CAT VARC Topic Wise Weightage: Understanding the topic-wise weightage of the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section in the Common Admission Test (CAT) is important for aspirants aiming to crack one of India’s most competitive management entrance exams. By analyzing the distribution of questions across various topics within VARC, candidates can tailor their preparation strategies to focus on important areas, ultimately improving their overall performance.
CAT VARC Exam Pattern
The VARC section, which evaluates candidate's proficiency in English language skills, comprehension abilities, and critical reasoning, is a significant component of the CAT exam.
The section contains 24 questions, with 4-5 being non-MCQs. Reading comprehension questions make up 66% of the section, while the remaining questions focus on verbal ability topics such as para-summaries, para-jumbles, and odd sentences.
Below is the structure of this section:
| Particulars | Details | Marking Scheme |
| Total Questions in VARC | 24 |
|
| Total MCQ Questions | 20 | |
| Total TITA Questions | 4 | |
| Total RC Questions | 16 | |
| Total VA Questions | 8 | |
| Total Duration | 40 minutes |
As per the above bifurcation of the VARC section one can see that Reading Comprehension dominates this section, making it as the most important topic in CAT. With approximately two-thirds of the questions dedicated to this area, a strong performance in Reading Comprehension can help the candidate in achieving desired score in this section. Aspirants should prioritize honing their comprehension skills, critical analysis, and inference abilities to excel in this section.
| Subject | Total Questions | Percentage of Section |
| Reading Comprehension | 16 | 66.67% |
| Verbal Ability | 8 | 33.33% |
CAT VARC Past Year Trends
An analysis of past year VARC section is done below to understand how the section has evolved over the years. The analysis reflects a shifts in question patterns, difficulty levels, and topic emphasis. Understanding these trends can help candidates to strategize their preparation accordingly to what one can expect from VARC section in CAT 2024.
CAT VARC 2023 Analysis
Totally there were 24 questions this year with majority of the section being dominated by Reading Comprehensions where 4 paras with 4 questions each were present. In verbal ability, the questions were composed of Para jumbles, Para summary, Odd One Out and Para insertion. One should prepare for Para insertion and Para summary as they together constituted 4 questions and comparatively easier than PJ and odd one out.
| CAT VARC Topics | CAT 2023 |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 16(4+4+4+4) |
| Para Jumbles | 2 |
| Para Summary | 2 |
| Odd One Out/Para Completion | 2 |
| Para Insertion | 2 |
| Total Questions | 24 |
2022 Analysis
Like CAT 2023, the year of 2022 and 2021 from VARC reflects the same question pattern with 24 questions in both years.
| CAT VARC Topics | CAT 2022 |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 16(4+4+4+4) |
| Para Jumbles | 3 |
| Para Summary | 3 |
| Odd One Out/Para Completion | 2 |
| Total Questions | 24 |
2021 Analysis
| CAT VARC Topics | CAT 2021 |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 16(4+4+4+4) |
| Para Jumbles | 3 |
| Para Summary | 3 |
| Odd One Out/Para Completion | 2 |
| Total Questions | 24 |
2020 Analysis
Candidates can see that in recent years the VARC structure has changed as in 2020 VARC had a different pattern with a total of 26 questions. Reading Comprehensions consisted of total 18 questions with 5 questions and 4 questions in each RC. Verbal ability were composed of Para jumbles, Para summary and Odd One Out. Again one can see the focus stressed upon Para jumbles and Para summary as they together constituted 6 questions.
| CAT VARC Topics | CAT 2020 |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 18 (5+5+4+4) |
| Para Jumbles | 3 |
| Para Summary | 3 |
| Odd One Out | 2 |
| Total Questions | 26 |
CAT 2023 RCs Analysis
It is required for candidates to review the analysis of previous year's Reading Comprehensions (RCs) to grasp the difficulty level, genres, and sources of the passages. This understanding helps them anticipate the types of RCs they will encounter in the CAT exam, potential genres, and find similar reading materials for practice. Here is a detailed, slot-wise analysis of the CAT 2023 Reading Comprehensions.
| Slot No. | RC | Difficulty Level | Source of RC | Genre |
| Slot 1 | Wolf | Easy | The Economist | Environment |
| Change in Work Culture | Difficult | Jared Diamond | Geography | |
| Indian Ocean | Difficult | The Conversations | Literary Criticism | |
| Human Behavior | Easy | Public Books | Philosophy | |
| Slot 2 | Fast Fashion and Pollution | Easy | Prospect Magazine | Environment |
| Translated Netflix in Europe | Easy | The Economist | Culture | |
| Failing of Liberalism | Difficult | The Economist | Pol Science | |
| Historical Facts and Interpretations | Easy | What is History | History | |
| Slot 3 | Global Warming and Colonialism | Easy | The Wire Science | Environment |
| Romantic Aesthetics | Easy | Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy | Philosophy | |
| Archaeology Paradox | Difficult | The Los Angeles Times | Culture | |
| Rationality | Difficult | The Washington Post | Psychology |
