CAT 2024 VARC Topics: The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a highly competitive examination, and excelling in the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section can significantly boost your overall score. The VARC section comprises 24 questions, making it a crucial part of the exam. Of these, 18-20 questions are multiple-choice questions (MCQs), while 4-6 are of the Type-In-The-Answer (TITA) format, making preparation for each question type essential for success.
In CAT 2024, the VARC section carries immense weight, with Reading Comprehension (RC) alone accounting for 16 questions.The remaining 8 questions focus on verbal ability topics such as para-jumbles, para-summary, and odd-sentence-out. With the CAT 2024 exam set for November 24, 2024, candidates need to prioritise the high-scoring topics to maximise their chances of success in the verbal section.
High-Scoring Topics in CAT VARC Section
Reading Comprehension (RC): With 16 out of the 24 questions dedicated to Reading Comprehension, this section is the most significant in the VARC portion. The RC passages cover a range of topics, from current events and social issues to science and philosophy. Understanding how to break down complex passages, analyse arguments, and draw inferences is key to acing this section. Focus on improving your reading speed while maintaining comprehension accuracy, as time management is critical in this high-weightage topic.
• Expected Number of Questions: 16
• Difficulty Level: Moderately Difficult
Para-Jumbles: Para-jumbles are an important part of the verbal ability section and are often tricky due to their moderate difficulty level. These questions test your ability to arrange a set of jumbled sentences into a coherent paragraph. To excel, practise identifying logical sequences and understanding the relationships between sentences.
• Expected Number of Questions: 2-4
• Difficulty Level: Moderate
Para-Summary: In para-summary questions, you are required to summarise a passage into one sentence, capturing its essence accurately. These questions test your comprehension and ability to distil information effectively. Practising various types of passages will help improve your skills in summarising key ideas.
• Expected Number of Questions: 2-3
• Difficulty Level: Moderate
Odd Sentence Out: Odd-sentence-out questions present a set of sentences where one does not fit logically with the others. Identifying the odd sentence requires an understanding of the theme and flow of the paragraph. Regular practice is essential, as this question type can be time-consuming.
• Expected Number of Questions: 1-2
• Difficulty Level: Moderate
Sentence Completion and Correction: These questions assess your grammar and vocabulary skills. In sentence completion, you must choose the correct word or phrase to complete a sentence meaningfully. Sentence correction involves identifying grammatical errors. These questions are relatively straightforward compared to other parts of the VARC section.
• Expected Number of Questions: 2-3
• Difficulty Level: Moderately Easy
Vocabulary-Based Questions: Although less frequent, vocabulary-based questions like word usage, synonyms, and antonyms still appear in the VARC section. These questions are easier to tackle if you have a strong vocabulary, which can be built through regular reading and practice.
• Expected Number of Questions: 1-2
• Difficulty Level: Easy
Fill in the Blanks: Similar to vocabulary-based questions, fill-in-the-blank questions test your ability to complete a sentence with an appropriate word or phrase. These questions require a good understanding of context and are generally easy to solve.
• Expected Number of Questions: 1-2
• Difficulty Level: Easy
CAT 2024 VARC Important Topics and Difficulty Levels
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CAT 2024 Exam Pattern
The CAT 2024 will follow a structured pattern that is divided into three sections:
• Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
• Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
• Quantitative Ability (QA)
The total duration of the exam will be 120 minutes, with 40 minutes allocated to each section. Candidates cannot switch between sections during the exam.
The 66 questions will be divided across the three sections, and candidates are expected to attempt them within the given time limit. The exam will feature multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and Type-In-The-Answer (TITA) questions. While MCQs follow negative marking, TITA questions do not have any negative marks.
Marking Scheme
The CAT 2024 follows a specific marking scheme, which is crucial for candidates to understand:
+3 marks for every correct answer.
-1 mark for each incorrect answer (only applicable for MCQs).
No negative marking for TITA questions.
