5 years of CAT data: how difficulty and topic composition have shifted from 2021 to 2025.

The data

1,002 questions from CAT 2021–2025, tagged by year, section, topic, and difficulty. Five years of the same paper — here's what has changed, what has held steady, and what it means for 2026 preparation.

Difficulty has swung 40 percentage points

Difficulty distribution by year (2021–2025, %)

The 40-point swing between 2023 (66% hard) and 2024 (26% hard) is the most dramatic year-to-year shift in the dataset — equivalent to roughly 80 questions changing difficulty category in a 204-question paper. This is not noise; it reflects how much the conducting IIM can vary the paper within an identical format and syllabus.

2025 at 53% hard sits between the two extremes, close to where 2022 landed. The five-year average is approximately 48% hard — but the range (26%–66%) is wide enough that the average is a poor predictor for any single year.

VARC: five years of perfect stability

VARC is the most predictable section. The RC / VA split of 48 + 24 has not varied by a single question per slot across five years and fifteen slots.

Within VA, Para Jumble and Para Summary have each held at approximately 8 questions per year. Sentence Insertion has grown slightly — from around 4 per year in 2021 to around 6 per year from 2023 onwards.

VARC's hard share has ranged from about 11% (2024) to 33% (2023). Even so, the section's challenge is structural (inference-heavy RC under time pressure) more than difficulty-variable year to year.

DILR: most volatile section by format

DI vs LR + Arrangements share by year (% of DILR)

2021 was 72% LR — a major shock for DI-focused candidates. 2023 swung to 83% DI — the opposite extreme. 2024 and 2025 represent a partial correction back toward the middle, but neither reached an even split.

The 2025 direction is significant. LR + Arrangements returned to 39% — the highest since 2021. After three consecutive years in which DI comprised 50% or more of DILR, 2025 signalled that LR and Arrangements remain relevant at scale. Whether this continues in 2026 is unknowable, but neglecting either format entirely is a meaningful risk.

DILR difficulty: hardest in 2021 and 2023, easiest in 2024

DILR: % of questions rated hard by year

2021 and 2023 were the most brutal DILR years, both around 88% hard. 2025, at 76%, was high but not the peak. The standout exception is 2024, where DILR fell to just 38% hard — its most approachable showing in five years, with genuine entry-point questions in most sets.

The practical implication: DILR can reach a difficulty level where there are no easy entry points. Candidates who have only practised mid-difficulty DILR sets are exposed when this happens.

QA: Algebra has caught up with Arithmetic

Arithmetic vs Algebra questions by year

Algebra has grown from 19 to 25 questions per year — a 37% increase — while Arithmetic has drifted down from 27 to 23. In 2024 Algebra edged ahead (25 to 23), and in 2025 the two finished level at 23 each, the closest the leading pair has ever been.

The Algebra subtopics driving this growth are Equations (linear and quadratic), Functions, and Logarithms — together accounting for 58% of all Algebra questions across 2021–2025. Most preparation plans still treat these as secondary to Arithmetic. The data says they are now co-equal.

Number System has stayed low and choppy, between 4 and 7 questions a year. Geometry has been stable at 9 to 10.

QA difficulty: volatile, not trending

QA difficulty has been volatile without trending. 2023 was brutal (83%), with 2022 and 2025 also hard (68% and 65%); 2021 and 2024 were markedly easier (35% and 30%). The difficulty appears to be set independently each year rather than drifting in one direction. Planning for 65%+ hard QA remains the conservative assumption.

Three things the five-year view reveals

1. Building expectations from a single year is a planning error.

CAT 2024 (44% hard) felt to many like the new benchmark. It was not — it was the lowest-difficulty year in five. CAT is capable of a 66% hard paper with no change to format or syllabus. Only a multi-year view gives you the actual distribution you are preparing for.

2. DILR requires preparation for both format extremes.

72% LR in 2021 and 83% DI in 2023 both occurred. A candidate who trained primarily on post-2021 papers trained primarily on DI-heavy DILR. A 2021-style paper in 2026 would significantly disadvantage them. Solve sets from the full 2021–2025 range, not just recent years.

3. Algebra now deserves Arithmetic-level preparation time.

The trend across five years has been consistent and reached a milestone in 2024 and 2025: Algebra drew level with Arithmetic. The high-frequency subtopics — Equations, Functions, Logarithms — require dedicated preparation, not coverage as a secondary topic. Coaching schedules that still treat Algebra as supporting have not caught up to where the paper has moved.

Year-by-year at a glance