CAT 2025 Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) Guide
The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2025, scheduled for November 30, 2025, is a critical step for admission to top B-schools. This guide focuses on the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section, offering key insights, trends, and strategies to help aspirants excel. Let’s dive into effective preparation for VARC!
Overview of the VARC Section
VARC, the first section of CAT, includes 24 questions to be answered in 40 minutes. Correct answers earn 3 marks, while incorrect multiple-choice questions deduct 1 mark. Type-In-The-Answer (TITA) questions have no negative marking, making them low-risk attempts. VARC tests English proficiency through analytical reading, inference, coherence, and vocabulary.
Reading Comprehension (RC): Accounts for 16 questions, featuring four passages (400–600 words each) on themes like main ideas, tone, and inferences. Questions include fact-based, inference-based, and application-based types. Skimming passages quickly is essential for success.
Verbal Ability (VA): Covers 8 questions, including TITA types, focusing on para jumbles, summaries, odd-sentence-out, completions, and insertions. Logical arrangement and clarity are key to mastering VA.
VARC Trends (2021–2024)
From 2021 to 2024, VARC maintained 24 questions (16 RC, 8 VA) with consistent structure but varying difficulty. Below is a summary of trends:
Year |
Difficulty |
RC Topics |
VA Question Types |
TITA |
Good Attempt |
2021 |
Moderate |
Philosophy, Sociology, Literature |
3 para jumbles, 3 summaries, 2 odd-sentence-out |
5 |
15–18 |
2022 |
Moderate to Tough |
History, Abstract Themes |
3 jumbles, 3 summaries, 2 odd-sentence-out |
5 |
14–16 |
2023 |
Moderate to Tough |
Philosophy, Socio-culture |
3 jumbles, 3 summaries, 2 para-insertions |
2 |
12–15 |
2024 |
Easy to Moderate |
Technology, Exploration |
3 summaries, 3 completions, 2 odd-sentence-out |
2 |
14–17 |
Preparation Strategies for VARC
- Start Early: Begin preparation 8–12 months in advance. With three months left, focus on concept clarity and knowledge expansion.
- Build Reading Stamina: Read sources like The Hindu or The Economist daily to enhance vocabulary and skimming skills.
- Master RC:
- Skim passages in 35–45 seconds to understand structure.
- Use elimination to identify main ideas and summarize paragraphs.
- Strengthen Vocabulary: Learn 10 new words daily using flashcards or apps like Duolingo, Memrise, or Quizlet.
- Excel in VA:
- Spot connectors in para jumbles for logical arrangement.
- Attempt TITA questions confidently, as they carry no negative marking.
- Practice Regularly:
- Solve 2 RC passages and 5–10 VA questions daily.
- Allocate 25–28 minutes for RC (6–7 minutes per passage) and 12–15 minutes for VA.
- Skip questions taking over 7 minutes to maintain efficiency.
Conclusion: Success in CAT 2025 VARC requires consistent effort, smart strategies, and leveraging strengths. Stay focused, practice regularly, and use trends to guide your preparation for a high score.
Looking Ahead: In the coming weeks, Hitbullseye will provide detailed analyses of the Quantitative Ability (QA) and Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) sections to support your CAT 2025 preparation. Best of luck!