Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)

CAT's first section. Reading comprehension carries most of the marks; para-jumbles and odd-sentence-out are TITA, so a wrong answer costs nothing. All passages here were written by us for practice.

VARC sectional (40 min) →Rules sheet

Topics

Tap a topic to practise it with instant solutions.

Reading Comprehension 16 Qs

400–550 word passages on economics, philosophy, science and literature, with 4 questions each.

CAT

Para-jumbles 6 Qs

Put 4 jumbled sentences in order. TITA: type the sequence.

CAT

Para-summary 5 Qs

Choose the option that best captures the paragraph's main point.

CAT

Odd sentence out 4 Qs

Find the sentence that doesn't belong. TITA: type its number.

CAT

Reading strategy

1. Read for the argument, not the facts

CAT passages are usually arguments: the author takes a position, considers objections and qualifies the claim. As you read, keep one line in your head: what is the author saying, and how sure are they? Details can be looked up again; the structure cannot.

2. Map each paragraph in a few words

After each paragraph, name its job: "problem", "example", "objection", "author's answer". Most questions ask about one of these jobs. A rough map saves you from rereading the whole passage.

3. Watch the signal words

However, yet, but mark a turn; therefore, thus mark a conclusion; admittedly, of course often mark a concession the author will then push back on. Questions on the author's view usually depend on what comes after the turn.

4. Eliminate, don't hunt

Wrong options tend to fall into a few types: too extreme ("always", "only"), out of scope (true in real life but not in the passage), half right (the first half fits, the second distorts), and reversed (cause and effect swapped). Strike out options until one survives.

5. Plan the 40 minutes

A reasonable plan is about 7–8 minutes per passage and 1–2 minutes per verbal ability question. Since TITA questions carry no negative marks, attempt every para-jumble and odd-sentence item you have time for. With MCQs, guess only if you can eliminate at least two options.

VARC rules sheet

5 topics · 19 rules and checks. Tap a topic to open or close it.

Reading Comprehension5

Main idea = the point every paragraph servesTest each option against the whole passage, not just one paragraph.
Answer from the text, not from outside knowledgeA true-in-real-life option is still wrong if the passage doesn't support it.
Inference = must be true, given the passage'Could be true' is not enough.
Beware extreme words: always, never, only, allThey're usually wrong unless the passage itself is that strong.
Weaken / strengthen → target the link from evidence to conclusion

Para-jumbles4

Opener = a sentence that needs no earlier contextSentences starting with this/these/it, yet or however rarely open.
Lock mandatory pairs firstA noun introduced, then 'these inventions' / 'that work' straight after.
Signposts: Yet · Instead · Meanwhile · In other words · TogetherThey tell you what must come just before.
Closer = conclusion, consequence or summary

Para-summary4

Summary = main point + its key qualification
Reject options that add new claims or opinions
Reject options that cover only one detail
Match scope: 'some' ≠ 'all', 'can' ≠ 'will'

Odd sentence out3

First find the theme shared by most sentences
The odd one often shares a keyword, not the topicE.g. a 'railway' sentence in a paragraph about street vendors.
Check that the other four form a flowCause → effect, general → specific, problem → response.

CAT marking & strategy3

MCQ: +3 correct, −1 wrong · TITA: +3 correct, 0 wrongPara-jumbles and odd-sentence-out are TITA, so it's worth attempting them.
Pick passages you can read comfortably firstThere's no need to attempt them in the order shown.
Read once, carefully; then go to the questionsRereading the whole passage costs more time than reading it well once.

Tip: bookmark this page and revise it for 5 minutes before each practice session.