VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension) is that one section which needs consistency and planning with knowledge about its basic fundamentals. The VARC section consists of four main parts:
Vocabulary
Grammar
Verbal Reasoning
Reading Comprehension
You cannot crack VARC without a good understanding of these four components. In CAT 2019, VARC turned out to be the toughest among all the sections. The reading comprehensions were lengthy and the difficulty level was also up. One should be prepared for all surprises this year to score well and get into an IIM. For some, this might be a cakewalk while for others (mainly engineers) this section can be a buzzkill. So this gets us to the question, How to improve VARC for CAT? But before that, we need to identify the structure and composition of VARC for CAT preparation.
Based on the paper pattern of the CAT 2021 exam, the VARC section comprises 24 questions out of a total of 66 questions. These questions are further divided into two subsections: reading comprehension and verbal ability. Reading comprehension holds a higher weightage with more questions as compared to verbal ability. For this section, the candidate should focus on the reading speed and accuracy of responses.
Given below are the tentative exam pattern and syllabus for the VARC section for CAT 2022-
Section | Detail |
Total Questions for VARC |
24 |
Multiple-choice Questions |
19 |
Type in the Answer (TITA) questions |
5 |
Division of questions |
16 questions of RC- 4 passages having 4 questions each |
Total Time for Section |
40 minutes |
Main Topics |
Parajumbles, summary, facts, inferences, reading comprehension, etc. |
Marking Scheme |
+3 for a right answer |
Relatable much? Don't worry, after reading this page, you will have a clear understanding of how to go about the VARC section. Now we are in a position to actually answer how to begin VARC preparation for CAT.
These are a few insights about a good approach to the section-
To help candidates prepare for VARC for CAT, we have listed a few books that can be used for guidance alongside mock papers and previous years' papers.
MBA Entrance Exams |
No of Questions |
CAT |
24 |
XAT |
26 |
MAT |
40 |
SNAP |
15 |
CMAT |
25 |
IIFT |
35 |
ATMA |
60 |
MAH-CET |
50 |
In the end, don't be too harsh on yourself. Remember, in this exam, you have to play on your strengths and you will sail through. VARC for CAT is the first section, so it is imperative that you remain calm and collected because the other two sections will follow it. In this section, your strategy should be to answer the questions for reading comprehension as quickly as possible and strengthen your grammar and vocabulary for the VA section. Get into the habit of reading, garner more knowledge about current affairs and practice more mock tests.