Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) preparation for CAT Exam requires clarity about the topics to be covered as per the CAT syllabus, the kinds of questions asked, regular practice, and more. BYJU'S Exam Prep experts have curated a result-oriented Preparation Plan for the CAT VARC section.
CAT VARC Syllabus 2022
Before checking the preparation strategy, students must know the syllabus and exam pattern for CAT 2022. In the VARC syllabus, Verbal Ability (VA) is where the student's focus should be.
The VARC Syllabus of CAT 2022 has 3 broad categories:
- Reading Comprehension: RC dominates the VARC section in the CAT exam. The topics of RC could range from Abstract, Philosophy, Psychology to scientific. In CAT 2021 there were approximately 16 questions from RC. The difficulty level of RCs asked previously has been Moderate.
- Para Jumbles: The student must answer MCQs (objective) and fill in the blanks (subjective) in this section. Candidates need to be cautious of the negative marking for this section. Around 5-6 questions were asked from Para Jumbles in CAT 2021.
- Para Summary: Para Summary is another topic asked in the CAT exam. There were 3-4 questions asked on this topic in CAT 2021.
- Odd Sentence Out: Questions from Odd sentence out have been asked in the CAT exam. There were around 2-3 questions in CAT 2021 on this topic.

VARC Syllabus Topics (As per past Trends)
- Para Jumbles
- Reading Comprehension
- Sentence completion
- Odd One Out
Check how to prepare for CAT VARC Section
VARC Exam Pattern- Difficulty Level of Verbal Ability Section of CAT
The VARC section had 24 questions (As per CAT 2021), and the duration for attempting this section was 40 minutes. The difficulty level was Moderate to Difficult.
Check the detailed overview of the CAT VARC exam pattern.
CAT VARC Section- Exam Pattern | |
Particulars | Details |
Time Duration per section for VARC | PWD - 53 minutes and 20 seconds Others - 40 Minutes for other |
No. of Questions in VARC (As per CAT 2021) | 24 (19-MCQs and 5-TITA) |
Marking Scheme for MCQs |
|
Marking Scheme for TITA Questions | No negative marking |
Difficulty Level | Moderate-High |
Download CAT Question Paper to practice regularly and be exam-ready.
CAT VARC Preparation - Vocabulary
What to Expect
The student may be asked to complete incomplete sentences to check their command of the language. The CAT exam will test you with synonyms and antonyms, spelling, analogies, inappropriate words, and odd words.
CAT Exam Strategy for Vocabulary
To tackle these questions, students must have excellent reading skills, a combination of reasoning power, and great vocabulary. Being fluent in the language is insufficient. To crack this paper, you need to know how to use a suitable word in a given context.
For instance, four words may be given, which may mean almost the same. Thus, finding the odd words would be extremely difficult. The student must have excellent knowledge and understanding to notice the slight difference to recognize the odd one.
Example
Though all competitive exams do not allow using a calculator, where they are permitted, there are restrictions on the models allowed.
- Though all competitive exams do not allow using calculators,
- Not all competitive exams allow the use of a calculator,
- Every competitive exam does not allow using of calculators,
- No correction is required
The correct answer is B.
- The question asks for a grammatically correct answer. The exception is stated, with a 'but' in the sentence in the first part contradicting the 'though'. That is why A is incorrect.
- The second question to be reasoned here is what is not permitted by competitive exams. The answer is the use of a calculator. That is why using calculators would be incorrect.
- The term 'every' is also contradictory as it implies the entire group discussed and not a section of it in the sentence. The message to be conveyed is that a section permits the use of calculators. That is why 'every' gives a wrong message and is grammatically incorrect.
Option B conveys the message, and that is why it is the correct option.
Best Approach to Solve CAT Vocabulary Questions
The etymology approach is excellent for improving vocabulary. Understand the word by referring to its root meaning, the suffixes, and prefixes to have command over your vocabulary.
You can develop vocabulary skills by mastering connotations and colloquial usage to use them in appropriate contexts.
Check the best books for CAT Exam preparation.
CAT VARC Preparation - Grammar
The right approach to learning grammar is knowing the rules, parts of speech, and their usage. That, however, is time-consuming.
The other option is to learn based on previous question papers. Learn how to correct a given sentence by identifying errors. Such a practice helps in the easy detection of errors to aid the student in tackling VARC.
Questions relating to Para Jumbles, Summary, and Logical Continuation are easy to handle with sound grammar.
The knowledge of grammar helps eliminate unnecessary options and get to the correct answer quickly. Error detection, word usage, fill in the blanks, and sentence correction can be easily attempted by students with good grammar.
CAT VARC Preparation - Reading Comprehension
The weapon to overcome the hurdle named VARC is reading comprehension skills.
The skill may be developed by reading the newspaper daily. The diverse topics are an aid in improving vocabulary. Mark unknown words and learn pronunciation, usage in varied contexts, synonyms, and antonyms. Retain them by using them in conversation.
Continue to increase the speed of reading by checking just how many you can read in a minute.
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