The CAT VARC syllabus covers two major areas: Verbal Ability (VA) and Reading Comprehension (RC). The section evaluates a candidate's reading ability, understanding of written information, vocabulary, grammar, and verbal reasoning skills.
Knowing the syllabus beforehand helps candidates identify the topics they need to practise and organise their preparation accordingly.The CAT question paper also includes Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) and Quantitative Aptitude (QA).
Candidates can check the overall section-wise distribution before going through the detailed CAT VARC syllabus.
Before starting preparation, candidates should understand the basic structure of the CAT VARC section, including the number of questions, total marks, major areas, and difficulty level.
|
Particulars |
Details |
|
Exam Name |
Common Admission Test (CAT) |
|
Section |
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) |
|
No. of Questions |
24 |
|
Total Marks |
72 |
|
Major Areas |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension |
|
Overall Difficulty |
Moderate to Difficult |
|
Mode of Examination |
Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
The CAT VARC syllabus 2026 includes topics related to Reading Comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, and verbal reasoning. The complete topic list provided for the syllabus is given below:
|
Fill in the blanks |
Para completion and inference |
Verbal logic |
|
Verbal reasoning |
Subject-verb agreement |
Parajumbles |
|
Sentence completion |
Foreign language words used in English |
Different usage of same word |
|
Grammar |
Reading comprehension |
Idioms |
|
Syllogisms |
Analogies |
Antonyms |
|
Jumbled paragraphs |
Sentence correction |
One word substitution |
|
Parts of speech |
Preposition |
Types of clauses |
|
Phrases modifiers |
Errors in tenses |
Articles usage |
The VARC section consists of 24 questions carrying 72 marks in the given CAT exam structure. The provided topic-wise distribution is as follows:
|
VARC Topics |
No. of Questions |
Level of Difficulty |
|
Reading Comprehension |
16 |
Moderate to Difficult |
|
VA-Parajumbles |
3 |
Moderate to Difficult |
|
VA-Odd Sentence |
2 |
Easy to Moderate |
|
VA-Summary |
3 |
Easy to Moderate |
|
Overall |
24 |
Moderate to Difficult |
According to this distribution, Reading Comprehension accounts for the largest number of questions, while the remaining questions are from Verbal Ability.
Candidates can follow a structured approach to cover the CAT VARC syllabus:
Build a Reading Habit: Read editorials, essays, articles, and other passages regularly to improve reading comprehension.
Strengthen Grammar: Revise topics such as subject-verb agreement, tenses, articles, prepositions, parts of speech, and sentence correction.
Improve Vocabulary: Practise idioms, antonyms, analogies, one-word substitutions, and word usage.
Practise Verbal Ability: Solve parajumbles, sentence completion, para completion and inference, and other verbal reasoning questions.
Solve Practice Questions: Regular practice can help candidates identify weaker areas and improve accuracy.