The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section of the CAT plays a crucial role in achieving a 99 percentile, often determining an aspirant’s overall success. However, it is also the most unpredictable section, with close answer choices that can confuse even the best performers. Many students find VARC particularly challenging due to a lack of regular reading habits, making comprehension and accuracy difficult. In this blog, we will break down trends from previous CAT papers, explore the most common RC topics, analyze the number and difficulty of VA questions, and share effective strategies to help you master this section.
VARC 5-Year Trend Analysis
Before diving into the details, let’s first examine how the VARC section’s pattern has evolved. The analysis focuses on the past five years, as significant changes in the exam structure and pattern have occurred since 2019.
| Year | Number of Questions | Difficulty Level | Marking Scheme | Change in the exam pattern |
| 2020 | RC(4RCs): 18VA: 8 | Difficult | +3 for a correct answer-1 for an incorrect answer | New 2-hour exam pattern introduced |
| 2021 | RC(4RCs): 18VA: 8 | Moderate to Difficult | +3 for a correct answer-1 for an incorrect answer | Reduction in the overall number of questions |
| 2022 | RC(4RCs): 16VA: 8 | Moderate | +3 for a correct answer-1 for an incorrect answer | Fewer TITA Questions, Sentence Insertion Introduced, No Odd One Out |
| 2023 | RC(4RCs): 16VA: 8 | Moderate to Difficult | +3 for a correct answer-1 for an incorrect answer | Odd One Out reintroduced |
| 2024 | RC(4RCs): 16VA: 8 | Moderate to Difficult | +3 for a correct answer-1 for an incorrect answer | Parajumble Absent |
Although there were no major structural changes, the RCs evolved significantly. The answer options became more closely worded, fonts were larger, and passages featured more complex comprehension and diverse genres. As a result, students faced considerable difficulty in recent years. Therefore, here’s another breakdown based on reading comprehensions (RCs):Â
CAT Reading Comprehension 5-Year Trend Analysis
| Year | RC Genres | RC-based Question Types | Difficulty Level |
| 2020 | Science, Art & Culture, History, Psychology, Technology and Politics | Fact-based, Analytical, Inference-based | Moderate to Difficult |
| 2021 | Technology, Environment, Literature, Social Sciences | Critical Reasoning, Inference | Moderate to Difficult |
| 2022 | Management, Technology, Environment, Humanities | Fact-based, Inference-heavy | Moderate |
| 2023 | Economics, Literature, Philosophy, Current Affairs | Complex Reasoning, Inference-based | Moderate to Difficult |
| 2024 | Abstract, Social Issues, Science & Technology, History | Mixed – Analytical & Conceptual | Moderate to Difficult |
Over the years, the genres of RC passages in the CAT have changed significantly, with topics ranging from economics, philosophy, and social issues to more abstract and emerging subjects like technology and current affairs. While the difficulty level has generally leaned towards moderate to difficult, recent years have seen an increase in the complexity of passages, requiring a deeper understanding and stronger reasoning abilities. The types of RC questions have evolved as well, with a mix of analytical, conceptual, and inference-based questions becoming more common. This shift means that CAT aspirants are now required to go beyond basic comprehension, using critical thinking to answer questions accurately.
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CAT Verbal Ability 5-Year Analysis
| Year | Total VA Questions | VA Questions Type | Difficulty |
| 2020 | 8 | Para Jumble: 2Para Summary: 3Odd One Out: 3 | Easy-Moderate |
| 2021 | 8 | Para Jumble:2Para Summary:3Odd One Out:3 | Easy-Moderate |
| 2022 | 8 | Para Jumble:2Para Summary:2Odd One Out:2Sentence Insertion:2 | Moderate |
| 2023 | 8 | Para Jumble:2Para Summary:2Odd One Out:2Sentence Insertion:2 | Moderate to Difficult |
| 2024 | 8 | Para Summary:3Odd One Out:2Sentence Insertion:3 | DIfficult |
The Verbal Ability section has consistently had 8 questions, focusing mainly on Para Jumbles, Para Summary, and Odd Sentence Out. While the difficulty is generally moderate, exam pressure can make the questions feel harder. In 2024, Para Jumbles were missing, and Odd Sentence Out questions returned in 2023 after being absent in 2022. Unlike previous years, the VA questions now appear first and are mixed in between the RC passages, which can affect how you tackle them during the exam. The questions may seem tougher in the actual test due to time constraints, so managing speed and accuracy is the key to success.
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