The One CAT Section Most Aspirants Underestimate

Each year thousands of students, who aim for an MBA degree, plan meticulously to solve complex quantitative problems and learn logical puzzles in the CAT. While these all require attention, there is one area that many candidates will not know to pay attention to which can have a major impact on their overall percentile. This creates a preparation imbalance which is frequently not realised until test day.

The Common Admission Test is not meant to test in-depth knowledge of any one subject but many skills. If you do well in one subject and fail in the others, it decreases your chances of getting admission in the top management institutes. The most successful candidates realise that they need to have good improvement in each section rather than really good scores in any single section.

Most candidates underestimate the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section of the CAT exam, which is very surprising. Students may think that they don't need to prepare for reading: they feel it is something they do every day. But passages are complex, questions rely on inferences and critical reasoning, and require systematic practice and careful reasoning.

Many of the toppers later admit that it was this common mistake that they addressed early in their preparation journey that led them to success. Balanced preparation leads to confidence, greater accuracy and calms candidates in the examination.

Why VARC is Always Overlooked

There are multiple reasons for the aspirants to not pay attention to VARC in their preparation.

First, many engineering graduates are more at ease with a numerical question than one based on language. They spend many hours working on arithmetic, algebra, geometry and reasoning, delaying reading practice.

Second, students think that the only thing that counts in VARC is their vocabulary. Actually, CAT isn't about hard words but understanding, interpretation, logical reasoning and author's perspective.

Third, It takes time to improve reading skills. Progress in reading comprehension is a gradual process that takes time, as opposed to that of other subjects based on formulas, where improvement can seem rapid. This slow pace makes it hard for many aspirants to put in the effort.

Last but not least, mock test results sometimes foster false confidence. Reading habits must be an everyday routine for consistent performance in the well performed practice tests.

Read More - CAT Quant, VARC & DILR Preparation Strategy for 2026 Exam

The table below lists the common myths and realities of VARC.

Development of a successful VARC Plan

The key to successful preparation for CAT VARC is the establishment of good reading habits. Read editorials, opinion articles, business magazines, science features and essays related to a variety of topics. Dressing up your mind with various writing styles is the way to go for passages you've never encountered before.

Read and summarise the text in your own words. Recognise the main idea, details, inferences, and conclusions. This is a retention and analytical thinking exercise.

Use previous CAT passages for practice with timing. Not only do you need to choose the right answer, but you also need to know why the other answers are wrong. This practice will greatly decrease accidental errors.

It can also be helpful to keep an error book. Write down any wrong answer and explain why it is wrong. After a while, you'll start to notice repeating patterns and can target the weaknesses systematically.

Good study materials also mean the difference between a lot and nothing. Well-structured Practice Material by Oswaal Publications provides aspirants with well organised practice problems which gradually enhances understanding skills and helps them in getting a grip on the exam pattern.

Ensure that balance is achieved throughout all sections.

VARC is often overlooked but it's important to score well on all three sections of CAT.

Strategic set selection, careful observation and patience are required for logical reasoning questions, which is why long-term preparation for CAT DILR is crucial. Instead of trying to work on all of the puzzles, it is advisable for aspirants to learn to select the puzzles which are easy to solve and maximize the accuracy.

Likewise, CAT QA requires the conceptual clarity rather than speed. If you have memorized an easy way to solve a problem, but don't know what it means, then you may get confused by a new way of asking the question. A well-balanced schedule in which enough time is spent on quantitative aptitude, reasoning and verbal ability leads to significantly better results and no matter how much one focuses on a single section, the results will not be good.

Table below suggested Section Wise Plan of Preparation (Weekly)

Knowledge gained from Every Mock Test

Mock tests can only really be useful if they are analysed in detail after they have been taken. This is the reason that many aspirants will jump on to the next paper without understanding why they went wrong with their percentile. The advantage of this is that there is only limited improvement as the true learning takes place after the test.

As you analyse your work, categorise the mistakes into three types: conceptual errors, calculator errors and time errors. This is a common drill that shows you if you need to build your base stronger or make more accurate decisions when taking the exam.

Comparing questions that you attempted with questions that you missed is another good habit to get into. Leaving a tough question is sometimes the right thing to do and sometimes a manageable question may not have been asked due to excess hesitation.

One of the best CAT exam tips is to not aim for perfection. The CAT will award intelligence in the selection of questions not only in terms of accuracy, but also for the consistent manner in which the questions are approached. Knowing how and when to let go of a challenging question can make a huge difference in your overall grade.

What makes CAT Toppers?

The majority of successful candidates have a similar approach to preparation. Real CAT topper tips don't revolve around studying for very long periods. Instead, toppers give special attention to having a disciplined routine, practicing well, and continually self-evaluating.

They have a habit of reading every day while they are preparing, not only during the last few months. They take sectional tests frequently and devote about the same amount of time to reviewing their errors as to solving questions. They will also be able to tweak ideas time and time again rather than all the time getting new study material.

Another characteristic of toppers is flexibility. If they find one section of the mock tests to be weaker than the others, they change their study plan, rather than stick to the same plan. This flexibility is important for keeping the scores of different sections balanced, which is crucial for getting accepted into top business schools.

It also helps in consistency to differentiate toppers from toppers. They make sure there is some productive study even during busy days, avoiding long breaks which disrupt the learning momentum.

Here are some of the common mistakes that you should try to avoid:

Many candidates make unnecessary preparation errors, and as a consequence lower their scores.

Don't assume that you will get to know your material from your vocabulary when your vocabulary is adequate. Similarly, don't spend too much time on the easier topics and delay the harder ones. Tackling the difficult questions first can also waste precious minutes of the exam and lead to higher stress.

This is another error; using too many shortcuts. Short cuts save time but they are best used if backed by good conceptual knowledge. Lastly, do not constantly make comparisons with others when you prepare. Each and every aspirant advance in his/her own speed, and one's own progress is much more important than passing scores.

Conclusion

While it is a dream come true for every CAT aspirant to get a high percentile, it is not possible to achieve it by solving the hardest maths questions or the hardest reasoning sets. The exam requires intelligent preparation in all sections. Of these, VARC is the most neglected until it has a direct impact on their overall score.

With a well-rounded preparation strategy, diligent reading practice, frequent mock analysis and constant self-reflection, this neglected portion can become a big opportunity to score. This helps the aspirants optimise both sectional and overall performance by performing well in all the sections of the test even though they have to focus on DILR and QA. Keep in mind that the best CAT preparation is not to work harder than everyone else; it's to work smarter every day!