VARC stands for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension. It is a section of the Common Admission Test (CAT) that measures a candidate's ability to read and understand complex text, as well as their ability to reason critically and solve verbal problems. The VARC section of the CAT is scored on a scale of 0 to 100. A good score in the VARC section is essential for a high overall score on the CAT. The VARC section of the CAT is a challenging section, but it is one that can be mastered with regular practice and effort.
The VARC section of the CAT consists of three types of questions:
- Paragraph comprehension: These questions test a candidate's ability to read and understand a passage of text. These passages typically cover a variety of topics, and they can be quite lengthy. Candidates are asked to answer questions about the main idea of the passage, the supporting details, and the author's tone.
- Synonyms and antonyms: These questions test a candidate's ability to understand the meaning of words and their opposites. These questions typically present a word, and candidates are asked to choose the synonym or antonym that has the same or opposite meaning as the word.
- Verbal reasoning: These questions test a candidate's ability to reason critically and solve verbal problems. These questions typically present a scenario or problem, and candidates are asked to choose the answer that best solves the problem or reaches a logical conclusion.
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Verbal And Reading Comprehension Section: Highlights
The table below shows an overview of the VARC section:
Section | Detail |
Total Questions for VARC | 24 |
Multiple-choice Questions | 21 |
Type in the Answer (TITA) questions | 3 |
Division of questions | 16 questions of RC- 4 passages having 4 questions each |
Total Time for Section | 40 minutes |
Main Topics | Parajumbles, summary, facts, inferences, reading comprehension, etc. |
Marking Scheme | +3 for a right answer |
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Syllabus of Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension for MBA Exams
The topics that are included in the VARC syllabus for MBA exams are given in the table below:
Fill in the blanks | Para completion and inference | Verbal logic |
Verbal reasoning | Contextual usage | Different usage of the same word |
Sentence completion | Foreign language words used in English | Idioms |
Subject-verb agreement | Clauses | Articles |
Tenses | Reading comprehension | Para jumbles |
Noun/pronoun | Conjunctions and Prepositions | Phrases Modifiers |
Syllogisms | Analogies | Antonyms |
Jumbled paragraphs | Sentence correction | One word substitution |
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Best Books For VARC Preparation
Some of the best books for VARC preparation are as follows:
- Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis: This book is a classic vocabulary builder that can help you improve your vocabulary for VARC.
- The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension by Arun Sharma: This book is a comprehensive guide to VARC that covers all of the topics that are likely to be tested on the CAT.
- How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT by Meenakshi Upadhyay: This book is a detailed guide to VARC that includes practice questions and answer explanations.
- Verbal Ability for CAT by Disha Experts: This book is a comprehensive guide to VARC that covers all of the topics that are likely to be tested on the CAT.
- Verbal Ability: A New Approach by Sarvesh K. Verma: This book is a unique approach to VARC that focuses on understanding the meaning of words and how they are used in context.
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VARC Weightage in Top MBA Exams
Top MBA exams and the weightage of their Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension section are given in the table below:
MBA Entrance Exam | Number of VARC Questions | Total Marks |
CAT | 24 | 72 |
XAT | 26 | 26 |
IIFT | 35 | 105 |
CMAT | 25 | 100 |
MAT | 40 | 40 |
SNAP | 34 | 51 |
ATMA | 60 | 60 |
MAH-CET | 50 | 50 |
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Verbal And Reading Comprehension Section: Preparation Tips
Some tips for improving VARC skills are as follows:
- Read widely: The best way to improve your reading comprehension is to read as much as you can. Read newspapers, magazines, books, and articles on a variety of topics.
- Pay attention to detail: When you are reading, pay attention to the details of the text. This includes the main idea, the supporting details, and the author's tone.
- Practice answering VARC questions: There are many practice questions available online and in books. Practicing answering VARC questions will help you to improve your speed and accuracy.
- Take a CAT mock test: Taking a CAT mock test will give you a good idea of your strengths and weaknesses in the VARC section. This will help you to focus your studies on the areas where you need the most improvement.
- Build your vocabulary: One of the best ways to improve your VARC skills is to build your vocabulary. This means learning the meaning of new words and being able to use them correctly in your writing. There are many ways to build your vocabulary, such as reading widely, taking vocabulary quizzes, and using flashcards.
- Practice answering VARC questions: There are many practice questions available online and in books. Practicing answering VARC questions will help you to improve your speed and accuracy.
