CAT VARC is an important section of the CAT exam. It is known as the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section. The major aim of the section is to test the vocabulary skills of the candidates. Aspirants get a lot of exposure to different grammatical topics and vocabulary when they prepare for the CAT VARC section.
The Common Admission Test, also popularly known as the CAT exam, will be conducted on 29 November 2026. It is a computer-based exam conducted at various allotted examination centers. CAT is a national-level entrance test. The CAT exam is a well-known entrance exam among MBA aspirants.
In this article, we will try to focus on the CAT VARC section along with looking into some preparation tips. With the right knowledge of each section of the exam, aspirants can learn better and prepare in a more streamlined manner.
Sections of the CAT Exam
In total, there are three sections of the CAT exam. Each of these three sections tests the various abilities of the aspirants. CAT VARC is the first section of the exam. It is called the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section. It involves RC for CAT as well as verbal ability for CAT questions. Then there is the Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section and the Quantitative Aptitude section. Today we will only focus on the CAT VARC section.
What is CAT VARC?
The CAT VARC section is a mix of RC for CAT and verbal ability for CAT. There are 24 questions in total, out of which 16 questions are of reading comprehension for CAT, and the rest of the eight questions are from verbal ability for CAT. Each question tests the vocabulary and grammar knowledge of the test-takers. This section carries the highest weightage compared to the other two sections.
Duration of CAT VARC Section
There is a fixed sectional time limit for each section of the exam. The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section also has a time duration of 40 minutes. Aspirants will not get any extra time to go through the questions of this section. Once the sectional duration is over, the computer screen automatically moves to the next section. Hence, time management is a crucial factor that aspirants have to work on a lot if they want to score well in the exam.
Syllabus of CAT VARC Section
There is no fixed syllabus of the CAT exam that is officially released. Depending upon the past year's question trends and analysis, aspirants can understand the pattern of questions. In the CAT VARC section, all questions are from the English language and its usage because it's a section curated to test candidates' language skills.
In this section, there are around four to five reading comprehension passages for CAT, which will range from topics such as philosophy, sociology, literature, history, social culture, technology, exploration, etc. Considering the wide range of topics that are part of the reading comprehension, it is necessary for the aspirants to have sound knowledge about various fields. For the verbal ability for CAT questions, there are
Paragraph completion
Inference-based questions
Verbal Logic
Verbal Reasoning
Subject-Verb Agreement
Para Jumbles
Para Summary
Odd One Out
Sentence Completion
Different usage of the same word
Grammar
Reading Comprehensions
Critical Reasoning
Previous Year Question Trends: 2022-2025
The previous year's question trend analysis always helps the aspirants to understand the most asked topics of the CAT exam. They can prepare more for those topics and focus on each important question of those topics. Given below is the table for the previous year's question trends:
Year | Difficulty and Details | RC Topics | Question Analysis | Good Attempt |
2022 | - Moderate to slightly tough - Minimal slot variations - Abstract themes - Deeper inferences | - History
| - 3 jumbles - 3 summaries - 2 odd-sentence out | 14-16 |
2023 | - Moderate to tough - Competitive slot 3 - Dense & critical reasoning. - Lengthier passages | - Philosophy - Socio-culture | - 3 jumbles - 3 summaries - 2 para-insertions | 12-15 |
2024 | - Easy-moderate in - Moderately difficult slot 1 & 3 | - Technology - Exploration
| - No jumbles - 3 summaries - 3 completions - 2 odd-sentence-out. | 14-17 |
2025 | - Moderate overall - Slightly tougher than 2024 in some slots - Inference-heavy RC | - Varied (abstract, philosophy, etc.)
| - Mix of summaries, completions - Para jumbles returned - Odd-sentence-out | 15-18 |
Finally
The CAT VARC section can be extremely scoring if aspirants work on a few important details. They need to be good at reading texts and also analyzing them really well. Managing their time can be a very big asset in this section. They should also read as much as possible so that they can gain knowledge about different aspects, and it can be easier for them to solve reading comprehension and vocabulary questions.
The more the candidates attempt different practice papers, the better their performance in the exam will be. They should also stay very consistent in solving questions. It is necessary for them to put in the effort and solve at least one practice paper every day to build the habit of solving questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the structure of the CAT VARC section?
A: While looking into the CAT exam pattern, aspirants will find a total of 24 questions that are divided into two parts. As many as 16 questions out of these are based on reading comprehension from four different passages, and eight questions are focused on verbal ability.
2. How important are sample papers for VARC preparation for CAT?
A: Sample papers are crucial for simulating the exam environment, improving speed, accuracy, and confidence. A good overall VARC preparation for CAT involves a mix of all these aspects.
3. Can aspirants trust online websites for their preparation for the exam?
A: Yes, aspirants can trust online educational websites like Hitbullseye that provide CAT VARC preparation. They help them to get the most effective preparation. Aspirants can research well before trusting a website. They should look into the reliability of the online website or resource they want to use for their preparation.
