CAT VARC 2025 Question Paper Review: Difficulty Level & Slot-Wise Analysis

The CAT VARC 2025 Question Paper difficulty level was different for each slot. The slot 1 was moderately challenging while the Slot 2 was difficult than slot 1. The Slot 3 exam was moderate to difficult.

Add Getmyuni as a Trusted Source

The CAT 2025 Slot 1 Exam is over. The paper analysis for the CAT VARC section for each slot has been shared below. There were about 24-26 questions in the paper. The CAT VARC section difficulty level was MODERATE. The topic wise and slot wise difficulty level for the same and pveious year exam has been listed below.

The CAT 2025 Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section tests the candidate on the following: reading and comprehension, vocabulary of the candidate and the capability of the candidate to answer within a time constraint. Aspirants should learn about the trends of the exam of the previous year and the difficulty slots-wise. This article provides a CAT VARC 2025 question paper review and difficulty level, number of good attempts, slot-wise analysis, score and percentile analysis.

CAT VARC 2025 Overall Difficulty Level

The level of difficulty of the CAT VARC 2025 was challenging, similar to the current trends that have been observed in the past tests of CAT. The VARC area was moderately challenging in recent years, mainly because of passages of RC and tricky VA questions. It consisted of questions with tough passages to understand and different difficult slots. The table below shows the CAT exam anaysis of VARC.

Section Component	Difficulty Level
Reading Comprehension	Moderate to High
RC Passage Length	450–550 words
RC Themes	Moderate academic + logical reasoning-based passages
Verbal Ability	Moderate
Expected Number of RC Passages	4 passages
Expected Number of VA Questions	10 questions
Overall VARC Difficulty	Moderate

Read More:

CAT 2025 Overall Difficulty Level

Previous Year VARC Difficulty Comparison

It is important to know the difficulty levels of the section in the past years. Changes in the type of passages, tone of reading comprehension, and difficulty of questions on verbal ability have indicated moderate changes in the section of VARC in CAT. The examination of the last few years could help to comprehend the overall trend and what the candidates can possibly anticipate regarding the level of difficulty, the types of questions and the chances of getting a certain score. The following table shows the previous year's VARC difficulty levels.

Year	Overall VARC Difficulty	Reading Comprehension Difficulty	Verbal Ability Difficulty
2024	Moderate–Difficult	Moderate	Difficult
2023	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate
2022	Moderate–Difficult	Difficult	Moderate
2021	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate–Difficult
2020	Moderate–Difficult	Difficult	Moderate–Difficult

CAT VARC Slot Wise VARC Analysis

The analysis of the VARC section of the CAT 2025 Exam has been provided below. The exam is held in three slots and the pattern of questions are different in each of them. However, there is no major difference among them.

CAT VARC Slot 1 Difficulty Level 2025

Slot 1 of CAT 2025 VARC was typically found moderately challenging, and the reading comprehension passages were slightly more challenging than normal. The majority of questions of verbal abilities were not very difficult, whereas the ones based on inference, because of RC, demanded time and careful reading. The table shown below gives an analysis of Slot 1 VARC difficulty level.

Particulars	Details
Total Questions	24 (22 MCQs + 2 TITA)
Reading Comprehension Passages	4 passages (16 RC questions)
Other Verbal Questions	8 questions (para summary, para completion, odd-one-out)
Difficulty Level	Moderately difficult — more challenging than typical years, especially RCs with inference-based questions.
Good Attempts Estimate	13–15 questions (out of 24)
Note	No para-jumbles and heavier RC-based focus.

CAT VARC Slot 2 Difficulty Level 2025

The difficulty level of Slot 2 of CAT 2025 VARC was moderate, and the proportion of reading comprehension and questions of verbal ability was equal. This slot contained more difficult questions than Slot 1, with a few easier RC questions, so that the candidates could attempt more questions. The table below gives an analysis of Slot 2 VARC difficulty level.

Particulars	Details
Total Questions	24 (22 MCQs + 2 TITA)
Reading Comprehension Passages	4 passages (16 RC questions)
Other Verbal Questions	8 questions (para summary/completion, odd-one-out)
Difficulty Level	Moderate — somewhat easier than Slot 1, with balanced RC and verbal ability questions.
Good Attempts Estimate	10–12 questions
Note	A mix of medium-level RC passages, with more manageable verbal ability questions compared to Slot 1.

CAT VARC Slot 3 Difficulty Level 2025

Slot 3 CAT 2025 VARC had been reported to be easy to moderate. The passages were uncomplicated to read, and questions requiring verbal skills were comparatively easy, therefore not as tough as the previous slots. This slot was able to allow the students to have increased chances of responding to the questions properly and within the time frame. The table below provides an overview of Slot 3 VARC analysis.

Particulars	Details
Total Questions	24 (22 MCQs + 2 TITA)
Reading Comprehension Passages	4 passages (16 RC questions)
Other Verbal Questions	8 questions (para summary/completion, odd-one-out)
Difficulty Level	Easy to Moderate overall — less dense RC passages, fewer inference-heavy questions.
Good Attempts Estimate	12–14 questions
Note	RC passages were more straightforward, the verbal ability part was more balanced, and the harder sections were limited.

VARC Score vs Percentile 2025 vs Previous Year

Knowing the correlation between the VARC score and the percentile of the past years assists those who are estimating the percentage that is expected to be attained. Through the examination of previous year score-to-percentile correlations, the applicants are able to assess a relative number of successful attempts and marks to a particular percentage range, which helps them improve training and aiming.

The table below gives the previous year's VARC score and percentiles.

VARC Score	CAT 2025 Percentile	CAT 2024 Percentile
45–50	99.7–99.8	99.8–99.9
40–45	99.5–99.7	99.3–99.7
35–40	98–99	98–99
30–35	96–97	95–97
25–30	90–92	90–94
20–25	80–86	80–89
15–20	68–80	65–79

What is a Good Score in CAT VARC 2025?

A good score in CAT VARC is relative in terms of general difficulty, slot and aspirant objectives. The understanding of a strong score in VARC is important to enable the candidates to have the right goals, schedule, and to balance speed and accuracy in the exam. In the table below, the ranges of scores are given.

Percentile Target	Approx. VARC Score Range (raw/marks)	What It Means
99+	35–41 marks	Strong performance; competitive even for top IIMs, assuming similar performance in other sections.
95–98	30–34 marks	Solid score, good chance at good non-IIM B-schools or backup schools if other sections are decent.
90–94	24–29 marks	Decent score, may fetch seats at state-level or private institutes, depending on competition.
85–89	20–23 marks	Moderate performance, useful if combined with strong QA/DILR or good profile.
80–84	18–20 marks	Lower end, might limit options, but still acceptable for certain colleges or specializations.

Conclusion

The level of difficulty, type of questions and trends of the previous year must be understood for CAT VARC 2025. Aspirants will be able to strategically plan how they will prepare by researching slot-wise analysis, good attempts prediction, and score-to-percentile standards. For the exam practice, time management and accuracy are of value to maximize the performance in the VARC section and also the overall CAT percentile.