CAT VARC has 24 questions to be solved in 40 minutes, while NMAT Language Skills has 36 questions to be attempted in just 28 minutes.
CAT VARC is heavily focused on Reading Comprehension, with around 16 RC questions making up nearly 67-68% of the section.
NMAT Language Skills has a wider mix of RC, para forming, error identification, sentence completion, prepositions, and verbal analogy.
This makes the two sections different in terms of question volume, time pressure, syllabus, and preparation requirements.
CAT VARC demands strong reading and comprehension skills, while NMAT Language Skills puts greater pressure on speed across grammar, vocabulary, RC, and other short verbal questions.
So, which is tougher: CAT VARC or NMAT Language Skills? The answer depends on the type of questions you find difficult and how well you manage time.
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CAT VARC vs NMAT Language Skills: Quick Comparison
Check the quick comparison of CAT VARC vs NMAT Language Skills shared below:
| Particular | CAT VARC | NMAT Language Skills |
| Questions | 24 | 36 |
| Time | 40 minutes | 28 minutes |
| Average time per question | About 1.67 minutes | Less than 1 minute |
| Score range | – | 12-120 |
| Negative marking | – | No |
| Main focus | RC and Verbal Ability | RC, Grammar, Vocabulary and Verbal Ability |
| RC | Around 16 questions | Around 2-3 passages |
| Para-based questions | Para Jumbles | Para Forming/Para Jumbles |
| Grammar | Limited direct focus in the given pattern | Strong focus |
| Vocabulary | Less direct focus in the given pattern | Strong focus |
| Other areas | Summary, Odd One Out | Error Identification, Prepositions, Sentence Completion, Analogy |
CAT VARC vs NMAT Language Skills: Number of Questions
The first major difference is the number of questions. CAT VARC has 24 questions, whereas NMAT Language Skills has 36 questions.
However, CAT gives 40 minutes for those 24 questions, while NMAT provides only 28 minutes for 36 questions.
This creates a major difference in the way candidates need to approach the sections.
CAT VARC
CAT VARC has the following aspects:
- 24 questions
- 40 minutes
- Around 16 RC questions
- 3-4 Para Jumbles
- 3-4 Summary questions
- 2-3 Odd One Out questions
Reading Comprehension accounts for approximately 67–68% of the section.
NMAT Language Skills
NMAT Language Skills has the following aspects:
- 36 questions
- 28 minutes
- Around 2-3 RC passages
- 4-6 Para Jumbles
- 6-8 Error Identification questions
- 6-8 Fill in the Blanks questions
- 3-5 Preposition questions
- 5-6 Verbal Analogy questions
Therefore, CAT has fewer questions but gives more time per question. NMAT has more questions and much tighter time pressure.
CAT VARC vs NMAT Language Skills: Which Has More RC?
CAT VARC has a much higher dependence on Reading Comprehension.
Around 16 of the 24 CAT VARC questions can come from RC. That is nearly two-thirds of the section. This makes RC the starting point for CAT VARC preparation.
| Section | RC Contribution |
| CAT VARC | Around 16 questions / 67-68% |
| NMAT Language Skills | Around 2–3 passages |
For NMAT, RC is important too, but it is only one part of a much wider section. Candidates also need to prepare grammar, vocabulary, para jumbles, error identification, prepositions, sentence completion, and verbal analogy.
CAT RC Preparation
CAT RC preparation should focus on:
- Central idea
- Author’s viewpoint
- Supporting arguments
- Inference
- Tone
- Purpose
- Elimination techniques
NMAT RC Preparation
NMAT RC passages are generally around 300-400 words, with around 2-3 passages expected. Questions can test the following areas:
- Facts
- Main idea
- Tone
- Arguments
- Inferences
- Conclusions
- Reasoning-based understanding
Around 12-15 minutes can be allocated to RC in NMAT. Spending more than 15 minutes can leave less time for the remaining questions.
CAT VARC vs NMAT Language Skills: Which Has a Wider Syllabus?
NMAT Language Skills has a wider range of question types. CAT VARC mainly revolves around RC and Verbal Ability topics such as Para Jumbles, Summary, and Odd One Out.
