Direction: The passage below is accompanied by a set of questions. Choose the best answer to each question. DNA degrades quickly after an animal dies, so researchers once believed it impossible to find ancient genetic material. The search for primeval vestiges of DNA took off in the late 1980s after the development of a technique called polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which copies minute quantities of DNA. Armed with PCR, scientists could look for tiny fragments of DNA that might have weathered the millennia unharmed. In recent years, researchers have isolated DNA from 20-million-year-old magnolia leaves and extracted DNA from a 135-million-year-old weevil found in amber. Recently, a team extract DNA from bone dating back millions of years for the first time. In the frenzied hunt for ancient DNA, microbiologist Scott R. Woodward may have bagged the biggest quarry. Drawing on lessons learned while growing up among the fossil-rich rocks of eastern Utah, Woodward and his team became the first people to find genetic material belonging to a dinosaur. Woodward, whose grandfather was a coal miner, knew that mines in the area often contained dinosaur traces. After six months of looking Woodward pulled two bone fragments from a Cretaceous siltstone layer directly atop a coal seam. Impeded by an unstable mine roof, Woodward’s team could not recover any more bone samples. The siltstone apparently inhibited fossilization and preserved much of the original cell structure in the bone. Researchers isolated strands of DNA from both fragments and used PCR to copy a segment that codes for a protein called cytochrome b. Once they had made many copies, they could determine the DNA sequence. Throughout their work, the biologists took precautions to avoid contaminating the samples with modern DNA or ancient material found within the coal. According to Woodward, circumstantial evidence indicates that the bone fragments belong to one or two species of dinosaurs. Dinosaur tracks are abundant in this coal formation, and the bones visible in the mine were larger than those of a crocodile—the biggest non-dinosaur known in these rocks. Woodward explains variation found in the DNA as a result of damage to the ancient DNA, which caused the PCR technique to alter the original sequence. Scientists had hoped to use the DNA to resolve debate about the relationship among birds, dinosaurs, and other reptiles. But the cytochrome b fragments were too short to offer meaningful phylogenetic information, says Woodward. Utah’s state paleontologist believes that the fragments found by Woodward could definitely be dinosaur in origin. Other researchers, however, question the identity of the DNA strands. Because the copies of the cytochrome b sequence varied considerably, they wonder whether the DNA comes from several organisms. According to the passage, which myth was surpassed by the researchers later in the 1980s?

It is not possible to detect the ancient genetic material.

The DNA of an animal starts weathering out once he dies.

There were the traces of dinosaur in the coal mines.

Crocodile was not the biggest dinosaur during 1980s.

VARC Preparation Tips for MBA Exams: Check Syllabus, Weightage & Best Books

Q: How many RC questions does CAT have?

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.

Q: What type of Reading Comprehension passages are there in XAT?

In XAT, Reading Comprehension passages are usually taken from Philosophy, Psychology, History, Art, research articles. Sometime, the XAT RC section also has poems. These areas are chosen to test the candidates, who are largely Science, Commerce and Engineering graduates, on their ability to come out of their comfort zone and adapt to unfamiliar situations. Out of 26 questions, about 14-16 questions are based on RC passages or a poem. Candidates must target solving about 10 questions accurately to score well. XAT has negative marking so do not mark an option as your answer if you are not 100 percent sure of it.

Q: Is XAT tough for candidates from non-Engineering background?

Yes, XAT is slightly tougher for candidates with non-Engineering background as the Quantitative Aptitude section is of higher difficulty level. However, they can crack it if they work on the fundamentals of Math and practice questions of all difficulty levels. It will take time but they will be able to crack XAT's quant section if they dedicate extra hours to it. Aspirants can find XAT study material online in various online study groups. Students’ groups on Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. share study material with each other. One can also download MBA exam preparation apps to get relevant and useful study material. The good part about XAT is that, it has different cut offs for candidates belonging to different academic backgrounds. As part of its commitment to academic diversity, the institute has lower cut offs for candidates from non-engineering background than candidates from engineering background.

Q: How early should I start reading novels for Reading Comprehension?

