If you are preparing for CAT 2026, the single most powerful resource available is the CAT 2025 PYQ — the actual question paper from the most recent exam. PYQ stands for Previous Year Questions, and for any serious CAT aspirant, solving them is not just recommended — it is essential.
Before diving into practice, every aspirant should understand the structure of the CAT 2025 question paper. Here is a clear breakdown of the full exam pattern:
CAT 2025 Exam Pattern — Section-Wise Structure
| Section | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| VARC | 24 | 40 min |
| DILR | 22 | 40 min |
| QA | 22 | 40 min |
| Total | 68 | 120 min |
| Total | 68 | 120 min |
One of the biggest advantages of practicing free CAT 2025 PYQ from all three slots is that you get exposure to different question types and varying difficulty levels within the same exam pattern. Here is a consolidated difficulty analysis:
| Section | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| VARC | Moderate–Difficult | Moderate | Moderate |
| DILR | Moderate | Difficult | Moderate–Difficult |
| QA | Moderate | Moderate–Hard | Moderate–Hard |
| Overall | Moderate | Moderate–Difficult | Moderate |
When you visit CatMock's CAT 2025 PYQ page, you will find 12 fully accessible question papers organized across two categories — combined papers and individual section papers.
All-Section Combined Papers (3 papers)
Individual Section Papers (9 papers)
Many aspirants make the mistake of only using mock tests and study material in the early months. While those are important, they are synthetic — built by coaching institutes to imitate CAT, not pulled directly from it. The CAT 2025 PYQ is the real thing. Here are five concrete reasons why solving it should be your top priority:
VARC — Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
VARC is the first section you face in CAT, and it sets the tone for your entire exam. In CAT 2025, VARC had 24 questions split roughly into 16 RC-based questions (from 4 passages) and 8 Verbal Ability questions (parajumbles, odd sentence out, para completion). The RC passages in 2025 covered diverse themes — inequality, AI and ethics, science, consumer behaviour, and literary analysis. These were not straightforward factual questions. They tested your ability to read between the lines, identify the author's stance, and distinguish between what was said and what was implied. For VARC PYQ practice, CatMock offers all three VARC slots individually (Slot 1, Slot 2, Slot 3), letting you focus exclusively on this section without the distraction of DILR and QA.
Quick strategy tip: Scan all 4 RC passages in the first 2 minutes of the section. Begin with the passage that feels most familiar. Aim for 80% accuracy over high attempts — getting 16–18 questions right is far better than attempting 22 and making avoidable errors.
There are several platforms online offering CAT previous year papers. So why is CatMock the smarter choice?
Genuinely Free — No Conditions
Many platforms promise free access and then redirect you to a paywall, demand registration, or limit you to a few questions. On CatMock, all 12 slots of CAT 2025 PYQ are completely free. Open the page, click the paper, and start practicing.
Video Solutions for Every Question
Getting a question wrong teaches you almost nothing by itself. Understanding why you were wrong and what the correct approach is — that is where real learning happens. CatMock provides video explanations for every single question across every slot, covering VARC, DILR, and QA.
Organized by Slot and Section
CatMock does not dump all questions in one long list. The papers are neatly organized by slot (1, 2, 3) and by section (VARC, DILR, QA), giving you the flexibility to practice in any sequence that suits your preparation plan.
