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CAT VARC section has reading comprehension and parajumbles. There are no direct vocabulary or grammar questions. Having a good control on English comprehension will sail you through this section only if you have adequate practice. Check out How to prepare for CAT Verbal Ability by Parasharan Chari
CAT Preparation of Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension needs longer time duration than DILR and Quants. CAT VARC is dominated by Reading Comprehension and even VA questions requires good comprehension skills and knowledge of English grammar. Once you develop English reading and comprehension skills, half the battle will be won. But doing that requires time. Thus, CAT VARC preparation must start early on. To prepare for this section of CAT 2025, make a daily plan of reading newspapers, novels and different kinds of books for about one hour. This is just the first step toward CAT VARC preparation 2025. Read below MBA expert's suggestions on how to prepare VARC for CAT 2025.
- What is VARC in CAT?
- How to Prepare Verbal Ability for CAT 2025?
- CAT VARC Sample Question
- CAT VARC Preparation 2025: How to Improve Vocabulary?
- VARC Preparation for CAT 2025: How to Tackle Grammar?
- CAT Preparation for VARC: How to Win on Reading Comprehension?
- CAT Mock Test
- CAT VARC Sample Questions with Answers for Practice
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:
- "There’s nothing difficult about Verbal questions. RCs or paragraphs are given. You read them and answer the questions given."
- "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?
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.
Also Read:
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. Read 300 words per minute
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.
Also Read:
VARC Preparation for CAT 2025: Logic Based Questions
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(Logical Continuation, Logical Discontinuation, Critical Reasoning, Para jumbles etc.)
A piece of writing is as logical as any piece of logic can be!
A big learning for a student of Verbal Aptitude is the realization that writing follows logical patterns. This is why a reader must learn to read critically. Understanding the technicalities of Critical Reasoning section of CAT is fundamental. Critical Reasoning not only prepares you to address the whole gamut of reasoning questions - Assumptions, Strengthen, Weaken, Method of Reasoning, Flaw in the Reasoning, Syllogisms but also enables you to understand structuring of ideas thus, facilitating critical reading. With Critical Reasoning, you are ready to take on questions like Logical Continuation, Logical Discontinuity, Parajumble etc.
A practice of a huge number of questions of all question types is the suggested CAT 2025 preparation plan. Ensure that you get an exposure of diverse topics from which the questions are asked in CAT exam.
Overall, developing Verbal Aptitude has multi-layered benefits for CAT aspirants. The structuring of thought that results from good Verbal Aptitude is fundamental to being a successful manager.
| Free DILR Sample Questions for Practice with Answers | Free QA Sample Questions for Practice with Answers | Free VARC Questions for Practice with Answers |
Also Read:
- Pronouns with exercises
- Parajumbles with exercises
- Prepositions with exercises
- Subject verb agreement with exercises
- Types of clauses with exercises
- Example of articles with exercises
- Phrases Modifiers with exercises
- Parts of speech with exercises
- Errors in tenses with exercises
-
CAT Preparation: Your Love For Reading Can Get You Desired Result
CAT Mock Test
Try these free CAT mock tests by Shiksha to assess your preparation level and time management skills. These CAT mock tests are prepared on the basis of official CAT question papers.
| CAT_Mock_Test_Set 1 | CAT_Mock_Test_Set 1_Solutions |
| CAT_Mock_Test_Set 2 | CAT_Mock_Test_Set 2_Solutions |
CAT VARC Sample Questions with Answers for Practice
| CAT Easy Test Set 1 | CAT Easy Test Set 1 Solutions |
| CAT Medium Test Set 1 | CAT Medium Test Set 1 Solutions |
| CAT Difficult Test Set 1 | CAT Difficult Test Set 1 Solutions |
| CAT Easy Test Set 2 | CAT Easy Test Set 2 Solutions |
| CAT Medium Test Set 2 | CAT Medium Test Set 2 Solutions |
| CAT Difficult Test Set 2 | CAT Difficult Test Set 2 Solutions |
| CAT Easy Test Set 3 | CAT Easy Test Set 3 Solutions |
| CAT Medium Test Set 3 | CAT Medium Test Set 3 Solutions |
| CAT Difficult Test Set 3 | CAT Difficult Test Set 3 Solutions |
| CAT Easy Test Set 4 | CAT Easy Test Set 4 Solutions |
| CAT Medium Test Set 4 | CAT Medium Test Set 4 Solutions |
| CAT Difficult Test Set 4 | CAT Difficult Test Set 4 Solutions |
| CAT Easy Test Set 5 | CAT Easy Test Set 5 Solutions |
| CAT Medium Test Set 5 | CAT Medium Test Set 5 Solutions |
| CAT Difficult Test Set 5 | CAT Difficult Test Set 5 Solutions |
| CAT Easy Test Set 6 | CAT Easy Test Set 6 Solutions |
| CAT Medium Test Set 6 | CAT Medium Test Set 6 Solutions |
| CAT Difficult Test Set 6 | CAT Difficult Test Set 6 Solutions |
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About the Author
Parasharan Chari is an alumnus of SPJIMR and is currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer at a popular MBA coaching institute.
It is difficult but not impossible. If you give yourself a good enough time to improve English comprehension, grammar and vocabulary, you will be able to do it. Yes, a non- English medium student will require longer time for CAT preparation as they will have to start reading and improving English comprehension. So, may be they need to start English preparation for CAT in the second year of graduation, instead of final year (much earlier than English medium students). They may also need two attempts to crack CAT with high percentile. But that's not true for all. If you work hard and study smartly, you will be able to crack it.
CAT syllabus is vast. It has numerous topics from Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension, Quantitative Aptitude, Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation. Covering the CAT syllabus also includes practicing a variety of sample questions on the topics included. Thus, it requires a lot of time. Candidates must given themselves atleast 3-4 months to cover CAT syllabus and keep in mind the following:
· Check the previous years' CAT papers to know topics which carry more weightage so that you can focus on those topics more.
· List down topicsin order of easy, moderate and tough and allot time to them accordingly.
· Make sure to study about 6-8 hours per day to complete the syllabus 2-3 months before the exam.
· After studying every topic, practice sample questions. Balance theory with practical.
To prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, stick to the traditional path of concepts first and practice later. Study English grammar and Verbal Ability first to understand the concept. Then practice a number of sample questions of different kinds to gain confidence, speed and accuracy. For RC passages, develop the habit of reading from early stages. Read books from all walks of life.
Practicing sample Reading Comprehension passages and questions in a crucial part of VARC preparation. This will help you understand the types of questions and RC passages asked in various entrance exams.
As an aspirant, you will be appearing for more than one entrance exam, thus you need to have the practice of different types of RC passages.
CAT Quantitative Aptitude has the potential of 100 percentile if you prepare well. The Quantitative Aptitude topics of CAT are advance level Mathematic topics from Class 9 and 10. So, for any candidate, the foundation is already there, they only need to work on it further.
The important topics of CAT Quantitative Aptitude include Geometry, Ratios and Proportion, Inequalities, Trigonometry, In-equations, Quadratic and Linear Equations, Work and Time, Algebra, Surds and Indices, Percentages, Mensuration, Time-Speed-Distance, Logarithms, Partnership (Accounts), Number System, Square Root and Cube Root, Profit & Loss, Geometric Progression, Probability, Mean-Mode-Median, Binomial theorem, Simple interest and compound interest.
Maximum questions are asked from Arithmetic and Geometry so keep the main focus on these two topic. Understand and memorise the formulas and theorems well, and practice enough questions to be thorough with their application.
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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.