The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section of the Common Admission Test (CAT) is one of the most challenging sections for many aspirants. It requires an extensive vocabulary, excellent comprehension skills, and the ability to identify grammatical errors. However, with the right preparation strategy, you can ace this section and improve your overall CAT score. In this blog post, we’ll discuss some tips and tricks for preparing for the VARC section of the CAT exam.
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Expert Tips To Improve VARC Section Of The CAT Exam
1. Start with the basics
The first step towards preparing for the VARC section is to brush up on the basics of grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.
2. Practice regularly
Regular practice is key to mastering the VARC section. Make it a habit to solve at least one RC passage and a few verbal ability questions every day. This will help you develop the necessary skills and improve your speed and accuracy.
3. Read extensively
Reading extensively is crucial for improving your reading comprehension skills. Read a variety of texts, such as newspapers, magazines, novels, and academic journals, to expose yourself to different styles of writing and subject matter. This will help you understand complex ideas, unfamiliar vocabulary, and sentence structures.
4. Analyze your mistakes
Analyzing your mistakes is an essential part of the learning process. Keep track of your mistakes and identify the areas where you need improvement. Focus on these areas and work on them until you are confident.
5. Take mock tests
Taking mock tests is an excellent way to gauge your preparation level and identify areas where you need improvement. Mock tests also help you develop time management skills and improve your speed and accuracy. You can find a wide range of mock tests online or from coaching institutes.
6. Learn from experts
Learning from experts can help you get insights into the exam pattern, strategies, and tips for solving different types of questions. Attend coaching classes or take online courses from reputed institutes to get expert guidance and learn from experienced teachers.
7. Stay motivated
Staying motivated is essential for success in any exam. Keep a positive attitude, believe in yourself, and work hard towards achieving your goals. Take breaks, relax, and do activities that you enjoy to keep your mind fresh and energized.
CAT VARC Syllabus (Important Topics)
For the past few years, RC has been dominating this section. Reading comprehension alone contributes around 70% of the marks in VARC section. Aspirants cannot afford to skip this section. Also, the remaining 8 questions in the section also rely heavily on the comprehension ability of the candidate. Hence, aspirants must try to have a decent grasp on this section. Questions in the recent CAT VARC are from the following topics:
- Reading comprehension
- Para jumbles
- Sentence elimination based on para jumbles
- Para summary and completion
Apart from reading comprehension, 3 questions on para summary too require candidates to read a passage and answer the question. The remaining 5 questions are para jumbles and sentence elimination. These questions check the candidate’s ability to spot coherence and pattern. All these questions are of TITA type and do not carry any negative mark. Hence, aspirants must definitely take a shot at these questions.
Apart from these, questions on grammar, sentence correction, synonyms and antonyms, analogies and other such topics used to appear in CAT before a few years ago.
- Syllogism
- Analogies
- Synonyms and antonyms
- Grammar-based sentence correction
- Phrases, fill in the blanks and Cloze test
But, as of now, these questions have not made their appearance in the past few years. However, aspirants must at least prepare the basics of these topics to avoid any unpleasant surprises.
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