CAT_VARC_Weightage

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:

ParticularsDetailsMarking Scheme
Total Questions in VARC24
  • +3 for correct questions
  • -1 for incorrect questions
  • 0 for un-attempted questions
Total MCQ Questions20
Total TITA Questions4
Total RC Questions16
Total VA Questions8
Total Duration40 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.

SubjectTotal QuestionsPercentage of Section
Reading Comprehension1666.67%
Verbal Ability833.33%
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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 TopicsCAT 2023
Reading Comprehension16(4+4+4+4)
Para Jumbles2
Para Summary2
Odd One Out/Para Completion2
Para Insertion2
Total Questions24

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 TopicsCAT 2022
Reading Comprehension16(4+4+4+4)
Para Jumbles3
Para Summary3
Odd One Out/Para Completion2
Total Questions24

2021 Analysis

CAT VARC TopicsCAT 2021
Reading Comprehension16(4+4+4+4)
Para Jumbles3
Para Summary3
Odd One Out/Para Completion2
Total Questions24

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 TopicsCAT 2020
Reading Comprehension18 (5+5+4+4)
Para Jumbles3
Para Summary3
Odd One Out2
Total Questions26

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.RCDifficulty LevelSource of RCGenre
Slot 1WolfEasyThe EconomistEnvironment
Change in Work CultureDifficultJared DiamondGeography
Indian OceanDifficultThe ConversationsLiterary Criticism
Human BehaviorEasyPublic BooksPhilosophy
Slot 2Fast Fashion and PollutionEasyProspect MagazineEnvironment
Translated Netflix in EuropeEasyThe EconomistCulture
Failing of LiberalismDifficultThe EconomistPol Science
Historical Facts and InterpretationsEasyWhat is HistoryHistory
Slot 3Global Warming and ColonialismEasyThe Wire ScienceEnvironment
Romantic AestheticsEasyStanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyPhilosophy
Archaeology ParadoxDifficultThe Los Angeles TimesCulture
RationalityDifficultThe Washington PostPsychology

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