Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section of CAT exam comprises 34 questions. Candidates need to attempt it in 60 minutes.
CAT 2020 will be conducted in the last week of November (tentatively November 29), which means candidates have just over five and a half months to prepare for the exam.
Most students find either Quant or Reasoning tough and spend most of their CAT preparation time on these and neglect VARC section. Now as we all know CAT is divided into three sections and it is extremely important to score well in all the sections to get a good overall percentile. It will be suicidal to not pay equal attention on the VARC section.
Explore colleges based on CAT
Want better recommendations?
There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.To guide candidates in preparation of VARC, Shiksha has complied a few tips and books for reference.
In CAT 2020 exam, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section will be the first section having 34 questions. Candidates need to attempt it in 60 minutes.
Ideally, candidates should finish VARC syllabus by October end and focus on mocks in the month of November. One needs to create a solid preparation plan as soon as possible and stick to it. Create this plan keeping in mind your strengths and weakness in VARC. Spend at least three hours a day for CAT preparation. That’ll give you about 350 hours before CAT 2020 exam day. Out of 350 hours, keep about 100 hours in practicing Mock Tests.
Explore more MBA exams with upcoming dates
1 Aug '24 - 17 Dec '24
16 Dec '24 - 17 Dec '24
1 Jul '24 - 18 Dec '24
18 Dec '24
20 Dec '24
20 Dec '24
21 Dec '24
18 Dec '24 - 22 Dec '24
20 Sep '24 - 6 Jan '25
VARC section can be broadly classified into four sub-categories:
- Grammar
- Vocabulary
- Verbal Reasoning
- Reading Comprehension
Best Books for VARC Preparation
Some of the most recommended CAT books for VARC section are mentioned below:
- How To Prepare For Verbal Ability And Reading Comprehension For CAT by Arun Sharma, Meenashi Upadhyay
- The Pearson Guide to Verbal Ability for the CAT and Other MBA Entrance Examinations by Sujit Kumar
- The Pearson Guide to Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning for the CAT by Nishit K Sinha
- High School Grammar and Composition Wren and Martin
- Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
Also Read: CAT Books - Section wise best books for CAT and secondary reading
CAT Preparation: Section-wise VARC section
Let us look at each VARC section in detail below:
Grammar:
CAT exam generally tests the basic high school level grammar of students. One needs to identify and correct grammatical errors swiftly.
Some of the common concepts that candidates need to prepare are use of subject-verb agreement, articles, prepositions, modifiers, parallel construction, phrasal verbs and redundancy and so on. Candidates may get questions on identifying mistakes in a sentences or sequence of sentence.
Vocabulary:
This part tests a candidate's knowledge of language and lexicon. There can be simple sentence completion (fill-in-the-blanks) or correct/incorrect use of words in a sentence. This section cannot be developed/practiced overnight. Candidates need to develop a regular study habit to score well in this section.
Verbal Reasoning:
Questions related to paragraph formation and paragraph completion are integral in this section of verbal ability. Candidates will have to identify sentence that stands out in a paragraph or deduce summary, or identify the statement that fits the best summary or organise a given set of questions based on the given passage. Deducing such questions is direct application of logic/reasoning. Regular practice will help build proficiency in this area.
Reading Comprehension:
Like vocabulary, RCs can be mastered with regular practice and attempting mocks. One should start reading editorial columns of leading newspapers or good online news and opinion websites. Read at least one dense passage every day and try to summarise it. Do not limit yourself to reading on a particular subject. Read from a diverse set of topics: Politics, science, economics, psychology, environment and so on.
Try this CAT Mock Test, Powered by IMS, to assess your preparation level and time-management skill.
Free CAT Mock Test 1Try second CAT Mock Test, Powered by IMS, to assess your preparation level and time-management skill.