To develop reading habit, one should start reading books and newspapers every day for at least one hour daily from at least six to eight months before the exam. Ideally, you should start reading books from a year before the entrance exam you are planning to appear for. We say so because, reading depends a lot on one’s interest. You need to first build interest in reading. Candidate who have to habit or interest in reading may not find it too difficult to read 100 pages every day, but those who have no interest in reading will have to develop it. So, start reading early on and read a variety of books. Start will books having easy language, once you develop interest and speed, move to books with tough English.

Q: What is the best preparation strategy for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension?

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.

Q: Is the CAT syllabus difficult?

Yes, CAT syllabus is difficult to crack if you do not have adequate 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.

Q: What are the important topics of CAT syllabus from which maximum questions are asked?

CAT lays a lot of emphasis on analytical skills so the questions are asked mostly from those topics which require deep learning and practice. The three sections of CAT question paper are designed in such a way that candidates have to use their ability of minute observation and fast calculation. Shared below are the section wise main topics from which questions are asked in CAT. Verbal Ability: Parajumbles, Parasummary, Sentence Completion and Inferences Reading Comprehension: Questions based on passages, Para meaning, Order of sentences Data Interpretation: Tables, Graphs, Pie Charts, Venn Diagram, Data Sufficiency Logical Reasoning: Blood Relation, Seating Arrangement, Syllogism, Coding-Decoding, Sets and Caselets, Family Tree, Assumptions Quantitative Aptitude: Geometry, Algebra Number System Modern Math, Arithmetic, Mensuration The difficulty level of CAT questions is usually moderate to high. Only a few questions are easy and quick to solve. To crack the CAT exam, one needs to pay attention to the abovementioned topics.

Q: What is the syllabus of General English section of SNAP?

The SNAP General English syllabus is similar to that of other MBA entrance exams. It includes passages, Syllogisms, Analogies, Grammar, Antonym-Synonym, One Word Substitution, Similar Sounding Words, Parajumbles and Fill in the Blanks. This is the shortest section of SNAP having only 15 questions. Most of the questions are usually based on English grammar. For the past 2 years, no Reading Comprehension passage is seen in the exam. However, candidates still need to practice Reading Comprehension passages as it has not been completely scrapped. Preparation for the exam as per the SNAP syllabus requires not much time to prepare if your English is strong. But if it is not, then you must start studying English much earlier as developing hold on a language requires time.

Q: Which section of XAT question paper is lengthiest?

It depends upon each candidate which section of XAT exam paper they find lengthy. It also depends on the questions chosen for the exam in that particular year. However, it has been seen that Data Interpretation questions are usually lengthy. Overall, the Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation section has the maximum number of questions i.e. 28 and candidates have to solve at least 22-24 questions to meet the desired cut off. So, this section may appear lengthy to the candidate. To some candidates, the Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning section appears to be lengthy, because of dense reading comprehension passages and reasoning questions based on analogy, series, etc. The fact that both these sections are from the Part 1 of the XAT exam which is of 175 minutes makes it manageable as along with Decision Making, one can solve a decent number of QA-DI and VA-LR questions in 175 minutes.

Q: What is the latest CMAT exam pattern?

The latest CMAT exam pattern as prescribed by the National Testing Agency NTA is as follows: The question paper carries 100 question. The format of questions is multiple choice type where for each question, four options are given to choose the correct answer from. The 100 questions are divided equally between five sections, Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation, Language Comprehension, Logical Reasoning, General Awareness and Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Each of the five sections carry 20 questions. Earlier, there were only four sections in CMAT and each section has 25 questions. In 2021, Innovation and Entrepreneurship was added as the fifth section. The time limit for CMAT is 180 minutes without sectional time limit or break. As per the latest marking scheme, for every correct option 4 marks are awarded and for every incorrect option, one mark is deducted. There is no negative marking for unanswered questions.

Updated on Aug 26, 2025 18:35 IST

By Vipra Shrivastava, Senior Manager - Content

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension or VARC preparation for MBA requires a long term plan as it can't be mastered overnight. You cannot crack it by memorising formulae like Quantitative Aptitude or by solving puzzle series like Logical Reasoning. The key to crack the VARC section of any MBA entrance exam is long-term planning, developing English comprehension by reading books and journals, understanding the fundamentals of English grammar and consistent practice of the language.

