Admit Card - 5 Nov '25 - 30 Nov '25
CAT RC is that aspect of the exam which cannot be mastered without long term planning. Since it is neither Maths nor puzzles, one cannot achieve accuracy by applying a formula or a trick. Achieving accuracy in CAT VARC requires planning and practice. Here’s a strategy to improve RC accuracy.
CAT 2025: How to Improve RC Accuracy
Preparing for CAT 2025 but still facing challenges in VARC? With only three months to go for the exam, it is high time you have good control on all the sections of CAT, specifically VARC, as there is no time for elaborate preparation, something that VARC requires, specifically Reading Comprehension or RC.
Achieving accuracy in CAT RC is requires smart planning and practice. Your CAT VARC preparation should have a mix of reading, practice, mock test, time management and analysis. Also, regular revision of English grammar and vocabulary (idioms, similes, foreign words, etc.) is a must. Here we have shared strategy to improve RC accuracy for CAT 2025 aspirants.
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CAT VARC 2025: Strategy to Improve RC Accuracy
For cracking CAT RC, it is widely suggested to read a lot and a variety of it. However, only reading will not help. Here’s what you need to do.
Breakdown the Passage Structure
Do not read the CAT RC passage in one breath. Break it down to 2-3 sentences each.
- Understand the main theme of the passage: 600+ words together will make it daunting. Identify the main theme from the passage. May be look for recurrent word or number.
- Focus on the tone and purpose of the RC passage: Is the tone critical or is it supportive? One of the key ways to understand the questions.
- First and Last Sentence of the passage: Lay special stress on the first and last sentences. They often summarize the passage and give away the main theme.
Also Read:
Tips to Skim the CAT RC Passage
- Speed Reading: Quickly read through the CAT English passage to grasp the main theme. This will help you to make a mental framework of the passage.
- Note the key elements: Does the passage talk about facts? Or does it talk about some data? Note down those facts and key data points to answer questions based on them.
- Do not read the questions first: Some candidates may be tempted to read the questions first and find the answer from the passage thinking this will help them save time. Do not do it in CAT as the RC passages in this exam are long and inference based. There are high chances that using this trick can lead to either loss of time or incorrect option selection.
CAT RC Passage: Answering the Questions
- Read extra: Do not read just that line on which the question is based. Read 2-3 lines before and after to understand the complete context.
- Consider each answer option separately: In CAT RC passages, candidates often end up selecting the wrong option as they analyse only one option and if it fits the bill, they select it. It may not be the case. The answer options are often very close.
- Understand the hidden meaning: The question may not be about what it seems like on the surface. Read questions carefully and slowly to understand what is expected.
- Understand the difference between assumption and inference: Assumption and inference are not the same. Do not assume any answer option to be correct, just by reading the question. You need to infer that the answer option is correct basis the points/facts/figures/argument presented in the passage.
Practice Enough RC Passages to Improve Speed and Accuracy
- Improve speed: There are about 4-5 RC passages in CAT of 500+ words. The passages often appear from a subject you may not have studied before. So, reading passages, understanding them and answering the questions within minutes is not easy. You need to practice reading CAT RC passages quickly. Solve a good number of previous years’ CAT RC passages in a time bound manner.
- Improve accuracy: Apply the above-mentioned tricks to answer RC questions accurately while practicing CAT RC passages.
- Develop critical thinking: Merely reading passages will be of no use. You need to think and infer - what is the author saying or what are the arguments presented in the passage. So, while you practice CAT mock tests and practice questions, pay attention of what you are reading and what does it mean.
- Identify which passage to attend first: The CAT Reading Comprehension passages are on diverse themes. There are 5 passages and all 5 are from different fields. You need to learn to identify which one to attend first and which are the ones you should not waste time on. If you can’t answer beyond 1 or 2 questions of a passage then move to other passage, and come back later. This is a strategy you need to apply on the CAT 2025 exam day too.
- Focus on Vocabulary: Build your English vocabulary during CAT preparation phase. A lot of misunderstanding happens because of lack of understanding or word meanings and word usage. In English the same word can have different meanings in different context. Thus, having a strong control on vocabulary is must.
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Yes, CAT syllabus is difficult to crack if you do not have enough time. There are three subjects in CAT- VARC, DILR and Quantitative Aptitude. Most of the candidates find RC passages tough to crack. In Quants, Arithmetic, Algebra and Geometry pose significant challenge during preparation. In DILR, Reasoning questions often turnout to be tricky and confusion.
In the last one month before the CAT exam, candidates must start focusing on the most important topics. These may include strong and weak areas. Practice sample questions from these topics and do not start any new topic. Here's what to do in the last month of CAT preparation:
· Attempt CAT mock tests regularly and anaylse your performance. Spend time on filling the gaps.
· Practice time management through time bound practice sessions and mock tests
· Attend online study groups for problem solving and doubt clearing sessions.
· Keep revising key concepts and formulas of CAT. Have a daily session of 2 hours for revision only.
· Solve previous years' question papers to understand the trends of past years and work on topics that appear most frequently.
· Attempt official IIM CAT mock test to know the expected CAT 2025 exam pattern
· Focus on your health. It is very important to stay healthy in this phase so that your study time is not affected. Sleep well and take breaks from study to indulge in a hobby or a recreational activity to relax.
Remember that for CAT VARC preparation, official questions papers are the best. You must practice CAT Reading Comprehension from official CAT question papers of previous 10 years, atleast along with CAT mock tests and other practice questions. Not only CAT RC but also CAT parajumbles are also tricky so read carefully and focus on what is the correct option. You can do that by analyzing why an option is the correct option and why the rest are incorrect.
Read More:
Yes, it is possible to prepare for CAT exam with mock tests only if you have appeared for the exam previously and have complete control on the topics included in the CAT syllabus. But if you are a first timer, you need to first complete the syllabus, understand each and every topic and then practice CAT mock tests to crack the exam.
The best way to prepare for DILR section is through practice. Before starting the preparation, aspirants should be accustomed to the question types by going through previous years’ question papers and solving those. Since there is not much conceptual understanding required in this section, practice is the key to excel in this area.
Some of the most popular books on DILR section that you can refer are How to Prepare for Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning for CAT by Arun Sharma, Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit Sinha, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning for CAT by Pearson, to name a few.
CAT DILR is all about practice. So, you need to practice a lot of questions from DILR to be able to master it. This section of CAT is equally divided into 10 questions each on DI and LR. The Data Interpretation questions are based on Mathematical tables, bars, pie charts, etc. so you need to work on it alongside Quantitative Aptitude. Learn some basic rules of tables, bars, pie charts as well as some basic rules of mathematical calculations. If you can read the data correctly, you can solve the CAT questions. However, to be able to solve questions quickly and accurately, you need to practice a good number of sample questions and mock tests.
For Logical Reasoning, you will have to depend totally on practice tests and exercises. The CAT LR questions are mostly based on series, number system, coding-decoding, family tree, circular patterns, blood relations, etc. So, you need to practice a lot of questions on these to be able to solve them in the exam. Go through CAT previous year question papers to know the type of questions are asked and practice them.
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