As the CAT 2025 examination is underway today, a set of unverified, but widely circulated, insights has emerged online. These observations come from a senior academic connected to one of the QA setters at IIM Kozhikode, reportedly part of the same extended team involved in CAT 2022–2024.
While these details cannot be confirmed officially, they are attracting attention because the same professor had accurately predicted certain elements of the 2023 VARC pattern. This article covers a structured summary of the alleged “CAT experimental pattern shift” being discussed by candidates today.
Know more: The Impact of CAT Exam Pattern Changes on Student Performance
Table of Contents
VARC (24 Questions): Potential New Formats
According to the blog post that surfaced last night, the CAT Exam VARC section may be introducing multiple new elements aimed at “micro-comprehension" a more granular test of reading ability.
1. Inverted RCs (New Format)
Passages are allegedly scrambled at the sentence level, requiring candidates to reorder them correctly before answering.
- Expected structure: 4 passages × 3 questions each
2. RC with Dual-Tone Analysis
Some passages may contain mixed viewpoints from different authors, and students need to identify the subtle differences in tone or perspective.
3. Para-Jumbles with 5 Sentences
After several years of 4-sentence jumbles, the set may return to the traditional 5-sentence format.
4. Fact-to-Opinion Conversion (New Type)
Candidates may be given factual statements and asked to determine which opinion logically follows. The source suggests this is designed to distinguish genuine comprehension from pattern-based solving.
LRDI (20 Questions): Higher Logical Complexity Reported
Slot 2, in particular, is rumoured to have the most challenging logic-based sets.
1. Pentagonal Seating Puzzle
A seating arrangement where directions shift every round. The professor allegedly warned that many candidates misread the clockwise/anticlockwise rules.
2. Double-Layer Venn Diagram (New)
Featuring 8 subsets with AND/OR/ONLY relationships—something that has not appeared before in the CAT.
3. Mini Case: LR + Quant Hybrid
A logistics-based scenario combining LR reasoning with speed–distance calculations.
4. Data Spill Set
An incomplete table that requires deriving missing entries using unconventional constraints.
Also check: CAT 2025 Question Paper
Quant (22 Questions): Expected to Be the Toughest Section
The professor’s note suggests that Slot 1 candidates may find Quant particularly challenging.
1. Reverse Plug-ins (New Type)
Questions presented without answer options. Candidates must generate potential answers and eliminate them manually—similar to older IIM-K patterns.
2. Mixtures & Alligations: 3-Variable Variant
A three-liquid mixture involving volume–density combinations instead of simple ratio-based mixing.
3. Number System: Digit Product Cycle
A rarely tested concept, last seen around 2008.
4. Geometry via Coordinate Transformations
Most questions may rely on slopes, reflections, and rotations rather than classical geometry.
Additional Note
All CAT Exam 2025 slots will test adaptability, not memory. Students dependent on templates will find it harder.
Final Word
Note: These insights are circulating among candidates and have not been confirmed by IIM authorities. However, candidates appearing today should be mentally prepared for possible format variations and creative problem structures, consistent with an increased emphasis on adaptability.
Click to know more about: CAT 2025 First Impression