VARC section of the CAT exam is considered the toughest among all the MBA entrance exams in India. This is usually because the Reading Comprehension passages of CAT exam are mostly inference based unlike CMAT or MAT whose passages are fact based. Similarly, the XAT RC section is also tough and often includes a poem. So, how to prepare for VARC in such a way that all entrance exams are covered?

VARC- How to Handle Reading Comprehension?

The biggest worry of MBA aspirants at the time of VARC preparation is - how to handle the Reading Comprehension passages? It is impossible in only in six months to develop and master the art of reading dense passages in 1-2 minutes to solve related questions accurately. Those who already have the habit of reading have an upper hand in handling RC preparation without any hassle. But those who do not read much, need to start VARC preparation early on.

If you plan to appear for CAT, XAT, NMAT, SNAP, CMAT, MAT, ATMA or other state level MBA entrance exams, you need to start your exam preparation according to your preferred exam cycle. But for CAT, give yourself atleast a 9 months time for VARC. Let us understand Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension to discuss how to tackle this section of top MBA entrance exams in India.

Q: Is the CAT syllabus difficult?

Q: What are the important topics of CAT syllabus from which maximum questions are asked?

Q: What is the syllabus of General English section of SNAP?

Table of content

What is Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)?
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) Syllabus for MBA Exams
How to Prepare for CAT VARC Section?
Best Books for VARC Preparation 2025
VARC Weightage in Top MBA Entrance Exams
FAQs Related to VARC Preparation

What is Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)?

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension section of an MBA entrance exam essentially has four main components:

Vocabulary
Grammar
Verbal Reasoning
Reading Comprehension

Let’s take a brief look at each one of the sections one-by-one.

Vocabulary: This section is mainly dominated by questions related to sentence completion, fill in the blanks, one word substitution, etc. Having a good vocabulary is key to this section. While the book ‘Word Power Made Easy’ is highly recommended for building vocabulary, a good reading habit makes it easy to develop good vocabulary.

Grammar: Questions like mistakes in one of the sentences or in a part of the sentence and word substitution are most common Grammar questions in MBA entrance exams. Prepare Grammar like Maths. There is no other way of acing questions based on English Grammar but by having conceptual clarity of the fundamental rules.

Verbal Reasoning: This sub-section of VARC usually has questions on paragraph completion, paragraph sequencing, ranking and arrangement, so it is important to have a good command over language comprehension. Other question types in this area include identifying the best summary of the given passage. Along with good control on the language, there is a need for practice of solving logic-based sample questions to score well in this sub-section of VARC.

Reading Comprehension: There is no substitute for reading. To score well in RC, you should be able to read over 600 words passages in less than a minute. This can happen only if you read, read and read more throughout the year. Since most of the MBA entrance exams are now conducted in online mode, practice reading on the computer screen. Also, make sure you read on a variety of English passages on topics such as politics, science, philosophy, economics, literature, biography, geology, folklores, architecture, history, current affairs, art, psychology or even abstract topics.

Also Read: Types of Reading Comprehension questions in CAT and other exams

Out of these four sections, Reading Comprehension has more weightage than rest of the three sections in CAT and XAT, thus making it the most crucial sub-section. CAT infact has no direct grammar or vocabulary questions. All 24 questions are based on either RC passage or Verbal Ability like parajumbles, odd sentence, etc. The only way one can ace this section is by developing reading habit and improving upon it. There are no direct questions on Grammar or Vocabulary.

MBA VARC Highlights

VARC syllabus of all MBA entrance exams is same but the structure of this section of each exam varies. For example, in CAT, the VARC section majorly comprises English passages for reading comprehension and para jumbles, whereas in SNAP, there is no RC passage at all. We have listed down some key highlights of VARC syllabus for MBA preparation:

