The CAT exam is one of the toughest MBA exams in India, and is the only gateway for admission to the 21 IIMs. The CAT exam is conducted in 3 slots (Morning, Afternoon, and Evening), and each slot varies in difficulty level by a slight margin. However, a common question raised by students is - “Which is the toughest slot in the CAT exam?” The question is common owing to the fact that the students do not have any option to choose the slot and it is randomly assigned by the conducting IIM.
Now to answer the question, it may be said that there is no perfect answer to this, but usually it is observed that the evening slot is comparatively difficult than the other two. However, to avoid any dispute in aspirants and to reach a common ground, the CAT scores are normalised via the CAT normalization process and these normalised scores are printed in the CAT scorecard.
To understand more about the slots in CAT and the difficulty levels, let us deep dive into the article, and students are advised to scroll further.
Check CAT 2024 paper analysis here
CAT Slot System Explained
CAT is usually conducted in three sessions on a single day to accommodate the large number of test takers. Each slot has -
- The same number of questions (typically 66 in recent years)
- The same duration (120 minutes total)
- The same sectional structure:
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
- Quantitative Ability (QA)
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
Is there a tough slot in CAT exam?
While the IIMs aim to keep all slots of comparable difficulty, slight variations do exist. Some years have seen -
- Slot 2 with tougher DILR
- Slot 3 with challenging QA
- Slot 1 with a tricky VARC section
However, these differences are not extreme, and normalization (equating scores) is done to ensure fairness across all slots.
Also view → CAT 2023 paper analysis
Normalization Process: Leveling the Field
To address these slot-wise differences, CAT authorities implement a normalization algorithm, which adjusts raw scores based on the relative difficulty level of each slot. This ensures the following.
- No advantage or disadvantage based on slot
- Fair percentile ranking across the board
Historical Trends: What Past Data Shows?
As per past year trends, a brief analysis of the CAT exam 2025 expected difficulty level is presented in the table below.
Year | Slot | Observed Toughest Section | General Observation |
2023 | Slot 2 | DILR | Logical sets were calculation-heavy |
2022 | Slot 1 | QA | Lengthy questions, time-consuming |
2021 | Slot 3 | VARC | RCs were abstract and tricky |
2020 | Slot 2 | DILR | Difficult puzzles, fewer attempts |
2019 | Slot 1 | QA | Tough questions even for toppers |
Note: These observations are based on student feedback and expert analysis.
Student Perception vs Reality
Many aspirants feel their own slot was the hardest — this is a psychological bias. The pressure, fatigue, or topic familiarity can affect individual experience. Hence, difficulty is subjective and often blown out of proportion immediately after the exam.
What do experts say on this matter?
Coaching experts like TIME, IMS, and Career Launcher usually publish slot-wise analysis. According to them:
- Variations are usually in one section only
- Overall toughness across slots is marginal
- Percentile shifts due to slot differences are negligible due to normalization
Should Slot Timing Influence Preparation or Strategy?
No, CAT slot timing should not at all affect your preparation strategy, due to the following reasons.
- You can not choose your slot (randomly assigned)
- You must prepare to tackle any difficulty level
- Final percentiles are adjusted to balance any disparities
