RC Strategy for CAT 2025: How to Read Less & Score More
Common Admission Test 2026 ( CAT )
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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
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.
Read More:
- CAT 2025 mock tests: How many mocks to take and when to start
- CAT VARC Prep: Strategy to Improve Accuracy
- CAT Preparation Plan For VARC
- Make These 7 Guys Your Companion For VARC
- CAT Exam Preparation: Your Love For Reading Can Get You Desired Result
- Types of Reading Comprehension questions in CAT
- Common Pitfalls to Avoid in RC Questions in CAT
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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.
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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Yes, CAT is a compulsory entrance exam for all candidates who are a resident of India to qualify for PGPM admissions at IIM Shillong. For NRI candidates, the GMAT is the mandatory entrance exam to qualify for IIM Shillong PGPM admissions. Candidates also need to fulfill the eligibilty criteria for P
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Answered 6 days ago
The CAT cutoff for IIM Shillong PGPM admissions 2026 ranges from 50 - 75%. The general and EWS category candidates are required to score at least 75% in CAT exam to qualify for the PI round for IIM Shillong admissions.
The SC category is required to score 60% while the remaining categories are only r
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Yes, students can get into IIM Ahmedabad without appearing for CAT. However, this is applicable for courses other than flagship PGP/ MBA programme. Students seeking to join programmes, such as the BPGP or executive programmes. For those courses, students need valid scores of other accepted exams.
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LIBA Chennai does accept CAT scores for admission to PGDM courses. However, it is not compulsory. Aspirants can also apply for PGDM with XAT scores. Candidates applying for PGDM (Gulf/ FN/ OCI) programme can also appear for LIBA Admission Test. Selected candidates also need to pass WAT followed by G
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N.L. Dalmia offers scholarships based on entrance exam scores of the candidates. Below is the criteria for scholarship based on CAT scores:
| Category | Scholarship |
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| >90 percentile | INR 6.50 lakh |
| 85 to 89.99 percentile | INR 4.06 lakh |
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CAT is one of the accepting exams for admission to MBA at ISMR Pune. However, it is not compulsory. Aspirants with a score in CMAT, MAT, XAT, MAH MBA CET, etc. can also get admission. Candidates selected based on their entrance exam scores also need to pass the personal interview round for admission
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No, CAT scores are not compulsory for admissions into MBA course at GLA University, Mathura. The university also considers scores from other management entrance exam and one university level entrance exam too. The names of the other accepted entrance exams are: MAT/ XAT/ UPSEE.
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No, CAT scores are not important for enrollment into Masters of Business Administration course at Chitkara University. Because CAT is not the only scores which are considered by the university, it also accepts the scores of MAT/ XAT/ NMAT/ CMAT.
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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.