How to Prepare Verbal Ability for CAT 2025

What is VARC in CAT?

VARC is the first section in CAT and it is essentially a test of an MBA aspirant's English comprehension skills. The mention of Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension in CAT exam typically evokes two polemical responses:

1. "There’s nothing difficult about Verbal questions. RCs or paragraphs are given. You read them and answer the questions given."
2. "You just can’t figure out what is correct in Verbal. The most bizarre option tends to be correct.”

Let's start with addressing Verbal Ability for CAT.

Verbal Ability section of the CAT question paper can be simple, if you get your perspective about it right. Below are various CAT Verbal Ability tips and the skills that you need to apply for CAT 2025 exam preparation. 

How to Prepare Verbal Ability for CAT 2025? Tips and Strategy

Vocabulary: There are no direct Vocabulary questions in CAT 2025 exam. However, you need to work on Sentence Completion and Cloze Tests to Synonyms, Antonyms, Analogies, Spellings, Words Often Confused and Odd Words, to be able to handle RC passages and parajumble questions. These CAT questions require a combination of vocabulary knowledge, reading skills and reasoning powers. Further, vocabulary knowledge is not merely knowing what a word means but understanding what contexts the word can fit into.

For example, a Sentence Completion question can present four answer options as: mitigate, alleviate, ameliorate, assuage. At first glance, all four words may be defined generally as, 'to lessen the intensity or severity of something unpleasant', but specifically mitigate, alleviate and assuage are used to refer to lessening pain, grief, suffering, anger. Assuage is particularly used with hunger and anger. But ameliorate is 'to make something more bearable'. Difficult conditions or states are ameliorated.

Take another example, the difference between the words incredible and incredulous. An unbelieving person is incredulous. An unbelievable thing is incredible.

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CAT VARC Sample Question

Q: Fill in the blanks with words from the given options:

i)  The conspirators met _________ in order to plot a(n) __________ against the oppressive

   Government of Julius Caesar.

a) Aggressively….referendum

b) Clandestinely….revolt

c) Wittily….upheaval

d) Wickedly…..invocation

CAT VARC Preparation 2025: How to Improve Vocabulary?

Vocabulary part of the CAT exam can be approached through etymology - understanding root meanings. Knowing the meaning of a Latin root like ‘loqui’ will enable one to understand words like eloquent, loquacious, soliloquy, ventriloquize, circumlocution, grandiloquent, magniloquent etc. Add to your understanding of roots, the meanings of prefixes and suffixes and you have considerable control over vocabulary.

However, at the next level, you must seek a thorough mastery of the connotations and collocations of words by encountering words in their appropriate contexts. Contextual word learning also allows you to retain the words through the associations that the context creates for you.

Also Read:

• Verbal Ability (VA) solved questions
• Common Pitfalls to Avoid in Solving RC Questions
• Types of RC questions in CAT exam
• Strategy to improve RC accuracy
• How to read less and score more in CAT 2025

VARC Preparation for CAT 2025: How to Tackle Grammar?

There are two approaches to solving English grammar based question – one is the classical approach wherein you go by rules and learn the various parts of speech and their usages and the second one is –  you practice the type of questions that are asked and you take an approach of learning the type of errors which lead to questions based on error detection or sentence correction.

Once there is familiarity with the error types, a lot of practice helps you cross the line. Understanding English Grammar does have a considerable impact on solving other Verbal questions of the CAT like Para jumbles, Logical Continuation, Summary and even RC questions because some of the option eliminations can be done through grammar rules as well.

The usual questions in CAT VARC are based on Error Detection, Sentence Correction, Word Usage and Fill in the Blanks.

CAT Preparation for VARC: How to Win on Reading Comprehension?

Your reading comprehension skills can make or mar your verbal score! Reading skills can be developed in three phases:

Habit cultivation: First, cultivate the reading habit. Read, read and read. Start with simple fiction, newspapers and blogs. The components of reading include sustained concentration and retention of information while reading.

Speed Building: Speed of reading being a critical component of any aptitude exam, you must cultivate speed. Target nothing less than a reading speed of about 300 words per minute depending on the level of the text.

Diverse Reading: Read more but read diverse. Choose to read those topics that are out of your comfort zone. RCs in aptitude exams can be drawn from any field.
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