
| Rank & Ordering | 0 | 0.0% | 5 | 7.6% |
| Routes & Networks | 5 | 4.0% | 5 | 7.6% |
| Games & Tournaments | 5 | 4.0% | 4 | 6.1% |
| Board Games | 9 | 7.2% | 0 | 0.0% |
| Venn Diagram | 4 | 3.2% | 0 | 0.0% |
Mathematical reasoning went from 32.8% of DILR tags in 2023–24 to none, and Venn and board-game sets also disappeared. Tables and graphs (31.8%) and arrangements (25.8%) filled the gap. Our guide to CAT DILR set types covers how often each type has appeared since 2017.
QA: Algebra-led, Geometry steady at three per slot
All three QA slots spread 22 questions across 17–19 chapters, so no single chapter dominated a slot. The unit split per slot:
| QA unit | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| Algebra | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| Number System | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Geometry | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Modern Math | 2 | 0 | 1 |
- Slot 1: 3 Simple Equations questions, 2 each of Simple & Compound Interest, Permutations & Combinations and Quadratics; only 1 Number Theory question.
- Slot 2: Number Theory: 3 questions, plus 2 Surds & Indices, no Modern Math.
- Slot 3: 2 each of Simple Equations, Time & Work, TSD, Number Theory and Triangles, plus a Sets question.
Every slot had about 8 TITA questions in our records. Compared with 2023–24:
| QA chapter | Qs 2023–24 | Share 2023–24 | Qs 2025 | Share 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number Theory | 15 | 11.0% | 6 | 9.1% |
| Simple Equations | 1 | 0.7% | 6 | 9.1% |
| Surds & Indices | 12 | 8.8% | 4 | 6.1% |
| Quadratic Equations | 9 | 6.6% | 4 | 6.1% |
| Time & Work | 7 | 5.1% | 4 | 6.1% |
| Time, Speed & Distance | 7 | 5.1% | 4 | 6.1% |
| Profit & Loss | 8 | 5.9% | 3 | 4.5% |
| Inequalities & Modulus | 6 | 4.4% | 2 | 3.0% |
| Circles | 2 | 1.5% | 3 | 4.5% |
| Percentage | 5 | 3.7% | 1 | 1.5% |
At the unit level, Algebra (excluding Number Theory) rose from 34.6% of tags in 2023–24 to 37.9%; Arithmetic eased from 36.8% to 34.8%; Number System moved from 11.0% to 9.1%; Geometry held at 13.2% and 13.6%. The clearest single change is Simple Equations: 1 question in 2023–24, 6 in 2025. Surds & Indices cooled from 12 to 4, and Percentage had only one standalone question. The nine-year view is in most asked topics in CAT Quant.
What changed vs CAT 2023 and 2024
- Structure: unchanged from 2024: 24 / 22 / 22 questions, 40 minutes per section. DILR stayed at five sets (2023 had four sets of five).
- VARC: the verbal ability mix rotated again. Completion out; odd one out and missing sentence in. RC unchanged at 16.
- DILR: no mathematical-reasoning sets after two years in which they were the top LR type; more tables and arrangements. TITA up to about half of the section.
- QA: Simple Equations and Number Theory joint top; Geometry steady at three questions per slot; no Mensuration.
What CAT 2025 means for CAT 2026 aspirants
CAT 2026 is on Sunday 29 November 2026, conducted by IIM Indore in three 120-minute slots (confirm on iimcat.ac.in). Assuming the structure holds:
- Prepare every VARC verbal ability type. The VA mix has changed in each of the last three years. RC, at 16 of 24 questions, still deserves most of your VARC time.
- Do not skip any DILR type. Mathematical reasoning vanished in 2025 after being the largest LR type in 2023–24; it can return just as quickly. Practise set selection across all types with the CAT DILR preparation guide.
- Get TITA-ready. About 23 of 68 questions per slot were TITA in 2025. No negative marking there, so careful complete solving pays.
- In QA, cover breadth. With 17–19 chapters per slot, a missing chapter costs about one question, but several missing chapters add up. Use the CAT Quant preparation guide and the CAT syllabus.
- Take the 2025 papers as full mocks, then build mixed timed tests from your weak areas with the test builder, and log errors in your mistake notebook.
The CAT exam pattern guide covers marking and timing, and the CAT preparation strategy lays out a plan. All past papers are on the CAT previous year papers page.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions were there in CAT 2025?
68 per slot: 24 in VARC, 22 in DILR and 22 in QA, the same in all three slots.
How many TITA questions were in CAT 2025?
About 23 per slot in our records: about 4 in VARC, 11 in DILR and 8 in QA. TITA questions carry no negative marking.
How many DILR sets were in CAT 2025?
Five sets per slot with 22 questions; by our tagging, three sets of four questions and two of five.
Which topics were most asked in CAT 2025 Quant?
Simple Equations and Number Theory with 6 questions each across the three slots, then Quadratics, Surds & Indices, Time & Work and Time-Speed-Distance with 4 each.
Was CAT 2025 different from CAT 2024?
The structure was the same. The content shifted: no mathematical-reasoning DILR sets, no para completion, the return of odd one out and missing sentence, and more Simple Equations in QA.