VARC section of MBA entrance exams is mandatory and carries a good amount of weightage
VARC syllabus requires long term planning for preparation. Especially for those candidates who do not have a good command over English comprehension
Having a good command over English comprehension and vocabulary is the key to crack this section
Candidates preparing for CAT, XAT or GMAT must start VARC preparation much before as this requires developing the habit and interest of reading
VARC is usually the first section of MBA entrance exam. That is because the section could be time taking due to dense and lengthy passages. The best time to solve questions on RCs is at the beginning of the test as the candidate’s mind is fresh at that time.
The key to crack VARC section is practice and eye for detail. Candidates must practice as many number and variety of RC passages (including poems). They must be aware of all possible types of passages of MBA entrance exams.
Also, one not only needs to be fluent in spoken English but need to also know and be able to write grammatically correct English.
Questions asked in VARC section can be tricky if you are not aware of English grammar rules. Thus, it is very important to focus seriously on English grammar while preparing for any MBA entrance exam. There may be only few Grammar based questions, it will be extremely helpful in solving RCs and parajumbles.

Commonly asked questions

Q: How many RC questions does CAT have?

Q: What type of Reading Comprehension passages are there in XAT?

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) Syllabus for MBA Exams

Listed below are the topics included in the VARC syllabus for MBA entrance exams. Give yourself two to three months to work on these topics one by one. Preparing for RC however requires long time planning and practice, so keep aside some time for daily reading.

VARC Topics for CAT and other MBA Entrance Exams
Fill in the blanks	Para completion and inference	Verbal logic
Verbal reasoning	Contextual usage	Different usage of same word
Sentence completion	Foreign language words used in English	Idioms
Subject-verb agreement	Clauses	Articles
Tenses	Reading comprehension	Parajumbles
Noun/pronoun	Conjunctions and Prepositions	Phrases Modifiers
Syllogisms	Analogies	Antonyms
Subject and Predicate	Preposition	Synonyms
Jumbled paragraphs	Sentence correction	One word substitution

Commonly asked questions

Q: What are the important topics of MAT exam?

Q: In how many months can I prepare for XAT?

How to Prepare for CAT VARC Section?

Over the years, the VARC section of CAT has evolved from being an English language test to English usage test. Earlier, the Vocabulary and Grammar questions were straightforward. Either you knew the answer or you didn’t. However, in the last one decade, the emphasis has moved from testing the knowledge of English to contextual understanding of the language through Reading Comprehension, Parajumble, Parasummary and Odd Sentence. Now, the CAT VARC section tests candidates on their understanding of the following:

The nuances of the given word
The subtleties of the given word (context/usage)
Correct syntax, structure and formation of sentences
Identify the complex ideas presented in the paragraph

CAT VARC preparation requires time, dedication and discipline. The most crucial aspect of VARC preparation is building vocabulary and improving English comprehension skill, which can be done by developing the habit of reading. The Verbal Ability questions can be conquered by adequate practice of sample questions and mock tests.

Watch video by expert on CAT VARC preparation:

How to Prepare for MBA VARC Section?

Every MBA entrance exam requires a common preparation plan for VARC. However, there are certain specifics to each exam which candidates must focus upon as well. Given below are the links of detailed VARC preparations plans for all top MBA entrance exams in India:

VARC Preparation for MBA Entrance Exam
How to prepare for CAT 2025
How to prepare for SNAP 2025
How to prepare for MAT 2025
How to prepare for ATMA 2025
How to prepare for MAH CET 2025
How to prepare for CMAT 2025
How to prepare for XAT 2026

Download Free VARC Question Bank for Practice

Click to Download

MBA Entrance Exams: Mock Tests for Practice

Check the links below for MBA entrance exam mock tests for practice. As suggested earlier, aspirants must practice mock tests in good numbers to develop speed and accuracy of solving questions in the exam.

CAT Mock Test	XAT Mock Test	SNAP Mock Test
CMAT Mock Test	MAT Mock Test	ATMA Mock Test
NMAT Mock Test	IBSAT Mock Test

Commonly asked questions

Q: Is XAT tough for candidates from non-Engineering background?

Q: How early should I start reading novels for Reading Comprehension?

Q: What is the best preparation strategy for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension?

