CAT Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC): Syllabus, Types of Questions, Previous Year Questions, Practice Questions & More.

Hey future CAT aspirants! Let me tell you something about VARC that every student wish someone had told them when they started. You know how everyone talks about Quant being the monster section of CAT? Well, here's the truth bomb - VARC is where dreams are often made or broken, and I'm here to help you make sure it's the former for you.

To put it into a better prescriptive, picture this: It's day one of your CAT prep. You think, "Hey, I've been speaking English all my life, how hard can this be?" Then you open your first mock test, and... boom!  You're staring at a passage about quantum mechanics written in the style of a philosophy which might throw you off track on how to analyze it. Welcome to CAT VARC!

But here's the thing - this CAT VARC section isn't trying to test your English. Shocking, right? What it's really testing is your ability to:

• Think critically under pressure – The faster you untangle complex arguments, the better you’ll score.
• Spot subtlety in writing – Can you identify implied meanings or underlying tones?
• Make logical connections – How well can you piece together fragmented ideas into a cohesive understanding?
• Master time management – Every second counts, and strategic juggling is your superpower.
  

Understanding the CAT VARC Section

The VARC section of the CAT exam assesses your reading skills and your ability to understand and interpret written information. This section comprises two main types of questions:

• Reading Comprehension (RC): You’ll be given long, dense passages, often from varied fields like economics, science, philosophy, or social issues. After reading the passage, you’ll answer multiple-choice questions based on the content of the passage.
  
  
• Verbal Ability (VA): These questions test your knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure. Topics like fill-in-the-blanks, para-jumbles, and error spotting come under this category.
  
  

While the VARC section may seem intimidating at first, it is one of the most scoring sections if approached with the right strategy.

Let’s dive into CAT Exam syllabus and understand the topics that form the core of CAT preparation. The CAT Exam is divided in three sections as discussed above; Let's check the CAT Exam syllabus of each section in detail:

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) Syllabus

VARC is designed to test your comprehension and analytical skills, along with your command over English grammar and vocabulary. This section accounts for approximately one-third of the total score. Total Questions in the VARC section is 26 (16 reading comprehension, 8 Verbal Ability).

The are five types of questions asked in the VARC section of CAT Exam, Reading Comprehensions, Summary Questions, Para Jumbles, Odd Sentence Out, Para Completion. Let's, check syllabus of each type of Questions asked in CAT VARC Section:

1. Reading Comprehension (RC): 

When we talk about Reading Comprehension in CAT, forget about those simple passages you might remember from school. These passages are more like what you'd encounter in a thought-provoking journal or an analytical business report. You'll find yourself reading about everything from economic theories to scientific discoveries, from social issues to philosophical debates.

What makes reading comprehension tricky? Well, the questions have evolved. They're not just asking what the author said? anymore. Instead, they want to know what you think about what the author said. It's like being in a discussion where you need to read between the lines and understand the deeper implications.

Genres of Passages on which question are asked in Reading Comprehension of CAT Exam:

• Business / Economics 
• Environment 
• Science and Technology
• History 
• Arts and Culture
• Philosophy/ Psychology 
• Society and Politics
  

Types of Question asked in CAT Reading Comprehension Questions:

• Main Idea Questions.
  
• Inference-Based Questions.
• Strengthen or Weakening Questions.
• Detail-Based Questions.
• Vocabulary-Based Questions.
• Tone and Style-Based Questions.
• Purpose and Function-Based Questions.
• Structure-Based Questions.
• Assumption-Based Questions.
• Suitable Topic.

Remember:  CAT RC is not just about reading speed - it's about deep understanding and analytical ability. The key is to practice regularly with high-quality passages and develop a systematic approach to different question types.

Read More about Reading Comprehension (RC) ------->>>>>>

2. Verbal Ability (VA) 

This section tests your command over the English language. There are generally 4 types of questions asked in Verbal Ability section; Para Summary, Para Jumbles, Odd One Out, Para Completion.

2.1 Para Summary Questions: 

Identify the most accurate summary for a passage.  Summary questions are among the most intellectually demanding tasks in the CAT VARC section.

Here, you’re presented with a brief passage, typically 80-100 words long, followed by four potential summaries.  These questions require you to extract the essence of the passage—its primary argument—and choose the option that captures its core meaning without introducing inaccuracies or superfluous details.

