Types of Reading Comprehension Questions in CAT Exam 2026
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Cracking the CAT Reading Comprehension (RC) questions is not easy. You need to know how to approach which type of CAT RC question. Read this article to know types of Reading Comprehension questions in CAT exam and how to crack them.
RC for CAT preparation - Reading Comprehension (RC) question in CAT exam make up 3/4th of the sectional weightage. Out of 24 VARC questions, 12-14 questions are based on RC passages. CAT RC passages are usually of 500 to 600 word-limit but and of high difficulty level. The CAT passages are long and dense, and often from rarely heard about topics. The Reading Comprehension section of CAT is considered the most difficult among all MBA entrance exams mainly because the passages are complicated and inference based. There are rarely fact based RC passages in the CAT. Close answers lead to further confusion in the minds of candidates.
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Preparation of CAT RC is not the same as DILR or Quant. There are no formulaes to apply or no tables to be memorised. It requires long time plan and consistent action. You need to start as early as March. RC for CAT can be mastered only if you have strong English reading skills, as you are required to read long passages in less than a minute and solve at least four questions for each passage. So, more than anything, you need to be able to read fast and understand the passages as well as identify key arguments/facts given.
Apart from having a reading habit, you also need practice. It is critical to practice sample papers and sectional CAT mock tests for VARC for atleast two months. Another thing that you need for preparing Reading Comprehension for CAT 2026 is the knowledge of types of RC passages. In this article we have discussed different types passages in Reading Comprehension for CAT exam.
- Types of Reading Comprehension Passages in CAT Exam
- CAT RC Topics of Previous Years
- CAT RC Topics 2025
- CAT RC Topics 2024
- CAT RC Topics 2023
- CAT RC Topics 2022
- CAT RC Topics 2021
- CAT RC Topics 2020
- CAT RC Topics 2019
- CAT RC Topics 2018
- Types of Reading Comprehension Questions in CAT Exam
- CAT questions for practice with solutions - VARC
Types of Reading Comprehension Passages in CAT Exam
There are mainly three types of Reading Comprehension passages in CAT exam:
- Analytical
- Descriptive
- Data Driven
Also Read: CAT exam preparation tips
CAT RC Topics of Previous Years
The topics on which CAT RC passages are based include business & economics, science, humanities, social sciences and current affairs. Take a look at the RC topics of CAT exam in the past eight years.
CAT RC Topics 2025
Check below reading comprehesion topics of CAT 2025 exam, Every RC had 4-5 questions.
| CAT 2025 Slot 1 | CAT 2025 Slot 2 | CAT 2025 Slot 3 |
|---|---|---|
| RC-1: Income Inequality & Economic Growth | RC-1: Blind Fish | RC-1: Artificial Intelligence (Ethics) |
| RC-2: Electronic Music | RC-2: Literature | RC-2: Tribal Artists |
| RC-3: Law & Mental Health | RC-3: Use Of Language In AI | RC-3: Dams |
| RC-4: Noise & Social Order | RC-4: Human being- Ecology | RC-4: Forest Officials |
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CAT RC Topics 2024
Reading Comprehension for CAT 2024 pertained to diverse fields. Every session had 4 RC passages having 3-4 questions. Check the table below for CAT RC passages aked in 2024.
