CAT 2025 Slot 1 Analysis: The Morning Surprise?

By Headache Tutorials, Indore

The wait is finally over. CAT 2025 kicked off this morning (November 30, 2025) with Slot 1, and the initial reactions from students coming out of exam centers across Madhya Pradesh and India suggest a paper that tested "Discipline" over "Difficulty."

At Headache Tutorials, we have compiled a detailed breakdown of the morning slot to help you understand where you stand.

Overall Snapshot

• Total Questions: 68 (No change from last year)

• Overall Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult

• Surprise Element: Reintroduction of Para Jumbles in VARC and a heavier LR tilt in DILR.

Section-Wise Breakdown

1. VARC: Tricky but Doable

The Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension section was largely consistent with previous years but had a few curveballs.

• Reading Comprehension (16 Qs): Topics ranged from Electronic Music to Income Inequality. The passages were dense, and options were close, making elimination time-consuming.

• Verbal Ability (8 Qs): The return of Para Jumbles (TITA) was the highlight here. The "Odd One Out" and "Para Summary" questions were moderate.

Topic Distribution: VARC Slot 1

Topic	Number of Questions	Type	Difficulty
Reading Comprehension	16	MCQ	Moderate-Difficult
Passage 1: Electronic Music	4	MCQ	Moderate
Passage 2: Income Inequality	4	MCQ	Moderate
Passage 3: Law & Mental Health	4	MCQ	Tricky
Passage 4: Social Order/Psychology	4	MCQ	Difficult
Verbal Ability	8	Mixed	Moderate
Para Jumbles	2	TITA	Moderate
Para Summary	2	MCQ	Easy-Moderate
Para Completion	2	MCQ	Easy
Odd One Out	2	TITA	Moderate

• Good Attempts: 16-18 questions.

2. DILR: The Game Changer

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning is often the make-or-break section. Slot 1 saw a shift towards Logical Reasoning over pure Data Interpretation.

• Key Sets: A "Spider + Bar Graph" set was reported as the must-attempt set of the slot.

• Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult. Identifying the right 2 sets was crucial.

Topic Distribution: DILR Slot 1

Set Topic	Questions	Type	Difficulty
Spider + Bar Graph (DI)	5	Mix	Easy-Moderate
Seating Arrangement (LR)	5	Mix	Moderate
Quant-Based Reasoning (Train Tickets)	4	TITA	Tricky
Quant-Based Reasoning (Feet Tapping)	4	Mix	Moderate-Difficult
Employee Rating (Distribution)	4	Mix	Easy-Moderate

• Good Attempts: 9-11 questions (approx. 2 to 2.5 sets).

3. QA: Arithmetic Dominance

Quantitative Ability in Slot 1 was calculation-intensive but conceptually straightforward for those who stuck to basics.

• Composition: Dominated by Arithmetic (8 questions) and Algebra (5 questions).

• Trap: Several questions looked easy but had lengthy calculations meant to eat up your time.

Topic Distribution: QA Slot 1

Topic	Number of Questions	Difficulty
Arithmetic	8	Easy-Moderate
Algebra	5	Moderate-Difficult
Geometry	3	Moderate
Number System	3	Tricky
Modern Math (PNC/Prob)	3	Moderate
Total	22	Moderate

• Good Attempts: 12-14 questions.

Headache Tutorials Verdict: Expected Score vs. Percentile (Slot 1)

Percentile	Expected Score Range
99%ile	88 - 92
95%ile	68 - 72
90%ile	55 - 58

Final Thoughts

Slot 1 set the tone for the day: standard pattern but denser content. If you maintained high accuracy and didn't get stuck on the "ego questions" in QA, you are likely safe.

3. FAQ Section

Q: Was CAT 2025 Slot 1 tougher than CAT 2024? A: Yes, slightly. While the pattern was the same, the DILR sets were trickier to select, and VARC options were more ambiguous.

Q: How many questions are required for 99 percentile in Slot 1? A: Based on our initial analysis, a net score of around 88-92 marks (approx. 30-31 correct answers) should fetch a 99 percentile.

Q: Were there any changes in the exam pattern? A: No major structural changes. The exam retained the 68-question format (24 VARC, 22 DILR, 22 QA).