{"id":52559,"date":"2025-10-13T13:05:13","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T07:35:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jaipuria.ac.in\/blog\/?p=52559"},"modified":"2025-11-20T11:44:24","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T06:14:24","slug":"mastering-varc-in-cat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jaipuria.ac.in\/blog\/mastering-varc-in-cat\/","title":{"rendered":"Mastering VARC in CAT: Strategies, Practice, and Precision"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among the three sections of the CAT exam, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jaipuria.ac.in\/blog\/verbal-ability-reading-comprehension-for-cat\/\"><b>Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is often seen as unpredictable. Unlike Quantitative Aptitude (which follows defined formulas) or Data Interpretation &amp; Logical Reasoning (which relies on logical patterns), VARC tests <\/span><b>comprehension, reasoning, and language application skills<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. For many aspirants, it is either their strongest section or the biggest roadblock to a high percentile.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This article provides an <\/span><b>in-depth strategy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to master Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), with <\/span><b>practical tips, study methods, and time management techniques<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Understanding the VARC Section<\/h2>\n<h3>Structure of VARC<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Reading Comprehension (RC):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 16 questions (typically 4 passages \u00d7 4 questions each).<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Verbal Ability (VA):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 8 questions (Parajumbles, Odd One Out, Para Summary).<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Why VARC is Critical<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It forms <\/span><b>one-third of the exam score<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strong performance here can balance weaker performance in QA or DILR.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It requires <\/span><b>conceptual clarity and regular practice<\/b> rather than memorization.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jaipuria.ac.in\/download-free-cat-study-material\/?utm_source=jaipuria+blog&amp;utm_medium=organic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-48666\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jaipuria.ac.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/download-cat-study-material-free.gif\" alt=\"Download Free CAT Study Material\" width=\"400\" height=\"100\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Strategy for Reading Comprehension (RC)<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reading Comprehension is the <\/span><b>backbone of Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Success here requires both <\/span><b>speed and accuracy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Common Types of Passages:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abstract topics (philosophy, psychology, sociology)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Business &amp; economics<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Science &amp; technology<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Current affairs or history<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Approach to RC Passages<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Skim the questions first<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: This primes the mind for what to look for.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Read actively<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Focus on the main idea, the author\u2019s tone, and the flow of arguments.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Avoid over-reading<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Don\u2019t get stuck on one confusing sentence; grasp the overall theme.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Practice inference-based questions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: These are the trickiest and often make the difference.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/apply.jaipuria.ac.in\/?utm_source=Jaipuria_blog&amp;utm_medium=Jaipuria_blog&amp;utm_campaign=post\">Apply Now for MBA^\/PGDM<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n<h3>RC Tips<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Develop <\/span><b>daily reading habits<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014editorials from The Hindu, The Economist, Aeon Essays.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Summarize passages in your own words to improve retention.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Time yourself: target <\/span><b>8\u20139 minutes per passage<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Strategy for Verbal Ability (VA)<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The VA section is shorter but tricky. It tests structural understanding of language.<\/span><\/p>\n<h6 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jaipuria.ac.in\/blog\/best-mba-colleges-in-delhi-ncr\/\">Best MBA\/PGDM College in Delhi NCR<\/a><\/h6>\n<h3>1. Parajumbles<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rearranging jumbled sentences into a coherent paragraph.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Tip:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Look for connectors\u2014pronouns, chronology, cause-effect clues.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>2. Odd One Out<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Identify the sentence that does not fit with the others.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Tip:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Spot the sentence with a different theme or context.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>3. Para Summary<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A short passage is given; the best summary must be selected.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Tip:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Select the option that\u00a0<strong>accurately captures the main idea<\/strong> without unnecessary\u00a0assumptions.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Daily Study Routine for VARC<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>30 minutes:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Reading editorials\/essays.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>30 minutes:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Practice RC passages (2\u20133 per day).<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>20 minutes:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> VA practice (parajumbles, summary, odd-one-out).<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>10 minutes:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Review mistakes and note learnings.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jaipuria.ac.in\/blog\/in-depth-insights-on-group-discussion-topics-by-jaipuria\/\">Group Discussion Topics<\/a><\/h5>\n<h2>Common Mistakes in VARC<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Over-reliance on options:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Many aspirants read the options first and get biased.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Guesswork in parajumbles:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A random arrangement drastically reduces accuracy.