CAT 2025 VARC Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Practice Tips

CAT VARC Exam has 24 questions spread across two sections, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension. VARC makes the most competitive section despite being perceived as language-based. As this section has comparatively more number of questions and with increasing level of standard and diversity over the years, it is important to understand the syllabus.

• Even though VARC is a language-based section, as per the recent CAT trends from 2022 to 2024, the highest score in this section has been around 58 to 60.
• Out of 2.93 lakh test takers in CAT 2024, just 15% to 17% were able to score more than the 80th percentile in the VARC section
• Scoring 33 to 40 out of 72 in this section can place a candidate in the 90th percentile range.
• Unlike the predictable Dilr and QA sections, VARC requires deep understanding, inferring themes from abstract concepts, real information processing, and landing on the answer in a very short span of 40 minutes.
   
   

  Key Summary

  • VARC comprises one-third of the CAT paper, consisting of 24-26 questions.
  • VARC accounts for 36% of the total question paper, out of 66 questions.
  • Reading Comprehension (RC) contributes 70-75% of the total VARC score.
  • There have been no direct grammar or vocabulary questions since 2016.
  • Most questions are inference-based testing, understanding of the context, tone, logic, and paragraph flow.
  • VARC is considered the most unpredictable section in terms of difficulty and topic diversity

CAT 2025 Exam Pattern

The CAT Exam Pattern is a blend of MCQ and TITA questions across three timed sections. Each section has a limited 40 minutes to attempt the questions. Below is the snapshot of the CAT Exam Pattern.

Check: CAT Previous year papers & Answer keys

CAT VARC Section Pattern

IIMs do not release an official syllabus. Based on trends and patterns over the years, we can understand the VARC questions to be of the following types.

The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section is the first section of the CAT exam and often sets the tone for a candidate's performance. It is designed to assess a test taker's comprehension skills, critical reasoning, language understanding, and verbal logic making in both skill-driven and strategy-based questions.

• Reading comprehension dominates the section with 66% of the total weightage.
• TITA Questions in VA are challenging as there are no options and no partial credit.
• Candidates should practice allotting an average time of around 1.6 to 1.8 minutes for each question to manage the time effectively.
• As the difficulty level fluctuates every year, especially in RC tone and VA logic flow, everyday practice and mock tests are mandatory to ace this section.

Related Links

•  CAT Mock Test 2025
•  CAT Syllabus

CAT VA Section

• Verbal Ability comprises 8 questions, mostly TITA (Type In The Answer), for which no options are provided, and no negative marking applies. The questions are often concept-based and less guess-friendly, as there’s also no negative marking.
• Core Question Types:

The VA section includes three consistent question types:

• Para-jumbles: This type includes 2-3 questions on arranging jumbled sentences into coherent paragraphs.
• Odd sentence out: Candidates need to identify the odd sentence that does not fit the context and cuts the logical flow. There will be 1-2 questions.
• Para-summary: These types of questions require candidates to find the best summary of the passage given. These will be MCQ-type questions, counting 2-3.
• It is to be noted that parajumbles and odd sentence out questions are difficult due to subtle transitions, lack of clues, and multiple possible arrangements. The absence of options in TITA questions demands a deeper understanding and strong logical flow detection.
• Scoring well in VARC requires rigorous practice, especially with TITA parajumbles where accuracy matters more than speed.

Skills Tested in VA:

• Sentence arrangement
• Logical and chronological flow
• Outlier detection
• Compression and abstraction (summary writing)

CAT RC Section

• The VARC section is very important from an overall exam point of view as it has more number of questions.
• RC alone has 16 questions, which makes it crucial if you are aiming for a 95+ percentile.
• The RC section has 4 long passages with 5 MCQs each.
• Since RC passages can be long and complex, they consume a large portion of the 40 minutes of the VARC window.
• It is a must that candidates spend 2 to 2.5 minutes per question, including reading and solving.

CAT RC Question Types:

Common RC Topics:

• Abstract & Philosophical: Time, ethics, consciousness
• Social Sciences: Psychology, economics, sociology
• Science & Tech: AI, evolution, environment
• Arts & Literature: Music, film theory, classics
• History & Politics: Globalization, revolutions, colonialism

CAT Verbal Ability Vs Reading Comprehension

• Reading comprehension is more structured and somewhat predictable with MCQ-based questions drawn from lengthy passages, as compared to VA, which is mostly TITA form.
• The number of questions is more in RC as compared to VA. Verbal Ability generally has TITA questions.
• Negative marking of -1 for every wrong answer is only applicable for MCQ in both sections.
• There is no negative marking for TITA questions.

CAT VARC Most Repeated Topics

• Over the last three CAT exams, RC passages have increasingly featured philosophical, abstract, and cross-disciplinary topics.
• Unlike traditional English tests, CAT’s VA does not focus on straightforward grammar or vocabulary questions; instead, it assesses logical sequencing, contextual understanding, and coherence. This has stayed consistent over the years.

Check Check How to Prepare for the CAT Exam

Most Repeated Reading Comprehension Topics in CAT VARC

CAT VARC Most Repeated Topics

Verbal ability topics stayed consistent over the year. There are no straightforward grammar or vocabulary questions.

CAT VARC difficulty level last 5 years

Considering the number of questions and overall weightage the VARC section carries in the CAT, the difficulty level of this section is crucial for the overall score.

• CAT 2022 had the toughest VARC in recent years.
• In 2023, RCs were easiest, but VA remained time-consuming
• 2024 returned to a moderate-high level with a focus on indirect reasoning.

Cracking the CAT VARC section requires more than just vocabulary drills or casual reading. Whether you're targeting a 99+ percentile or aiming to clear the sectional cut-off, building the right approach is key. Here's a compact guide with smart practice tips and a hand-picked list of books for CAT VARC to help you ace the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section.

CAT VARC Preparation Tips

For Verbal Ability (VA)

One per day: Practice one type of VA question every day. It might look like nothing is left to study more. Keep practicing. Moreover, read as much of editorials, articles from Manorama, and journals as much to get used to coherence.

Work on Connectors: Practice the usage of subordinating and correlative conjunctions and all possible usage of these. Try noticing how these connectors bring change and create flow.

Practice TITA: Work on TITA with practice tests, section-specific quizzes available across platforms.

For Reading Comprehension (RC)

Read every day: Religiously dedicate 30-45 minutes for reading. Read Editorials specifically from The Hindu, Philosophical commentaries, articles related to Humanities, Policy and program analysis articles, and famous and reflective novels. Pick from the Research standard writings to enhance your reading and comprehension.

Practice Inferring: Try to see what is beyond the words and implied meanings and messages. Practice on inferring by asking why and how.

Mind Maps: Begin by making mind maps in a notebook, and gradually practice creating mind maps in your mind as you read. It will help you to catch the central theme and supportive points.

Practice elimination method: Over the years elimination method has been really handy when it comes to MCQs. Instead of asking ‘what is the answer,’ practice figuring out “what is not the answer”.

Manage time: Time is score. Do not spend more than 9 minutes on one passage and more than 1.3 minutes on one question. If you do not get the answer, move further, come back, and attempt.

Best Books for CAT VARC Preparation