CAT 2026 preparation for VARC should start now if you are aiming 95+ percentile in the section. There is no short cut for cracking CAT VARC besides reading voraciously. Read here how to score 30+ marks & get 95+ percentile in CAT VARC.

How to prepare for CAT VARC

CAT VARC often turns out to be the most challenging section of the exam, due to its long and dense Reading Comprehension passages. Since, more than half of this section is dominated by RCs, you cannot even skip them. But, because it dominates this section, it can be your biggest aid in scoring 95+ percentile. That is, if you are able to crack it well.

So start early and read voraciously. CAT 2026 exam will be held on November 29, so this is the right time to start reading for VARC. Get hold of most recommended RC topics for CAT and get going. You can also check out previous years’ CAT question papers to understand the nature and type of CAT VARC questions, specifically RC passages.

CAT VARC Preparation: RC Topics to Study

Previous years’ CAT question papers will reveal to you the various genres of RC passages and parajumbles. The difficulty level is high mainly because the passages are picked from niche or high specialized fields and many words/terms/expressions are never heard of before. Read books, essay, reports, research papers from the following fields.

• Technology/Industry/Science
• Psychology and Philosophy
• Humans and Culture
• Politics, Law and Crime
• Economy and Business
• Fiction and Others

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• CAT syllabus 2026
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• CAT preparation tips 2026

Only reading is not enough. You should be able to understand every possible interpretation of the given situation. Whether fiction or non fiction, you should be able to understand the message of the entire paragraph as well as individual sentences. Thus, work on vocabulary side by side. Keep a dictionary to understand meaning, usage, synonym, antonym of an alien word you come across.

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CAT 2026 VARC Strategy to Get 95+ Percentile: Recommended Reading

Check the table below for novels recommended by MBA experts to strengthen English comprehension for CAT.

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Now comes the part of CAT VARC preparation, where you have to practice RCs and parajumbles. Being a speed based test CAT, will not allow you time to read the passage at leisure. You will have to read the passages fast and select answer options equally fast. There will be 24 questions in CAT 2026, and nearly 14-16 will be RC based. Every passage will have about 4 questions.

CAT VARC: How to Score 30+ Marks

If you manage to solve all 14 questions correctly, you will get 42 marks. But it is never possible to solve all the questions correctly. So, aim for 10 questions. If you are better at parajumbles, parasummary and odd sentence, go for these (8-10 questions). If you get 6 questions correctly in VA and even 1-2 passages right, you will score 30+. Reading is the only thing that will help in cracking VARC, so read as much as you can.  

CAT 2026 VARC Strategy to Get 95+ Percentile

• Practice RC passages of previous years’ CAT exams in a time bound manner and evaluate your performance on speed and accuracy. In this section of CAT exam speed of reading the para is also critical.
• In the exam, not keep RC for later. The CAT question paper starts with RC passages so should you. Read the passage carefully and note down important points. Focus of sentence breaks. It will help you notice hidden or tricky part of the questions that’ll follow.
• Do not try to attempt all the questions of any RC passage. Attempt only those that you are 100 percent sure of. Do not risk negative marking.
• Calculate how many questions each from VA and RC will take you to your target percentile. Aim for that first, if time permits you can attempt more questions. Again, do not risk negative marking.
• To aim for 30+ marks in CAT VARC, target 10-12 questions with maximum accuracy out of 24.

Read More:

• CAT 2026 preparation road map: Month wise plan
• CAT 2026 preparation: coaching vs self study
• CAT Preparation Plan For VARC
• Make These 7 Guys Your Companion For VARC
• CAT Exam Preparation: Your Love For Reading Can Get You Desired Result
• Types of Reading Comprehension questions in CAT
• Common Pitfalls to Avoid in RC Questions in CAT
• CAT Parajumble Questions for Practice (PDFs with solution)