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Lack of consistency:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Sporadic reading practice doesn\u2019t build long-term skill.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Poor time allocation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Spending too long on one RC passage leaves the VA unanswered.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Resources for VARC Preparation<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Books:<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Arun Sharma &amp; Meenakshi Upadhyay.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Word Power Made Easy<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Norman Lewis.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Websites &amp; Apps:<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Editorials from <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Guardian<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New York Times<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LiveMint<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reading apps like Pocket, Medium, and Quora.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Mock Series:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> AIMCAT, SIMCAT, CL Test Series (for RC variety).<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Time Management in VARC<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Total time:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 40 minutes.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Suggested split:<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RC: ~28\u201330 minutes (4 passages).<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">VA: ~10\u201312 minutes.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strategy differs depending on strengths:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strong in RC \u2192 Prioritize 3 passages + VA.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strong in VA \u2192 Do all VA first, then 2\u20133 RCs.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Psychological Edge in VARC<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Avoid frustration with abstract passages; they test reasoning, not subject knowledge.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stay calm if stuck\u2014skip and return later.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Build confidence by <\/span><b>practicing easier RCs initially<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> before moving to abstract ones.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jaipuria.ac.in\/blog\/mba-entrance-exams-cat-xat-nmat-snap-cmat-insights\/\">MBA Entrance Exams<\/a><\/h5>\n<h4>Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)<\/h4>\n<p><strong>Q1. I read daily, but my accuracy in RC is poor. What should I do?<\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Reading alone is not enough. Practice <\/span><b>CAT-level passages with questions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Analyze why wrong answers were chosen.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Q2. Should I memorize vocabulary for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jaipuria.ac.in\/blog\/tag\/common-aptitude-test\/\">CAT Exam<\/a>?<br \/>\n<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not necessary. Focus more on <\/span><b>comprehension and context-based understanding<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> than memorization.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Q3. How can I improve parajumbles?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Practice daily. Look for <\/span><b>logical connectors<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> like chronology, cause-and-effect, pronouns, and linking words.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Q4. Is it better to attempt RC first or VA first?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Depends on comfort. Most aspirants prefer RC first, but if VA is stronger, tackle it early.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Q5. How many RC passages should I practice before the CAT?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> At least <\/span><b>300+ passages<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> across different genres over 6 months.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"justify\"><strong>Trending Knowledge Sharing Videos of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXCLzfCZqCJaQOM-shiuXeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jaipuria Institute of Management<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n<table class=\"video-table\" align=\"center\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NY_CqtWf4Bc\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/td>\n<td><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/T3f6dQ-L5xE\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0i6CaTA9IWQ\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/td>\n<td><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Wf4nRmeKNY0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\">   <\/iframe><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Master the CAT VARC section with proven strategies for Reading Comprehension and Verbal Ability. Learn time management, daily practice routines, and smart tips to improve accuracy, speed, and consistency\u2014helping you score higher in CAT.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":52570,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2049,972,579,527,526,525,523,37,524],"tags":[293,2050,2148,2152,2146,2150,2144,2149,2145,292,2151,2061,2153,2155,796,812,2156,2147,795,2154],"class_list":["post-52559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article-spotlight","category-cat-exam","category-featured-home","category-jaipuria-home","category-jaipuria-indore-home","category-jaipuria-jaipur-home","category-jaipuria-lucknow-home","category-news","category-jaipuria-noida-home","tag-cat","tag-cat-2025","tag-cat-2025-varc-preparation","tag-cat-parajumbles-strategy","tag-cat-reading-comprehension-preparation","tag-cat-varc-daily-practice","tag-cat-varc-strategy","tag-cat-verbal-ability-books","tag-cat-verbal-ability-tips","tag-common-aptitude-test","tag-how-to-improve-rc-for-cat","tag-how-to-prepare-for-cat-2025","tag-mba-entrance-exam-varc","tag-quantitative-aptitude","tag-reading-comprehension","tag-varc","tag-varc-strategy","tag-varc-time-management-cat","tag-verbal-ability","tag-verbal-ability-and-reading-comprehension"],"acf":{"blog_image":52571},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jaipuria.ac.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52559","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jaipuria.ac.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jaipuria.ac.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jaipuria.ac.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jaipuria.ac.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52559"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.jaipuria.ac.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52559\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52847,"href":"https:\/\/www.jaipuria.ac.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52559\/revisions\/52847"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jaipuria.ac.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52570"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jaipuria.ac.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jaipuria.ac.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jaipuria.ac.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}