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Vipra Shrivastava
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Updated on Sep 29, 2025 12:54 IST
CAT Reading Comprehension or RC is the most challenging section of the exam for majority of test takers. The passages are long and dense. The first glance of it may give the jitters. But there is no escape from CAT RC as 12-14 questions are passage based. So, what to do. First of all, let us be very clear that preparing for CAT VARC requires months

CAT Reading Comprehension may pose challenge, if you are not well equipped to handle it in short time. Here are some key tips to crack CAT RC passages.  

RC Strategy for CAT 2025: How to Read Less & Score More

RC Strategy for CAT 2025: How to Read Less & Score More

CAT Reading Comprehension or RC is the most challenging section of the exam for majority of test takers. The passages are long and dense. The first glance of it may give the jitters. But there is no escape from CAT RC as 12-14 questions are passage based. So, what to do. First of all, let us be very clear that preparing for CAT VARC requires months. There is no way out, but to read more and more.

CAT 2025 aspirants would have been advised in the beginning of this year to start reading and do a lot of it. Now is the time to improve on the skills developed in previous months.

RC Strategy for CAT 2025: How to Read Less & Score More

Having read a lot is not enough to crack the CAT VARC section. There are 24 questions in this section out of which 12-14 are RC based so effectively, there are 4-5 RC passages. Most of the times the passages are from unfamiliar topics. Reading all the passages and answering the questions can take up all 40 minutes and one would fall short of attempting rest of the questions. Here’s what is to be done:

  • Read the first line of every RC passage to determine which one is from a topic most familiar to you.
  • Choose the CAT RC passage, which is easy to read and have simple language, first.
  • Read the CAT passages calmly and note down important themes, terminologies, etc. This will help you to understand the theme of the passage. Having strong vocabulary will be helpful here.
  • Do not read the questions first. Most of the times, reading passages with specific questions in mind can result in missing tiny details that can lead to selection of incorrect answer option.
  • Pay extra attention on first and the last lines of the CAT RC passage. It provides the hint of the theme or the argument of the passage.
  • If you are getting stuck after 1-2 questions, don’t waste too much time and move on to the next passage.

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Previous Years’ CAT RC passages

Listed below are the CAT RC topics of last few years. You would notice that the topics are from diverse fields and for most of you from unknown territory. Since it is time for practice and mock tests, you can practice some related topics.

CAT Year

CAT RC Passages

CAT 2024

Utility & Human Economics

Entertainment/ Netflix

Australian Species

Craftsmanship

Spice Trade

Unintended Consequences of Technology

Peer Review of Research

Carnivore-Human Conflict

Impact of AI

Languages

Chinese Moutai

Saving outer space and other planets

CAT 2023

Wolf: Environmentalists vs Farmer

Philosophy: Change in Work Culture

Indian Ocean-based Geographical Literature

Human Behavior

Garments, Fashion Industry & Pollution

Netflix Dubbing of titles for Europe: Good or Bad for Europe?

Liberalism is Dying

Facts & Interpretation in History

Romantic Aesthetics/ Philosophy

Cultural Property Law: Exploration of Sites

Nutmeg Curse: Environment Degradation

Rational Thinking

CAT 2022

Ghosts & their mysteries how we can’t find their history

Chinese Copy of articles

Two levels of emotional thinking

STOICS

Music

Engineering technology

Octopus

Philosophy

Social reorganization increasing crime rate

Software if more easy humans are not capable to get solutions)

Indian history

American migration/urbanization increasing

CAT 2021

Mayan Civilization

Utopia and Dystopia

Marshmallow Experiment

Evolution of Tea as a Drink

Language/ Indigenous People

Why Fiction Trumps Truth

Colonialism/Nationalism

Knowledge and Problems of Knowledge is a Scandal to Philosophy

Nanotechnology

Language Instinct

Time Accuracy Entropy

Unconscious and Psychoanalysis

CAT 2020

Anarchism

Migration of Northern Seals

Currency of Tang Dynasty

Grammar/Vocabulary

Investing in Renewable Energy Technologies

Piracy in International Trade

Freudian Models of Aggression

A Study of Visualisation

Travel Writing and Feminism During Colonial Times

The Need for Economic Literacy in the General Population

Screen Time and Undercurrents of Social Class

An Analysis of Human Nature

CAT preparation for VARC requires extra effort because there are no set rules of reading and interpreting the passages. It requires keep observation and eye for detail. To prepare for the section of CAT 2025 and crack it with high accuracy, candidates must practice as many RC passages as possible. In the next 2 months, they must focus on how to read less and score more in CAT VARC.

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Q:   What makes CAT tougher than other MBA entrance exams?
A:

CAT exam is a national level MBA entrance exam conducted by the IIM. Every year, over 2.3 lakh candidates apply for it. Since the last two years, the competition has increased further with oveer 3 lakh candidates applying for the exam.

The CAT score is accepted by the Iims and all top MBA colleges in India. To select the best candidates from over 3 lakh test takers there is a need for stringent criteria. That's why, the CAT exam is tougher than other MBA entrance exams. Even though the syllabus of CAT is same as that of other MBA entrance exams, the question paper set by the IIM faculty always has tough questions. Moreover, CAT has sectional time limit for each section which is not there in any other exam except XAT. Having a time limit for each section adds pressure on candidates to complete solving adequate number of questions in a section within the time limit. If a student is weak in a particular subject, they can't use the time as per their need. CAT's Reading Comprehension passages are long and dense unlike other MBA exams. This is one more reason why most candidates feel CAT is tougher than any other MBA entrance exam.

Q:   Is CMAT syllabus easier than CAT syllabus?
A:

CMAT syllabus is somewhat same as CAT syllabus. It has two extra subjects, Innovation and Entrepreneurship and General Awareness. However, these two subjects are not tough and can be covered alongside Quantitative Aptitude, English and Logical Reasoning. Despite having less subjects CAT is tougher than CMAT.

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Vipra Shrivastava
Senior Manager - Content

Vipra Shrivastava is MA in English Literature from Delhi University with extensive experience in content writing of over 14 years. She has been handling content for Management, Accounting and Commerce streams for 8

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