CAT VARC Strategy: How to Improve Reading Comprehension and Accuracy

The fastest way to improve VARC accuracy for CAT is to pick one of three sequencing strategies based on whether reading comprehension comes naturally to you, and then validate that choice across sectional mocks rather than guessing. In the current CAT VARC pattern of 24 questions in 40 minutes (roughly 16 RC-based and 8 standalone verbal ability questions), students who fix one consistent sequence for attempting RC and VA outperform students who solve randomly.

According to a CATking VARC mentor with 17 years of teaching experience, getting 6 of 8 non-RC VA questions right along with one well-solved RC is typically enough to reach the 95th percentile, while getting 15 to 16 of the 24 total questions right pushes a candidate into the 99.9 percentile range.

Three VARC Strategies, and Who Each One Fits

CAT aspirants read and process passages differently, so a single fixed approach to VARC doesn't work for everyone. The CATking framework below breaks the section into three distinct sequencing strategies depending on your natural strength.

The mentor's recommendation is to not assume which strategy suits you. Instead, run five sectional VARC mocks, rotate through the three approaches, and track accuracy under each before locking one in for the actual exam.

Why Negative Marking Matters for This Strategy

A key reason the 20-20 split works even for students who aren't RC-strong is that para-jumbles, para-summary, and odd-one-out questions in CAT VARC don't carry negative marking. This means a candidate can attempt all 8 of these questions with reasonable confidence, since an incorrect answer doesn't cost marks the way a wrong RC-based MCQ does. Getting 6 of these 8 correct, with zero penalty for the other two, is a meaningfully lower-risk path to a strong VARC score than trying to force accuracy across four full RC passages.

Student Results Referenced in the Strategy Session

The CATking session this strategy is drawn from closes with several students sharing their own VARC and overall CAT results after using these approaches, with percentiles ranging from the mid-90s up past 99.8. The spread of outcomes reflects the core idea behind the three-strategy framework: there's no single fixed VARC score every aspirant should chase, only the sequencing approach that plays to their individual reading strengths.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How many questions are there in the VARC section of CAT?

The CAT VARC section has 24 questions to be solved in 40 minutes, with roughly 16 questions based on reading comprehension passages and 8 standalone verbal ability questions such as para-jumbles, para-summary, and odd-one-out.

Q2. Is there negative marking on para-jumbles, para-summary, and odd-one-out questions in CAT VARC?

No. These question types are typically non-MCQ (TITA-style) in the CAT exam and don't carry negative marking, which is why attempting all of them is generally low-risk compared to guessing on RC-based MCQs.

Q3. Which VARC strategy should I use if I get bored reading long RCs?

If long RC passages tire you out early, the recommended approach is the 20-20 split: spend the first 20 minutes on the non-RC verbal ability questions, then use the second 20 minutes to attempt two RC passages while your focus is freshest.

Q4. What accuracy do I need in VARC for a 95th percentile?

Based on this strategy, getting 6 of the 8 non-RC verbal ability questions correct, combined with solving one RC passage well, is generally enough to approach the 95th percentile, since it adds up to roughly 10 correct answers out of 24 with minimal risk from negative marking.

Q5. What score is needed in VARC to reach a 99.9 percentile?

To reach the 99.9 percentile range, the target is 15 to 16 correct answers out of the 24 total VARC questions, which typically requires the warm-up-and-alternate strategy combined with strong RC accuracy across multiple passages.

Q6. Should I read the RC passage first or the questions first in CAT?

This strategy framework doesn't dictate a passage-first or question-first reading order within an RC. It focuses instead on the sequence in which you attempt RCs versus verbal ability questions across the section, which matters more for time management than the micro-level reading approach within a single passage.

Q7. How do I figure out which of the three VARC strategies suits me?

The recommended method is to give five sectional VARC mock tests, trying a different one of the three strategies across them, and comparing your accuracy and percentile outcome under each before committing to one for the actual exam.

Q8. Does the CAT VARC question pattern change every year?

The core question types (RC, para-jumble, para-summary, odd-one-out) tend to stay stable, but CAT's paper setters can vary the exact mix year to year, occasionally adding critical reasoning, vocabulary, or grammar-based questions. It's worth checking the latest CAT pattern closer to your exam year rather than assuming the previous year's split holds exactly.