Free CAT Mock Test 2Read More:
This is a collection of news and articles on various topics ranging from course selection to college selection tips, exam preparation strategy to course comparison and more. The topics are from various streams inclu... Read Full Bio
News & Updates
Explore Other Exams
20 Dec '24 | XAT 2025 admit card download s... |
5 Jan '25 | XAT 2025 Exam |
21 Dec '24 | SNAP 2024 session 3 |
8 Jan '25 | SNAP 2024 result announcement |
6 Nov '24 - 17 Dec '24 | NMAT 2024 Retake Registration |
1 Aug '24 - 17 Dec '24 | NMAT 2024 Rescheduling Window |
17 Oct '24 - 5 Dec '24 | IIFT 2025 registration and app... |
18 Dec '24 - 22 Dec '24 | MAT 2024 Admit Card Download C... |
22 Dec '24 | MAT 2024 CBT 2 |
1 Jul '24 - 18 Dec '24 | IBSAT 2024 Registration |
4 Nov '24 - 29 Dec '24 | IBSAT 2024 Exam Slot Booking |
14 Nov '24 - 25 Dec '24 | CMAT 2025 registration and app... |
26 Dec '24 - 27 Dec '24 | CMAT 2025 form correction |
Jan '25 | MAH CET 20245 registration pro... |
Mar '25 | MAH MBA CET 2025 |
Jan '25 | TANCET Registration Dates |
Feb '25 | TANCET Admit Card Download |
Jan '25 | IRMASAT 2025 Last Date of Appl... |
Feb '25 | IRMASAT Personal Interviews |
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 5 hours ago
No, CAT is not mandatory for entry to the PGP-TBM programme of Masters' Union. Scores can be submitted by any one of the examinations conducted by GMAT, GRE, or Masters' Union Business Aptitude and Admissions Test (MU-BAAT). Interviews and a holistic review of the profile comprise part of the select
a
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 6 hours ago
Yes, I Business Institute offers scholarship to PGDM students based on CAT score. A maximum of INR 70,000 is offered to CAT qualified students. Below is the detailed criteria:
| Marks in Qualifying Exam | Scholarship Amount |
|---|---|
| CAT > 85 | INR 70,000 |
| CAT percentile between 70-85 | INR 50,000 |
| CAT percentile between 60-70 | INR 30,000 |
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
Yes, you can get admission to the MBA/PGDM programme at H.K. Institute of Management Studies and Research (HKIMSR) without CAT scores. The institute also accepts other entrance exam scores like MAT, CMAT, or MAH-CET for admission. As long as you have a valid score from any of these recognised exams,
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
Yes, getting admission at VVISM for a PG Diploma (General Management) without a CAT score is possible. This is because CAT is not the only accepted entrance exam for PG Diploma admission at the institute. In addition to CAT, VVISM accepts the exam scores of MAT/ATMA/XAT/CMAT/GMAT/ICET or any other e
H
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
With a 50-60 percentile in CAT, you may not be eligible for top IIMs or highly ranked B-schools, but there are several good options:
- Tier 2 B-Schools like IMT Nagpur, Welingkar Mumbai, ITM Navi Mumbai, and SIES Mumbai may consider you depending on the category and other criteria.
- State Universities li
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
It is not mandatory for Maharashtra students to appear in MAH CET if they have a valid CAT score. To apply for JBIMS through CAT, you must register for the DTE Maharashtra CAP process, submit your CAT details, verify documents, and select JBIMS as your preference. Admission is based on your merit ra
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
Top MBA colleges offering average CTCs above 12 LPA, with ST out-of-state reservations and accepting CMAT or XAT scores, include XLRI Jamshedpur (32 LPA, XAT), XIM Bhubaneswar (20 LPA, XAT), Great Lakes Institute of Management (15–17 LPA, CMAT/XAT), Goa Institute of Management (14–15 LPA, CMAT/XAT),
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2024 introduced several notable changes compared to previous years. Here are the key changes:
1. Increased Number of Questions:
- The total number of questions was increased from 66 to 68.
- This increase was specifically in the DILR section, which now had 22 questions in
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 days ago
The CAT exam doesn't have a fixed score. Instead, your performance is measured in terms of percentile. This means your score is compared to all other test-takers, and you're given a percentile ranking. For example, a 99 percentile means you scored better than 99% of the other test-takers.
The actual
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 days ago
Admission to the MBA/PGDM programs offered at SIES College of Management Studies, commonly abbreviated as SIESCOMS, is based on a candidate's performance in the CAT, XAT, CMAT, MAT, ATMA, or MAHCET examinations. The CAT 2024 registration usually ends in September, and the exam takes place in Novembe
K
Contributor-Level 8
Is CAT compulsory for Masters' Union?