| CAT 2024 Slot 1 | CAT 2024 Slot 2 | CAT 2024 Slot 3 |
|---|---|---|
| RC-1: Digital rights of content (Streaming and DVD/Blu-ray) |
RC -1: Spice Trade |
RC-1: Impact of AI |
| RC-2: Craftsmanship and creativity |
RC- 2: Unintended Consequences of Technology |
RC-2: Languages |
| RC-3: Revival of bandicoots in Australia |
RC- 3: Peer Review of Research |
RC-3: Chinese Moutai |
| RC-4: Critique of behavioral economics |
RC- 4: Carnivore-Human Conflict |
RC-4: Saving outer space and other planets |
CAT RC Topics 2023
CAT Reading Comprehension passages in 2023 exam were of high difficulty level. There were four RC passages in every session, having 3-4 questions each. Check the CAT RC topics 2023 below:
| CAT 2023 Slot 1 |
CAT 2023 Slot 2 |
CAT 2023 Slot 3 |
|---|---|---|
| RC 1 Topic: Jungle and Economy, Hunter-Gatherers, Wolf Conservation |
RC 1 Topic: Garments/ fashion Industry & Pollution- Easy to moderate |
RC 1 Topic: Colonialism and Pollution |
| RC 2 Topic: Oceans and Territories |
RC 2 Topic: Netflix Dubbing of titles for Europe - Good or Bad for Europe? |
RC 2 Topic: Rationalization |
| RC 3 Topic: Lifestyle Comparison of Old and New Generations |
RC 3 Topic: Liberalism is Dying- Moderate to Difficult |
RC 3 Topic: Romanticism |
| RC 4 Topic: Comparison of South and North Korea, with a focus on clothing differences |
RC 4 Topic: Facts & Interpretation in History |
RC 4 Topic: History |
CAT RC Topics 2022
CAT Reading Comprehension passages in 2022 exam were moderately difficult. Given below are the CAT RC topics of all the three exam slots:
| CAT 2022 Slot 1 | CAT 2022 Slot 2 | CAT 2022 Slot 3 |
|---|---|---|
| RC -1: Ghosts & their mysteries how we can’t find their history |
RC -1: Music | RC -1: Social reorganization increasing crime rate |
| RC -2: Chinese Copy of articles |
RC -2 Engineering technology |
RC -2: Software if more easy humans are not capable to get solutions) |
| RC -3: Two levels of emotional thinking |
RC -3: Octopus |
RC -3: Indian history |
| RC -4: STOICS | RC -4: Philosophy | RC -4: American migration / urbanization increasing |
CAT RC Topics 2021
CAT 2021 was held in three shifts. Given below are the CAT RC topics of all the three exam slots:
| CAT 2021 Slot 1 |
CAT 2021 Slot 2 |
CAT 2021 Slot 3 |
|---|---|---|
| RC -1: Mayan Civilization |
RC -1: Language/ Indigenous People
|
RC -1: Nanotechnology |
| RC -2: Utopia and Dystopia |
RC -2: Why Fiction Trumps Truth |
RC -2: Language Instinct |
| RC -3: Marshmallow Experiment |
RC -3: Colonialism/Nationalism |
RC -3: Time Accuracy Entropy |
| RC -4: Evolution of Tea as a Drink |
RC -4: Knowledge and Problems of Knowledge is a Scandal to Philosophy |
RC -4: Unconscious and Psychoanalysis |
CAT RC Topics 2020
CAT 2020 was also held in three shifts. Given below are the CAT RC topics of all the three exam slots:
| CAT 2020 Slot 1 |
CAT 2020 Slot 2 |
CAT 2020 Slot 3 |
|---|---|---|
| RC -1: Anarchism |
RC -1: Investing in renewable energy technologies |
RC -1: Travel writing and feminism during colonial times |
| RC -2: Migration of Northern Seals |
RC -2: Piracy in international trade |
RC -2: The need for economic literacy in the general population |
| RC -3: Currency of Tang dynasty |
RC -3: Freudian models of aggression |
RC -3: Screen time and undercurrents of social class |
| RC -3: Grammar/Vocabulary |
RC -4: A study of visualization |
RC -4: An analysis of human nature |
Commonly asked questions
Difficulty level in CAT exam is not specific to any of the three slots. The difficulty level across slots may vary every year. Know how the CAT scores are normalised: https://www.shiksha.com/mba/articles/understanding-cat-normalization-process-blogId-9386.
CAT question papers are released within a week of the exam in the form of a PDF as a response sheet and answer key. Response sheet hosts CAT exam questions and answers.
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.
In CAT exam, each candidate gets 120 minutes to solve the paper. There are three sections in CAT Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude. For each section 40 minutes are allotted as sectional time limit. For PwD candidates, the sectional time limit is 53.20 minutes per section. Candidates have to complete each section within the given time limit. Since the CAT is an online mode exam, the test screen will move from first section to the next section automatically as soon as the time limit gets over. Thus candidates have to be mindful of the on-screen timer and pre-decide the number of questions to solve in each section. The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section of CAT has 24 questions, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section has 22 questions and Quantitative Aptitude section has 22 questions. It is not mandatory to solve all the questions in CAT so candidates can devise a strategy to use 40 minutes per section as per their strength and weakness.
