CAT VARC for Beginners: What to Study First, How to Improve RC

The CAT Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section consists of 24 questions. This makes it the largest section in the exam.

However, the distribution of questions is far from equal. Recent trends show that Reading Comprehension (RC) alone contributes around 16 questions, accounting for nearly 67-68% of the VARC section.

In comparison, Para Jumbles and Summary questions contribute approximately 12-13% each, while Odd One Out questions make up around 7-8% of the section.

This data suggests that beginners should not divide their preparation equally across all topics. Instead, they should focus first on areas that contribute the most questions and then move to lower-weightage topics.

Read ahead to know which topics beginners should start with in CAT 2026 VARC preparation.

30-Day CAT 2026 VARC Preparation Plan for Beginners

Here is the 30-day CAT 2026 VARC preparation plan for beginners:

How does the 30-Day Progression work in CAT 2026 preparation?

• The first 10 days give maximum time to Reading Comprehension. This accounts for approximately 16 of the 24 VARC questions (67–68%).
• Days 11–14 introduce Para Jumbles, followed by Summary questions on Days 15–20. Odd One Out is reserved for Days 21–23, when the learner has already developed sentence flow and paragraph structure skills.
• The final week shifts from topic learning to CAT VARC practice, with sectional tests, error analysis and timed 24-question sets.

Track These 4 Numbers Every Day

You can maintain a simple tracker for effective CAT preparation.

This makes the CAT 30-day plan more useful. A student who moves from 60% to 75% accuracy while maintaining the same time is showing clearer progress.

CAT VARC: Start with Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension should be the first priority for every CAT aspirant. Out of 24 VARC questions, approximately 16 come from Reading Comprehension.

This means that nearly two-thirds of the section depends on RC performance.

Why Should Beginners Start with RC?

What Makes RC So Important?

• Highest question contribution in VARC.
• Direct impact on overall VARC score.
• A strong RC foundation can help improve reading speed and comprehension accuracy.
• Missing RC preparation means leaving a major portion of the section uncovered.

CAT Beginner Strategy for RC

Since RC accounts for the largest share of questions, beginners should spend the majority of their VARC preparation time on it.

• Focus on understanding the central idea of a passage.
• Learn to identify the author’s viewpoint.
• Practice locating supporting arguments quickly.
• Develop the habit of reading longer passages consistently.

Move to Para Jumbles Next in CAT VARC Preparation

Once RC preparation is underway, the next area should be Para Jumbles.

Although the number of questions is significantly lower than RC, Para Jumbles remain an important scoring area. Here is the expected contribution in the section.

Why Prioritise Para Jumbles in CAT VARC?

• Contributes multiple questions every year.
• Tests logical flow and paragraph structure.
• Does not require external knowledge.

Skills to Build in CAT Para Jumbles

• Identifying opening sentences.
• Finding logical sentence connections.
• Understanding paragraph flow.
• Recognising transition words and references.

Focus on Summary Questions After Para Jumbles

Summary questions carry a weightage similar to Para Jumbles. Together, Summary and Para Jumble questions can contribute around 6-8 questions in the VARC section.

Here is the expected contribution in the section.

Why Are Summary Questions Important?

• Require understanding of the passage’s main idea.
• Test the ability to distinguish core arguments from supporting details.
• Often reward strong reading comprehension skills.

CAT VARC Preparation Focus

• Identify the primary message of a passage.
• Eliminate options containing extreme statements.
• Focus on the central argument rather than examples.

Cover Odd One Out Questions Last

Odd One Out questions generally contribute the fewest questions in the section. Here is the expected contribution in the section.

Why Can Beginners Keep This CAT VARC Topic for Later?

The key areas of CAT VARC Practice are sentence sequencing, paragraph coherence, theme identification, and logical flow analysis. They can cover these topics later because:

• Lower question contribution compared to RC and other VA topics.
• Relies heavily on understanding paragraph structure.
• Becomes easier after practising Para Jumbles.

Recommended VARC Preparation Order for CAT 2026

Based on the question distribution, beginners can refer to the following sequence. This order ensures that preparation time is aligned with the expected weightage of each CAT VARC topic.

CAT 2026 VARC Weightage Snapshot

The numbers clearly show that Reading Comprehension dominates the VARC section.

Candidates who build strong RC skills early in their preparation can potentially cover a large portion of the section while also improving their performance in Summary and other verbal ability questions.

Conclusion

For CAT 2026 beginners, Reading Comprehension should be the starting point because it contributes nearly 68% of the VARC section.

After RC, aspirants should focus on Para Jumbles and Summary questions, followed by Odd One Out. This approach aligns preparation time with the actual question distribution seen in recent CAT exams.

If you are looking for structured VARC preparation, MBA KARO CAT Online Coaching 2026 offers recorded classes, recorded lectures, sectional tests, mock exams, practice material, and doubt-solving support to help students prepare effectively for CAT 2026.