How to prepare VARC for CAT 2024?

VARC Preparation for CAT: Exam Pattern and Syllabus

It is very important to have a fair understanding of the CAT syllabus and exam pattern before diving straight into the preparation. It's good to have a smart preparation strategy from someone you know has already taken the 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 2023 exam, the VARC section comprises 24 questions out of a total of 66 questions. These questions are divided into two subsections: reading comprehension and verbal ability. Reading comprehension holds a higher weightage with 16 questions, while verbal ability comprises 8.

Given below are the tentative exam pattern and syllabus for the VARC section for CAT 2024-

Check the full syllabus

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VARC Preparation: Struggles While Preparing VARC for CAT

There is no specific syllabus when it comes to the preparation of the VARC section of CAT. That is the reason it tends to be the most challenging section out of all. However, there are certain struggles that a candidate must face during their preparation, as follows:

• Difficulty in concentrating throughout the reading comprehension.
• Many answers that one presumes to be correct actually turn out to be wrong.
• Confusion about attempting the question or leaving the question in case you have eliminated two options.
• Inability to connect different sentences in the VA section.
• Managing time to attempt the questions. Many times, students read the RC but are not able to answer the questions due to time constraints.

Relatable much? Don't worry. After reading this page, you will have a clear understanding of how to proceed with the VARC section. Now, we are in a position actually to answer how to begin VARC preparation for CAT.

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VARC Preparation: Effective Tips to Prepare VARC for CAT

The VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension) section is mainly dominated by reading comprehension, which constitutes roughly 67% of the section. The most effective and efficient way to improve your VARC scores is to understand the main idea behind the question and frame a preparation strategy around it. For example, you might cross with some complicated sentences while solving an RC passage. It can be said that some passages in CAT are mind-boggling for everyone, regardless of how much of a scholar the candidate has been. Apart from logic, the verbal section focuses on a candidate’s unexplored areas, i.e., basic academic grammar and complex vocabulary. 

• Read Regularly: Establish a habit of reading regularly and become more aware of the English language and literature. Consistent reading will help you improve your reading speed and assist you in your reading comprehension. Newspapers and magazines will also keep you in tune with current affairs and various topics.
• Expand Vocabulary and Improve Grammar: Actively practice and learn new words on a daily basis. VARC preparation for CAT focuses on your skills in understanding, reading, and responding quickly to vocabulary-based questions. Grammar is also a fundamental building block of this section.
• Work on a Strategy: The reading comprehension section requires a strategy to go over the text and answer the questions as quickly as possible. Thus it is imperative that candidates note and actively improve their performance by timing themselves and solving papers to develop an understanding.
• Solve Regular Mocks: Keep practicing. It will help you build a strategy for the VARC section. Mock exams are a one-stop destination for VARC preparation for CAT. The tests will also get you in the habit of answering such questions and allow you to develop your strengths and weaknesses.

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VARC Preparation: RC Passages & Elimination Technique for CAT 2024

While solving an RC passage, try to use the “elimination strategy”, i.e. eliminating answer options that are irrelevant to the passage. To achieve mastery of this technique, you need to bolster your reading speed and practice more than 700+ RCs until the CAT Exam. Also, following the reverse technique, i.e. looking at the answer options before looking at the passage, can greatly help hit the correct answer. This strategy has observably been the most successful and was repeatedly preached by CAT 99 %ilers. Here is how you use this elimination  technique to ace your VARC:

• Refrain from extreme answer options: You must watch out for options that stretch the main idea too far. Sometimes, this can be inferred from a single word. E.g., words like “all”, “never”, or “every” point to the extremity of a given statement, deferring from the main idea of the question.
• Avoid answer options contradictory to incidents mentioned in the passage: Some answer options will “flip” a relationship. They’ll say that B caused A when the passage states that A caused B, or they’ll say something came first in the process when it really came later. 
• Eliminate Outlier/Distortion: These are the most straightforward answer option to eliminate. They bring in information or ideas that weren’t mentioned at all in the passage.

Be wary of choices supported by the passage but don't answer the question being asked: As we said above, this is a very common wrong answer type, which is why it’s so important to make sure you fully understand what is asked in the question before selecting the answer.

Download the CAT Syllabus

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VARC Preparation: How Can VARC Section for CAT be improved?

There is no hard and fast rule that can be applied to the VARC section of CAT; it mainly covers the basics of English grammar and vocabulary. These are a few insights about a good approach to the section:

• Once you receive the paper, give it a few minutes, analyze it, and develop a strategy for how you will attempt the section.
• DO NOT STICK TO A QUESTION! This is a blunder and can cost you a lot. Try to maximize your answers. The plan behind getting a high percentile does not require answering the trickiest questions. Instead, focus on selecting the easiest questions you are most confident about to gain marks.
• If you are losing concentration while reading RCs, try to customize your approach. Try doing 1 RC first, then solving a few VA questions, going back to RC, and so on, to keep yourself engaged.
• Focus on what the author wants to convey, not what you want to interpret. You are more likely to reach a conclusion if you try to understand what the writer is trying to say than giving it your own interpretation.

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VARC Preparation: Best Books to Refer for CAT VARC Preparation

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 year papers.

• Word Power Made Easy- Norman Lewis
• How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT- Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay
• Mastering the Verbal Ability for CAT- Ajay Singh
• A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning- R.S. Aggarwal

Download the CAT Syllabus

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VARC Weightage in Top MBA Entrance Exams Other Than CAT

If you are planning to pursue an MBA, then CAT isn't the only option for you. There are other management aptitude exams as well that can help you pave the way to your dream college. VARC plays an important role in each of these entrances as it carries the following weightage:

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Conclusion

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.