The first slot of CAT 2025 concluded recently, and as per the CAT 2025 Slot 1 Review, early feedback shows that time management was a major factor in performance.
The following is a breakdown by section of the strategies aspirants are using and what they should consider for Slot 2 preparation.
1. Quantitative Ability (QA) – 22 Questions
Focus on CAT 2025 QA strategies, time-saving techniques, and accuracy tips. Practice previous years’ CAT questions to tackle tricky arithmetic and algebra confidently.
- Average time per question: 2–2.5 minutes
- Strategy from Slot 1: In Slot 1, students prioritized easier arithmetic and algebra questions, avoided very time-consuming ones, and used approximations when needed.
- Slot 2 Tips: For Slot 2, aspirants should practice tricky QA questions from CAT Previous Year Papers, attempt calculation-heavy questions only if confident, and focus on accuracy rather than solving every question.
2. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) – 22 Questions
In CAT 2025 DILR, it’s best to focus on easy and medium sets and manage your time carefully. Using shortcuts for tables, charts, and arrangements can save a lot of time.
- Most time-consuming section in CAT 2025 Slot 1
- Strategy from Slot 1: Students found it helpful to quickly look over all sets, decide a time limit for each, and skip the very tough ones.
- Slot 2 Tips: For Slot 2, try to solve easy and medium sets first, complete 2–3 sets properly instead of trying all, and practice mock sets with a timer to stay fast and accurate.
3. Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) – 24 Questions
To boost your CAT 2025 VARC performance, work on reading speed and understanding passages quickly. Focus on the main ideas and keywords to answer questions efficiently.
- Strategy from Slot 1: Students found it helpful to read the questions first, start with shorter or easier passages, and spend about 4–5 minutes per passage.
- Slot 2 Tips: For Slot 2, quickly scan passages to pick out main points, don’t overthink grammar or vocabulary questions, and keep a steady reading pace without getting stuck on one passage.
4. General Time Management Tips
For CAT 2025, it is very important for you to manage time for each section, perform with accuracy and and maintain calm to work under pressure. One way to learn from Slot 1 is to practice with mock tests, which can be a great way to enhance focus.
- Strategy from Slot 1: Students found it useful to set section-wise timing before starting, avoid switching between sections unnecessarily, and keep track of the clock while staying calm.
- Slot 2 Tips: For Slot 2 as well, you need to set a fixed time for each question and section, then after each section, take a short mental break to have a fresh mind, and think of accuracy instead of answering all questions, and watch Slot 1 reaction videos to know difficult question types.
5. Student Takeaways
Students like Tanushree and Anshika Pandita gave the Slot 1 exam. Here’s what they said:
"Allocate a specific time for each question and, in case of getting stuck, move on; otherwise, you may lose the chance to score in other parts of the exam."
Hence, CAT 2025 Slot 2 aspirants should learn from Slot 1 experiences. They should focus on planning, prioritising and staying calm.
