CAT is considered one of the most difficult exams after the XAT exam. The CAT exam however, is the sole and only gateway for admission to the most prestigious colleges, i.e., Indian Institute of Management (IIMs). Now, a not so common yet a curious question here is → Why does the CAT exam difficulty level each year? In simple words, the CAT exam difficulty depends on the conducting IIM and the paper is designed to test the students on various aspects other than just bookish knowledge.
While some years the paper is extremely difficult, there have been years where the paper was relatively easy and some years it was moderately difficult or moderate. This article aims to provide information on the expected difficulty level for the CAT exam 2025 and the difficulty level for the past CAT exams. The current year analysis will be drawn based on these past analysis. Scroll through this page to learn more about the CAT exam difficulty level.
Also read → Is CAT exam tough?
Why Does CAT Exam Difficulty Vary Each Year?
There are several reasons why CAT does not maintain a fixed difficulty level every year. The aspirants can explore these reasons listed below.
To Normalize Performance Across Candidates
CAT is taken by over 2 lakh aspirants every year. To ensure fairness and eliminate predictability, the examiners vary the difficulty levels of sections and question types. This variation ensures that only the best-prepared and most adaptable candidates excel.
Read more on CAT normalization process here
Rotating Conducting IIMs
Each year, a different IIM conducts the CAT (e.g., IIM Lucknow in 2023, IIM Calcutta in 2024). Every institute brings in its own interpretation of what the test should assess — impacting the question style, sectional difficulty, and distribution of topics.
To Minimize Coaching Dependency
By varying the pattern and difficulty, CAT limits the effectiveness of rote-learning or template-based preparation offered by coaching institutes. It encourages a deeper understanding of concepts over shortcuts.
CAT exam complete preparation guide → Download PDF
To Balance Score Distribution
The IIMs aim for a natural spread of scores so that percentiles accurately reflect candidate performance. If one year’s paper is too easy, it compresses the score range. Varying the difficulty helps avoid such anomalies.
To Test Real-Time Thinking
Business schools want candidates who can think on their feet. Variability in the exam mirrors the dynamic, uncertain environments candidates will face in B-school and beyond.
Historical Variability (A Few Examples)
The inconsistency has taught serious aspirants never to rely on past paper trends alone. There have been certain years where the CAT exam difficulty level was too high. Read about these legendary years below.
- CAT 2016: DILR was unexpectedly tough, leading to lower overall scores.
- CAT 2020: Due to COVID-19, duration and questions were reduced, making time management the real challenge.
- CAT 2021: VARC became more reading-heavy; many found it trickier than previous years.
- CAT 2023: QA was slightly more conceptual and arithmetic-heavy compared to earlier editions.
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What to Expect in CAT 2025?
While CAT is inherently unpredictable, here are some thought of expectations based on recent trends and expert analysis.
Stable Structure, Fluctuating Difficulty
- The current format of 66 questions over 120 minutes (VARC – 24, DILR – 20, QA – 22) is likely to continue.
- Expect variation in difficulty within sections (e.g., a tough DILR but easier QA or vice versa).
Balanced Focus on TITA
- Type-in-the-Answer (TITA) questions will continue to play a strategic role. Be prepared to tackle them in all sections.
- TITA questions often require more logic and less elimination—practice them well.
Reading and Reasoning-Centric Paper
- VARC may retain a heavy RC focus, with tougher inference-based questions.
- DILR could involve more caselet-style problems and fewer straightforward puzzles.
Arithmetic and Logic in QA
- Arithmetic, number systems, and algebra have become more dominant over geometry or higher math. This trend may persist.
Possibility of Sectional Surprise
- One section (most likely DILR or QA) could be significantly tougher than the others.
- Time management and composure will be key to navigating uneven difficulty.
How Should You Prepare for a Variable CAT?
Since the CAT exam difficulty level varies each year, below are a few basic yet helpful tricks to help the aspirants prepare well for the exam.
- Master Fundamentals: CAT rewards concept clarity. Don’t rely only on tricks.
- Practice Diverse Mocks: Attempt mocks of varied difficulty — easy, moderate, and difficult.
- Analyze Every Mock Thoroughly: Understanding why you made mistakes is more valuable than your raw score.
- Stay Flexible: Be ready to adapt your strategy within the exam if a section turns out to be unexpectedly tough.
- Avoid Overdependence on Trends: Just because QA was easy last year doesn’t mean it will be again.
