India — IIM & top B-school admissions
CAT English Syllabus & Course
CAT VARC — Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension syllabus for the IIM entrance.
24 questions (recent papers)
⏱ 40 minutes for the section
About CAT Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)
CAT VARC is reasoning with language rather than grammar drills. Reading Comprehension is the backbone (about two-thirds of the section), and the Verbal Ability questions test how well you follow the logic and structure of paragraphs.
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Good to know
Recent CAT VARC has no direct grammar or vocabulary questions — it is Reading Comprehension plus para-based reasoning (jumbles, summary, odd-one-out). Reading widely and quickly is the highest-leverage preparation.
Exam format at a glance
| Structure | VARC is the first section of the CAT, taken before DILR and Quantitative Aptitude. |
|---|---|
| Questions | 24 questions (recent papers) |
| Time | 40 minutes for the section |
| Section note | Reading Comprehension dominates (typically 4 passages, ~16 questions); the rest is Verbal Ability. |
| Question types | Multiple choice (MCQ) · Type-in-the-answer (TITA, no negative marking) |
| Scoring | +3 for a correct answer, −1 for a wrong MCQ; TITA questions carry no negative marking. |
Full syllabus
Reading Comprehension
Highest emphasis
The largest part of VARC — usually 4 passages.
- Main idea, tone and purpose of a passage
- Inference and logical conclusions
- Detail and specific-information questions
- Vocabulary in context within passages
- Author's point of view and argument structure
Verbal Ability
Paragraph-based reasoning (often TITA).
- Para Jumbles (arrange sentences into a coherent paragraph)
- Para Summary (choose the best summary)
- Odd Sentence Out (remove the sentence that does not fit)
- Sentence completion / insertion
How to prepare
- Read widely every day — editorials, long-form essays, science and the arts — to build RC speed and stamina.
- For Para Jumbles and Odd-One-Out, track logical flow and connectors rather than guessing.
- Practise Para Summary by identifying the author's core point and dropping the examples.
- Use TITA questions strategically — they carry no negative marking, so attempt them even when unsure.
Study material & tests
📚 Topic study material
Worked notes & examples for each syllabus topic.
Coming soon🎯 Topic practice
CAT-style questions, by topic.
Coming soon📝 Full-length mock
Timed Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) simulation with analysis.
Coming soonExam-aligned practice and mocks for CAT are in development — this page is the syllabus and study roadmap.