The test comprised three major parts, with a total of 142 questions to be answered in 130 minutes, distributed as follows:

Part	Section Name	No. of Questions	Sectional Time
I	Psychometric Test	68	25 min
II	Descriptive Test	4	25 min
III	Divergent & Convergent Thinking	20	80 Min
	Verbal Ability	20
	Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation	20
	General Awareness	10
TOTAL		142	130 min

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PART I – Psychometric Test

The Psychometric section contained 68 questions, each having seven response options ranging from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree.

The statements assessed a wide range of personality traits and behavioural tendencies, including:

• Expression of creativity
• Ability to work in divergent teams
• Standing up for one’s beliefs
• Work ethic and accountability
• Ability to handle failure
• Handling dynamic situations
• Futuristic thinking
• Imagination and ideation ability

As in previous years, this section is qualifying in nature, but consistency, self-awareness, and authenticity remain essential. No time pressure was reported.

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PART II – Descriptive Test

Tasks 1-3

Candidates were asked to respond to the following theme:

“Employee engagements have transitioned from ONLY a traditional employer-employee relationship to a situationship model, example gig workers, freelancers etc.”

Tasks included:

• Present three negative outcomes of this transition (10 marks, not more than 300 words)
• Present three positive outcomes of this transition (10 marks, not more than 300 words)
• Discuss three broader societal impacts of this shift, ensuring no repetition from previous responses (20 marks, not more than 300 words)

This section tested critical thinking, clarity of argumentation, structure, and balanced evaluation.

Task 4: Story Writing (Image–Based)

Candidates were given four images:

• A herd of donkeys
• A street café scene
• Two cars parked very closely that they looked like they’re involved in a minor collision
• A plate of gravy-like food item topped with oily horns

Candidates had to:

• Choose a logical sequence,
• Connect all four images, and
• Write a coherent story in under 300 words (30 marks)

The task demanded creativity, narrative flow, contextual linking, and originality. Difficulty was comparable to previous years.

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PART III – Aptitude Section

A total of 70 questions were to be answered in 80 minutes, with the overall difficulty ranging from Moderate to Difficult. Time management and smart selection were key differentiators.

1. Divergent & Convergent Thinking (20 questions)

Topic	Questions	Difficulty
Coding–Decoding	1	Easy
Word Association	3	Moderate
Blood Relations	1	Moderate
Puzzle	1	Moderate
Puzzles in Data Sufficiency style	2	Difficult
Puzzles with a twist	2	Difficult
Non-verbal reasoning (Mirror Image, Paper Fold)	2	Easy
Statements & Reasoning	1	Moderate
Statements & Conclusions	3	Moderate
Direction Sense	1	Moderate
Series – Odd One Out	1	Easy
Deductions (Find statement from conclusion)	2	Moderate

There was a balanced mix of traditional reasoning, creative association, and logic-based deduction. Difficulty varied across question types but remained broadly moderate.

2. Verbal Ability (20 questions)

Topic	Questions	Difficulty
Passage 1: Ascendancy of Cafés (540 words)	4	Difficult
Passage 2: Embryonic Diapause in Kangaroos	3	Moderate
Passage 3: Evolution of Knowledge in Universities (Short)	3	Moderate
Fill-in-the-Blanks (Vocabulary-based, confusing options)	4	Moderate-Difficult
Para Formation	1	Easy
Para Completion	1	Easy
Para Summary	1	Moderate
Odd One Out	1	Easy
Grammar	2	Easy

One RC passage was lengthy with inference-heavy questions. Vocabulary-based FIBs were tricky. Other questions were easy–moderate. Smart selection and strong vocabulary were essential to maximise scores.

3. Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (20 questions)

Topic	Questions	Difficulty
Arithmetic – Time & Work, AMA, Profit–Loss, Time and Distance	8	Moderate
DI – Pie Chart + Bar Chart	4	Moderate
DI - Table	2	Easy-Moderate
Geometry - Quadrilaterals	2	Moderate-Difficult
Modern Maths - Probability	2	Easy-Moderate
Algebra – Progressions	1	Difficult
Venn Diagrams	1	Difficult

Key Observations:

• TITA (type in the answer) questions appeared for the first time in this section (3 questions)
• Easier than last year, though lengthy
• Majority of questions were doable with careful selection
• Flavour was close to CAT, particularly in Arithmetic
• Strategic choosing significantly increased scoring potential

4. General Awareness (10 questions)

Questions covered:

• Business GK (Logos, Brands, Ambassadors, Mottos, Acquisitions)
• Sportspersons & Sports
• Film awards
• Assertion-type: “Which of the following is NOT TRUE?”

Overall Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

For well-prepared aspirants, this was the quickest section to gain marks, consistent with trends from previous years.

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Overall Difficulty & Expected Cut-offs

MICAT–I 2025 maintained its characteristic mix of creativity, reasoning, and business awareness.

• Psychometric – Qualifying, no surprises
• Descriptive – Thought-provoking but manageable
• Aptitude – Moderate to Difficult, requiring good judgement in question selection

Given the pattern stability and relative difficulty:

• Sectional cutoff in Aptitude (Part III) is expected to go up on account of the Quant section being easier
• GA and QA offered strong scoring opportunities
• VA and Divergent-Convergent Reasoning were slightly challenging, especially puzzles with partial information

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Conclusion

MICAT–I 2025 was a balanced affair, with moderate–high difficulty in certain pockets but ample opportunities to score across sections. Students who combined clear reasoning, creative thinking, strong fundamentals, and strategic selection would have performed well.

MICAT–II will provide a valuable second opportunity for aspirants targeting MICA’s flagship PGDM programmes.