CAT RC Topics 2019
Check the table below for CAT RC topics of Slots 1 and 2 of CAT 2019 exam:
| CAT 2019 Slot 1 |
CAT 2019 Slot 2 |
|---|---|
| RC -1: British folk music |
RC -1: Dense cities |
| RC -2: Origin of story of Alladin |
RC -2: Google and archaeology |
| RC -3: Topophilia |
RC -3: Distributing bureaucracy |
| RC -4: Emperor penguins |
RC -4: Language & culture |
| RC -5: Internet shopping and choice anxiety |
RC -5: Passage on British colonial policy |
CAT RC Topics 2018
Check the table below for CAT RC topics of slot 1 and 2 of CAT 2018 exam.
| CAT 2018 Slot 1 |
CAT 2018 Slot 2 |
|---|---|
| RC -1: Genetics |
RC -1: Grover snails |
| RC -2: India’s view on its legacy of Second World War |
RC -2: Meritocracy and diversified teams |
| RC -3: Plastic pollution |
RC -3: Use of technology in essential services |
| RC -4: Elephant society |
RC -4: Rings of Saturn and their age |
| RC -5: Consumer behaviour studies |
RC -5: Human resource and learning |
Try this CAT Mock Test by Shiksha to assess your preparation level and time-management skill.
| CAT_Mock_Test_Set 1 | CAT_Mock_Test_Set_1_Solutions |
| CAT_Mock_Test_Set 2 | CAT_Mock_Test_Set_2 Solutions |
Commonly asked questions
In CAT 2025, the following changes were seen:
- The fee amount increased from INR 2,500 to INR 2,600 for General category candidates and from INR 1,250 to INR 1300 for Reserved category candidates.
- In DILR section, number of questions increased from 20 to 22.
- Total marks of CAT DILR section increased from 60 to 66.
- Total marks of CAT exam increased from 198 to 204.
- Candidates can select five cities instead of six.
Candidates should practice CAT mock test during the day. Once, CAT admit card is released, they should practice CAT mocks at the same time as their exam slot. This will help them align their mind and body to 2 hours of rigorous test so that they can utilize their time in the CAT exam well. For example, CAT exam starts are early as 8:30 am. So, those who are not used to studying early morning will face difficulty in performing optimally if they get morning slot.
Profit and Loss is one the main topics of CAT Arithmetic, which dominates the question paper every year. About 2-4 questions are asked from Profit and Loss every slot of CAT exam.
Types of Reading Comprehension Questions in CAT Exam
Coming to the types of questions asked on Reading Comprehension topics, one can expect a variety of questions in CAT 2025. Each CAT RC passage carries three to four questions which can be of the following types based on the theme of the passage:
- Questions based on Central Theme
- Vocabulary based questions
- Inference based questions
- Facts based questions
- Questions based on tone of the passage
- Passage structure based questions
- Title based questions
Let’s discuss each type of CAT RC questions individually.
Questions based on Central Theme: In this type of RC questions, the test taker has to identify the central theme of the passage. The question could be: ‘Which of the following options sum up the theme of the passage?’ Or ‘What is the central idea of the topic?’
These are generally easy to crack and one can guess the right answer upon reading the passage properly.
Vocabulary based questions: These types of questions in Reading Comprehension for CAT are generally, based on word meaning or antonym/synonym. For example, meaning of a word appearing in the passage will be asked like, ‘What is the meaning of ?’ or ‘What is the synonym of?'
The only way to crack vocabulary-based questions in CAT is by having a strong vocabulary base. There are very less vocabulary based questions in CAT now, though.
Also Read:
Inference based questions: These are the toughest type of RC questions as the correct answer is completely dependent on ones understanding of the argument presented in the passage. The types of questions on these passages will be, '
What does the author mean by this?'
or
What do you infer from this?'
To solve inference-based questions in Reading Comprehension section for CAT, you need to read the passage very carefully and understand the central theme. Break down the sentences while reading the passage, understand the fundamental theme and if needed make notes.
