VARC or Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension is quite a tough section of the CAT exam. Preparing for VARC is not that easy as there is no marked boundary to the VARC syllabus of CAT exam. However, seeing the past year trend, we can deduce the main topics from which questions are asked in CAT exam. In this article, expert faculties at BYJU's Exam Prep have compiled some tips and strategies to prepare yourself well for the VARC section of CAT 2021. Let's get started!
The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2021 is round the corner. CAT is a National Level Entrance Test which will be conducted online on 28th November 2021. Every year more than two lakh students compete to get seats into the prestigious management colleges and only a few thousand students can make it to the college of their choice. The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section hold a great weightage in CAT.
What is VARC section in CAT?
VARC stands for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension which is purely to test the candidates of their knowledge about English as a language. The VARC CAT 2021 section is also expected to be a tough section amongst the three. The level of any question asked in CAT exam is only up to that of the 10th standard. However, the CAT exam basically test candidates for their ability to respond correctly to the questions with speed and accuracy.
VARC full form in CAT
VARC means Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension. The section tests candidates to solve Grammar and comprehension based questions. It is expected that there will be 26 questions from this section in CAT 2021.
How to Prepare for CAT VARC?
VARC being one of the tough sections of CAT exam is also not that easy to solve. But to have a better hand in English as a language, you must follow the following points so as to ace the VARC section of CAT 2021:
- Invest 1 or 2 hours for reading every day
- Read from various sources (newspapers, editorials, magazines, Aeon essays etc.)
- Inculcate the habit of understanding the overall idea from the context of the passage while solving a comprehension
- Practise and only practise will sail you through this section in CAT 2021
How to Improve Accuracy in VARC CAT 2021?
Accuracy to mark the correct answer and speed to mark the correct answer quickly goes hand in hand while solving any question in the CAT exam. As far as improving accuracy in the VARC section of CAT is concerned, you must follow the tips given below
- Do as much practise as you can. Practising will only help you achieve the desired score in the VARC section as it will enhance your grasping power so that you get the idea of the passage by reading it just once
- Reading is another thing that will help you improve your accuracy while solving questions from the VARC section in CAT 2021. Try to read as much as you can, as this will help you enhance your knowledge about the language, correct form of a sentence, etc and thus you will be able to solve questions quickly while attempting them in the main exam
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension Syllabus for CAT Exams
There is no such official syllabus of the CAT exam. However, seeing the trend CAT has followed in the past years, given below is the list of topics you can refer to while preparing for CAT 2021:
Para Summary | Para Jumbles (with and without options) |
Odd One Out | Reading Comprehension |
Best Books for VARC CAT Preparation
There are several books available in the market for the preparation of CAT for English. However, no book can simply substitute for your hard work and practice. The reference books a CAT aspirant can go through are:
- Word Power Made Easy - Norman Lewis
- For Grammar refer to Wren and Martin
- How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension - Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay
For more details on Best Books for Preparing VARC for CAT 2021
VARC Weightage in CAT 2021
Subject | Expected No. of Questions | Marks |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension | 26 | 78 |
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning | 24 | 72 |
Quantitative Ability | 26 | 78 |
Total | 76 | 228 |
Types of VARC CAT Questions
There are two types of questions asked in the VARC section of the CAT exam:
- MCQs (Multiple-Choice Questions)
- Non-MCQs / TITA (Type-In The Answer)
In the MCQ type questions, for every question, there are 4 options to chose from. If answered correctly it will fetch you +3 marks to your score. But if answered incorrectly, it will deduct your score by 1 mark.
In the Non-MCQ or TITA type questions, there may or may not be options available for you to answer and you have to type your answer in the blank space given after the question. If answered correctly it will fetch you +3 marks to your score. But if answered incorrectly, no marks will be deducted.
CAT Preparation Plan for Verbal Ability
There is no substitution for Reading. The early you start reading the better grasp you will have on this section. The Verbal Ability and Reading comprehension section require your constant efforts in building vocabulary. However, the following points are to be noted for the preparation of the VARC section:
- Maintain a journal. Jot down the new words that you come across.
- Read on diverse topics like philosophy, business etc.
- Look in for new words.
- Look in for the roots of the words.
- Develop the habit of reading newspapers, novels etc.
- For the RC section, practice a lot of RC passages.
- Remain focused while reading.
- Try looking for the central idea/theme of the passage.
- Assess your reading by noting the time you take while reading the passages.
- At times when you have multiple nearing options eliminate the ones which seem least possible.
VARC CAT practice / VARC CAT mock
Attempting mocks is the best practice to excel in the VARC section of the CAT exam. CAT Mock tests gives you a clear idea about the difficulty level of the questions that you can be asked in the CAT exam. Therefore it is advised one must attempt as many mocks as possible to enhance their speed and accuracy while solving VARC questions in CAT 2021. You can practise mock for FREE from BYJU's Exam Prep.
VARC CAT Coaching 2021
VARC being a tough section of the CAT exam requires candidates to be well prepared for it since there is no marked syllabus for VARC (or any other section of CAT). For one to be fully prepared for the section as tough as VARC, one definitely needs to study from one of the best sources and what better than faculties who themselves appear for CAT and score 99.99 percentile on several occasions? Yes, the faculty at BYJU's Exam Prep appear for CAT every year and score more than 99%ile in VARC and overall as well.
Check VARC course for CAT at BYJU's Exam Prep to improve your level of preparation.
Not only this, BYJU's Exam Prep offers you the best in class study notes (VARC CAT Notes), more than thousands of live video sessions from expert faculty, 60+ mock tests, unlimited daily quizzes and much more to get you all set for the BIG DAY.
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