Mastering this requires identifying irrelevant or exaggerated elements in the options and isolating the choice that stays true to the passage’s scope and tone. The options are carefully crafted to test your comprehension at multiple levels:

• Some options may capture 90% of the passage correctly but add a small, unsupported inference
• Others might omit a crucial qualifier or condition from the original argument
• A few might rephrase the ideas in a way that slightly alters their relationship or importance
• The correct option often appears less appealing at first glance because it maintains the nuanced position of the original text
  

Read More about Para Summary ---------->>>>>>

2.2 Para Jumbles Questions: 

In Para Jumbles questions asked in CAT you have to rearrange sentences to form a coherent paragraph (TITA).

Usually TITA (Type in The Answer) questions  are asked in the Para jumbles of the CAT Exam, there is absolutely no margin for error. In the Para jumble questions usually 4-5 sentences are given out of order. These sentences when arranged in a logical way together, they form a coherent paragraph.

To solve these questions correctly start by identifying the first sentence (introduces the topic)  and the last sentence (concludes or makes a judgment).

Then you can arrange the middle sentences logically to form a seamless flow.

Read More about Para Jumbles ---------->>>>>>

2.3 Odd- Sentence Out: 

In the Odd Sentence Out questions asked in CAT we have t0 spot the sentence that doesn’t fit within a paragraph (TITA).

Odd sentence out are also TITA questions. Among 4-5 sentences, identify the one that doesn’t fit within the logical flow of the paragraph.

Read More about Odd Sentence Out ---------->>>>>>

2.4 Para Completion:   

Para Completion type is where  a part of the paragraph is missing, and you must select the most logical sentence to complete it. Para completion questions test a candidate's ability to maintain logical and thematic consistency in a given passage. 

While solving the Para Completion Questions, students should avoid selecting options that introduce new themes; Choosing conclusions that are too extreme or picking options that contradict earlier statements or Selecting answers based on specific words rather than overall meaning.

Read More about Para Completion ---------->>>>>>

What Makes CAT VARC Section Tough?

If you're wondering why so many students find the VARC section challenging, let’s break it down. There are several aspects that can trip up even the best-prepared candidates:

• Complex Passages: The RC passages in the CAT exam are not your typical newspaper articles or story-based passages. They’re dense, analytical, and often require you to think critically. The ideas presented can be abstract, and they may ask you to interpret the meaning, tone, or implications of the passage.
  
  
• Question Style: The questions are no longer as straightforward as they used to be. Now, questions are more nuanced, asking for inferences, assumptions, or even the author's tone.
  
  
• Time Pressure: With only 40 minutes to attempt 24 questions, managing time is crucial. It’s easy to get stuck on a particularly tough question, but you must keep moving forward and come back to difficult ones later if needed.

Tips for Tackling Reading Comprehension (RC) & Verbal Ability (VA)

Engage Actively with the Text: Whether it’s an RC passage or a VA question, approach it with curiosity. Identify the main idea, understand the tone, and look for logical connections. Active reading keeps you focused and improves accuracy.

Practice Elimination Over Selection: In both RC and VA, eliminating obviously incorrect options often leads to the right answer. This strategy works wonders for tricky questions and helps save valuable time.

Master Logical Flow: For RC, understand the structure of the passage – introduction, arguments, and conclusion. For VA, identify sentence links, opening lines, and logical progression in para jumbles or odd sentence questions.

Build a Reading Habit: Make reading a daily habit. Choose articles from diverse sources like The Hindu, Aeon Essays, and The Economist. It improves reading speed, comprehension, and familiarity with complex topics.

Mock Tests and Analysis Are Key: Take regular mocks to simulate exam pressure and identify weak areas. Spend time analyzing mistakes to refine strategies and avoid repeating them. Practice makes perfect!

It’s easy to make mistakes, but avoiding them can significantly enhance your preparation.

1. Ignoring Mock Analysis

• Mock tests without thorough analysis don’t help. Understand what went wrong and focus on weak areas.

2. Overlooking non-MCQs

• Since these questions have no negative marking, they can be scoring opportunities. Don’t leave them unanswered.
  
  

3. Neglecting VARC

• Many students focus heavily on quant and reasoning, sidelining VARC. A balanced approach is vital to excel in all sections.

4. Not Adhering to the syllabus

• Many students neglect the syllabus, the weightage applied to each section. Knowing how much time to be allotted to each section helps in smart study.
  
  

Awareness of these pitfalls can save valuable preparation time and effort.

The CAT VARC section may seem intimidating at first, but with consistent practice and smart strategies, it’s totally manageable. The key is to read regularly, practice time management, and focus on understanding the core concepts of each question. With the right preparation, you can turn the VARC section into one of your strongest areas in the CAT exam.