Facts-based questions: These questions are easy to solve, provided you read the passage carefully and mark important points. Also, understand the question well before answering. Fact based questions are usually in the form of fill in the blanks or correct/incorrect statements.
Passage structure-based questions: These types of questions ask candidates to arrange arguments presented in the passage in a logical manner. In CAT, you may also be asked to analyse the logic behind the paragraph. For example, ‘What does the last paragraph describe?’ or ‘What is the main argument in third paragraph?’
To crack CAT RC questions based on structure, read the passage in parts and try to get the gist of each paragraph. Pay attention on words such as ‘however’, ‘but’, ‘although’. Conjunctions can change the meaning of the statement.
Title-based questions: These refer to the questions in Reading Comprehension for CAT where candidates are asked to choose an appropriate title for the given passage. These are the types of questions where one will have to select not the right answer but the most apt option or the title closest to the theme of the passage. These type of questions can be tricky to answer if one hasn’t understood the passage well.
Questions-based on tone of the passage: Tone-based question require application of critical thinking. The questions usually asked are, ‘What is the attitude of the author while saying this statement?’ or ‘The tone of the author is best described as?’
To solve questions-based on tone of the passage, one needs to understand the nature of the passage - positive, negative or neutral.
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CAT questions for practice with solutions - VARC
Get here free PDFs of CAT VARC practice questions with answers. The CAT practice questions are of the same difficulty level as CAT.
| 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 |
Commonly asked questions
There are no direct Fill in the Blanks-based questions in CAT exam. Candidates must however practice FIB questions to improve word usage in sentence.
There is no specific number of questions asked on Binary Logic in CAT exam. There can be 1-2 standalone questions in Logical Reasoning section of the exam.
Candidates can expect 1 to 2 questions from Quadratic Equations in the CAT exam. CAT Algebra section has about 7 to 9 questions.
About 2-4 questions can be asked from Mensuration section in CAT. Candidates can must practice this topic extensively.
| 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 |
Read More:
Commonly asked questions
Venn Diagram questions are not fixed every year in CAT, but when they appear in the DILR section, they usually form a single complete set of 4 questions.
There is no difference between slot 1, 2 and 3 of CAT exam paper in terms of structure and patten. The sectional break up, marking scheme and time limit are the same in all slots. However, due to unique sets of questions in each slot leads to difference in difficulty levels. There is usually a slight difference in the CAT question papers of different slots. Sometimes, topic wise weightage of the questions also vary. To negate advantage or disadantage to candidates due to difference in difficulty level of slots, CAT scores are normalised for result preparation.
The CAT VARC section is dominated by RC questions. Out of 24 questions about 14-16 are based on Reading Comprehension passages and the rest of them are based on parajumbles, para completion, etc.
CAT has about 12-16 RC question. Since, it is not mandatory to solve all the questions, candidates can maximize their scores by leaving out the questions related to the passage they find the toughest. There is negative marking in CAT so candidates must ensure that they mark only the correct options or do not mark any option at all.
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CAT coaching institutes in Jalandhar that offer weekend batches are Career Launcher and Alchemist.
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To choose the best CAT Coaching institute in Jalandhar, candidates must consider the following points:
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The average fee ranges in Jalandhar from ₹50,000 to ₹85,000 for offline classroom courses and ₹18,000 to ₹35,000 for online courses.
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CAT coaching institutes in Gorakhpur that offer weekend batches are Career Launcher, TIME and IMS. Candidates are requested to contact these institutes regarding more information.
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To choose the best CAT Coaching institute in Gorakhpur, candidates must consider the following points:
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- Final fee structure and refund/installment policy.
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The average fee ranges in Gorakhpur from ₹50,000 to ₹85,000 for offline classroom courses and ₹18,000 to ₹35,000 for online courses.
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CAT coaching institutes in Udaipur that offer weekend batches are IMS Udaipur and Career Launcher Udaipur.
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The average fee in Udaipur ranges from ₹50,000 to ₹85,000 for offline classroom courses and ₹25,000 to ₹35,000 for online courses.
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CAT coaching institutes in Vadodara that offer weekend batches IMS Vadodara, Career Launcher (CL) Baroda and Endeavor Vadodara.
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To choose the best CAT Coaching institute in Vadodara, candidates must consider the following points:
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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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