VARC has 24 questions and 72 marks, the highest-scoring section in CAT. Reading Comprehension takes the largest share, and the verbal ability questions are mostly para jumbles, para summary and odd sentence out.
Since RC passages are long, the section rewards steady reading speed and careful answer choice more than vocabulary.
VARC section snapshot
Question-type distribution (indicative)
Weightage is indicative, based on trends in recent papers. It is not an official figure and can change every year.
Passage themes seen
How to attempt VARC
- 1Do the verbal ability questions first, since they take less time and several are TITA with no negative marking.
- 2Spend about 25 minutes on RC. Read each passage once for the main idea, then go to the questions.
- 3Pick answers the passage supports. Reject extreme options and ones that go beyond the passage.
- 4If a passage is dense or abstract, skip it and return only if time is left.
Common mistakes
- Reading every passage word-by-word and running out of time
- Choosing an answer that sounds correct but is not in the passage
- Ignoring para jumbles because they look hard, though many are quick to solve with pairs
Tip: Daily reading of long-form articles for 30-45 minutes improves speed more than any shortcut.
CAT 2026 VARC Paper Analysis FAQs
Does CAT test vocabulary directly?+
No. There are no standalone vocabulary questions in recent papers.
How many RC passages are there?+
Usually four to five passages, with 3 to 5 questions each.
More on CAT 2026
Source & Disclaimer
Official source: iimcat.ac.in
Information on this page is compiled from the official CAT notification at iimcat.ac.in and trends from earlier cycles. Dates marked Expected are estimates, not official announcements. Please confirm all details on the official website.