Best Books for VARC Preparation 2025

While RC passages can be tackled with the help of practice questions, English Grammar and Verbal Ability will require understanding concepts of English Language. Some of the best books for CAT VARC preparation are mentioned below:

High School Grammar and Composition Wren and Martin
Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
How To Prepare For Verbal Ability And Reading Comprehension For CAT by Arun Sharma, Meenakshi Upadhyay
The Pearson Guide to Verbal Ability for the CAT and Other MBA Entrance Examinations by Sujit Kumar
The Pearson Guide to Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning for the CAT by Nishit K Sinha

To improve reading comprehension one must read English novels, newspaper editorials, business and current affairs magazines, science journals, biographies, etc.

Also Read: VARC syllabus and important books

Check here more English Grammar rules and explanations:

Commonly asked questions

Q: What are the topics on which I should read books for RC preparation?

Q: Which are the best books for MAT preparation?

VARC Weightage in Top MBA Entrance Exams

Listed below are some of the top MBA entrance exams and weightage of their Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension section.

MBA Entrance Exam	Number of VARC Questions	Total Marks
CAT	24	72
XAT	26	26
CMAT	25	100
MAT	30	30
SNAP	15	15
ATMA	60	60
MAH-CET	50	50

MBA Preparation Tips & Strategy

Check the table below for some of the most read Shiksha articles on MBA preparation strategy.

MBA Preparation Tips and Strategy
MBA preparation: Your love for reading can get you desired result	Verbal Ability (VA) solved questions pdf
Make these 7 guys your study companions for MBA Verbal Ability Prep	Cracking Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning
Three key tips to ace Verbal Ability section	CAT Preparation Plan for Verbal Ability
Shortcut techniques for Reading Comprehension	10 Tips for Time Management in VARC section
XAT preparations: Tips to crack Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension	Reading Comprehension: Common Pitfalls to Avoid while Solving RC Questions
MBA Preparation: How to Improve at Verbal Ability	MBA Preparation: Last week tips to score more in VARC

Prepare for Study Abroad Exams:

PTE

IELTS

TOEFL

Commonly asked questions

Q: Which section of XAT question paper is lengthiest?

Q: What is the latest CMAT exam pattern?

Q: Is the question paper of MAT IBT different from MAT CBT or PBT?

FAQs Related to VARC Preparation

Check below Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to VARC Preparation:

Commonly asked questions

Q: Is it true that someone who is weak in English, cannot score well in Verbal Ability?

Q: Why is it necessary to practice sample questions of VARC preparation?

Q: Which type of questions does VARC section of an entrance exam comprise?

Q: Which are the best books for VARC preparation?

VARC Prep Tips for MBA Exam

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CAT VARC Easy Test 1	CAT VARC Easy Test 1 Solutions
CAT VARC Medium Test 1	CAT VARC Medium Test 1 Solutions
CAT VARC Difficult Test 1	CAT VARC Difficult Test 1 Solutions
CAT VARC Easy Test 2	CAT VARC Easy Test 2 Solutions
CAT VARC Medium Test 2	CAT VARC Medium Test 2 Solutions
CAT VARC Difficult Test 2	CAT VARC Difficult Test 2 Solutions
CAT VARC Easy Test 3	CAT VARC Easy Test 3 Solutions
CAT VARC Medium Test 3	CAT VARC Medium Test 3 Solutions
CAT VARC Difficult Test 3	CAT VARC Difficult Test 3 Solutions
CAT VARC Easy Test 4	CAT VARC Easy Test 4 Solutions
CAT VARC Medium Test 4	CAT VARC Medium Test 4 Solutions
CAT VARC Difficult Test Set 4	CAT VARC Difficult Test 4 Solutions

VARC Preparation Tips for MBA Exams: Check Syllabus, Weightage & Best Books

VARC- How to Handle Reading Comprehension?

What is Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)?

MBA VARC Highlights

Commonly asked questions

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) Syllabus for MBA Exams

Commonly asked questions

How to Prepare for CAT VARC Section?

How to Prepare for MBA VARC Section?

Download Free VARC Question Bank for Practice

MBA Entrance Exams: Mock Tests for Practice

Commonly asked questions

Best Books for VARC Preparation 2025

Commonly asked questions

VARC Weightage in Top MBA Entrance Exams

MBA Preparation Tips & Strategy

Prepare for Study Abroad Exams:

Commonly asked questions

FAQs Related to VARC Preparation

Commonly asked questions

Student Forum

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