CAT VARC last week tips
Common Admission Test 2026 ( CAT )
CAT Form Correction
5 Oct '26 - 6 Oct '26
CAT VARC is a section where reading speed and accuracy play an important role. With the CAT exam approaching, candidates should not try to learn new concepts in the last week. Instead, the focus should be on revision, solving questions and improving time management. Check out these CAT VARC last week preparation tips to make the most of the final days.
CAT 2026 will be conducted on November 29 in three slots. Candidates appearing for the exam must now focus on their final week preparation strategy. The CAT exam has a sectional time limit, so candidates need to be quick while reading passages and solving questions. The last week of CAT VARC preparation should be focused on revision, practice and improving accuracy.
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CAT VARC mainly includes Reading Comprehension and Verbal Ability questions. Candidates should use the last week to revise important question types and analyse their performance in previous mocks. Check here some CAT VARC last week preparation tips 2026.
Commonly asked questions
CAT books by Arun Sharma, Nishit Sinha, RS Agarwal and Abhijit Guha are good and exhaustive, but you should refer to more study material like sample test papers and mock tests for a complete preparation.
No, it is not mandatory to attempt all the questions in CAT. Candidates can choose to attempt questions as per their preparation. It is not possible also to attempt all the questions due to time limitation and difficulty level. Reading dense RC passages often take up a lot of time. In DILR and QA too, some questions are time taking and calculation intensive due to which not much time is left in hand to attempt all questions. The aim of every test taker should be to attempt about 2/3rd of the total questions in all the sections of CAT.
CAT has 68 questions. Each question carries three marks. There is negative marking of minus one for incorrect attempts. There is no deduction of marks for unanswered questions. Total marks in 204.
CAT exam conducted only once a year in the month of November. It is conducted in three shifts on a single day.
CAT VARC Last Week Preparation Tips
- Revise important VARC concepts
In the last week of CAT preparation, revise the important concepts and question types of VARC. Go through the mistakes made in previous mock tests and practice questions. Do not spend too much time learning new concepts at this stage.
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- Focus on Reading Comprehension
Reading Comprehension is an important part of CAT VARC. In the last week, solve RC passages from different topics and analyse the questions carefully. Focus on understanding the main idea, author's tone, inference and purpose of the passage. Do not focus only on the number of passages you solve. Focus on improving accuracy.
- Practice different types of VARC questions
Use the last week of CAT VARC preparation 2026 to practise different types of questions. Solve questions based on parajumbles, para summary, odd sentence out and Reading Comprehension. This will help you understand which question types are your strong and weak areas.
- Do not start new topics
It is not advisable to start a completely new topic in the last week of CAT preparation. Revise the concepts that you have already studied and solve questions based on them. If there is a particular question type that you have not practised before, do not spend too much time trying to master it now.
- Improve reading speed
Reading speed is important for CAT VARC as candidates have to read multiple passages and answer questions within the sectional time limit. In the last week, continue reading newspapers, articles and other English content. Try to understand the passage without reading the same sentence repeatedly.
- Take CAT VARC mock tests
Attempt CAT VARC sectional mock tests in the last week. Do not take too many mocks just for the sake of completing them. After every mock, analyse the questions that you got wrong and the questions that took more time. This will help you identify your mistakes before the CAT exam.
- Work on speed and accuracy
Speed and accuracy are both important for CAT VARC. While practising in the last week, check how much time you are taking to read an RC passage and solve its questions. Do not try to attempt every question. Focus on selecting questions that you can solve correctly within the available time.
- Learn to prioritise questions
One of the most important CAT VARC last week tips is to learn question selection. While attempting mocks, identify the questions that can be solved quickly and accurately. If a question is taking too much time, move ahead and come back to it later if time is available. This can help you avoid wasting valuable time on one question.
- Analyse your previous mock tests
Do not simply take mock tests and check your score. Analyse them properly. Check the questions that you answered incorrectly, questions that you left without attempting and questions where you spent too much time. Make a list of common mistakes and revise them before the exam.
- Prepare a VARC exam day strategy
Use the final week of CAT VARC preparation 2026 to create an exam day strategy. Decide how much time you want to spend on RCs and Verbal Ability questions. However, keep the strategy flexible. If the RCs are difficult in the exam, you should be able to change your order of attempting questions.
- Make short revision notes
If there are some important mistakes, rules or concepts that you want to revise before the CAT 2026 exam, make short notes. These notes can be used for quick revision a day before the exam. Do not prepare lengthy notes at this stage.
- Do not take stress
Lastly, do not take unnecessary stress in the last week of CAT VARC preparation. Your focus should be on revision, practice and maintaining accuracy. Do not compare your mock scores with other candidates. Revise your mistakes, follow your strategy and stay confident for the CAT exam.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered a week ago
Yes, NISM offers scholarship on not just CAT percentile score but also on XAT, CMAT & MAT entrance scores. Currently they offer 50% scholarship on 1st year tuition fees if you score more than 75 percentile on CAT/XAT. For CMAT & MAT, the percentile score should be above 80 percentile. These may chan
D
Beginner-Level 1
Answered a week ago
Dedicate one focused hour in the morning to QA formulas or an RC passage, one hour in the evening to DILR sets, and reserve weekends for full-length mocks and thorough review.
L
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
It is not too late, provided you adjust your scope. Focus directly on core topics, start taking sectional tests immediately, and spend time learning through mock test analysis.
R
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
Focus on formula sheets, mental math tables, grammar pointers, and your accumulated test error log. Avoid attempting full-length tests during the final three days before the exam.
N
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
Enrolling in a classroom programme is rarely practical with two months left. However, a dedicated mock test series or a targeted crash course for specific weak subjects can provide structured practice material.
D
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
A beginner can build a respectable attempt by focusing strictly on high-yield areas such as Arithmetic, Algebra, core DI arrangements, and Reading Comprehension, rather than attempting the entire syllabus.
R
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
Taking 12 to 18 full-length mocks across the 60-day window is generally sufficient. Candidates must scatter these mocks into phases and dedicate at least three to four hours to analysing each test.
B
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
Yes, 60 days is adequate if you have a basic understanding of mathematics and reading skills. It provides sufficient time to revise concepts, complete timed sectional practice, and take 12 to 15 full mocks.
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
FIIB provides scholarships based on the merit and need of the students. Students with more than 60 percentile in CAT exam can apply for scholarships offered by Fortune Institute of International Business Delhi.
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
IIM Indore will release CAT admit card 2026 on November 4. Candidates will be able to download the admit card of CAT exam 2026 until the exam date, i.e. November 29.
R
Contributor-Level 7
Porishmita Paul holds an MSc in Anthropology from Gauhati University and has over 2 years of experience in content writing. She has been handling content for Hospitality & Humanities at Shiksha for a long time. She
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