NMAT Language Skills covers:
- Reading Comprehension
- Para Forming
- Error Identification
- Sentence Completion
- Fill in the Blanks
- Prepositions
- Verbal Analogy
- Grammar
- Vocabulary
This means CAT preparation can be more concentrated, while NMAT preparation requires candidates to cover several smaller areas.
CAT VARC vs NMAT Language Skills: Grammar
Grammar has a much more visible role in NMAT Language Skills. Around 6-8 questions can come from Error Identification.
Another 6-8 questions can come from Fill in the Blanks, where grammar and vocabulary can both be tested. Important grammar areas include:
- Subject-verb agreement
- Adjectives
- Adverbs
- Pronouns
- Tenses
- Parallelism
- Prepositions
For CAT VARC, the question distribution shared here does not give grammar a separate weightage.
The major focus remains on RC, Para Jumbles, Summary, and Odd One Out. This gives NMAT an advantage for candidates who are comfortable with grammar rules and quick sentence-based questions.
CAT VARC vs NMAT Language Skills: Vocabulary
Vocabulary is also more directly tested in NMAT Language Skills. It can be useful for:
- Fill in the Blanks
- Verbal Analogy
- Reading Comprehension
Candidates can prepare for areas such as:
- Synonyms
- Antonyms
- Idioms and phrases
- Vocabulary-based questions
However, vocabulary alone cannot be relied upon because the words appearing in the exam can be unpredictable.
CAT VARC, based on the given question distribution, does not have a separate vocabulary-focused category.
CAT VARC vs NMAT Language Skills: Para Jumbles
Both exams include paragraph-based sequencing questions.
CAT Para Jumbles
CAT has around 3-4 Para Jumble questions, contributing approximately 12-13% of VARC. Preparation should focus on:
- Identifying opening sentences
- Finding sentence connections
- Logical flow
- Transition words
- References between sentences
NMAT Para Jumbles
NMAT can have around 4-6 Para Jumble questions, also referred to as Para Forming. The basic task is to arrange four or five sentences in the correct order.
So, NMAT can have more questions from this area, while CAT gives the topic a smaller share of its overall VARC section.
CAT VARC vs NMAT Language Skills: Time Pressure
This is where NMAT Language Skills can feel tougher.
- CAT gives: 24 questions ÷ 40 minutes = about 1 minute 40 seconds per question.
- NMAT gives: 36 questions ÷ 28 minutes = about 47 seconds per question.
So, NMAT gives less than one minute per question on average.
The actual time cannot be divided equally because RC takes longer than short grammar or vocabulary questions.
In NMAT, around 12-15 minutes can be used for RC, leaving roughly 13-16 minutes for the other question types. This means you need to move quickly between different types of questions.
CAT VARC vs NMAT Language Skills: Which Is Tougher?
CAT VARC can be tougher if:
- RC is your weak area.
- You struggle with long passages.
- You find inference questions difficult.
- You have difficulty identifying the author’s viewpoint.
- You struggle with elimination.
- You are not comfortable with Summary and Para Jumble questions.
With around 67-68% of the section coming from RC, weak reading comprehension can affect a large part of your CAT VARC performance.
NMAT Language Skills can be tougher if:
- You take too long on individual questions.
- Grammar is a weak area.
- Your vocabulary needs improvement.
- You are not comfortable with prepositions.
- You struggle with Fill in the Blanks.
- You find verbal analogy questions difficult.
- You cannot switch quickly between different question types.
How to Prepare for CAT VARC?
CAT VARC preparation should follow the weightage of the section. A useful priority order is:
| Priority | Topic |
| 1 | Reading Comprehension |
| 2 | Para Jumbles |
| 3 | Summary |
| 4 | Odd One Out |
Start with RC because around 16 of 24 questions can come from this area. After building RC skills, move to Para Jumbles and Summary.
Odd One Out can be covered later because it contributes only around 2-3 questions.
During practice, track four numbers:
- Questions attempted
- Accuracy
- Time taken
- Mistakes
For example, moving from 60% to 75% accuracy while maintaining the same time shows measurable improvement.
How to Prepare for NMAT Language Skills
NMAT preparation needs a wider approach because the section includes several question types.
Give priority to Grammar
Grammar can be a quick-scoring area because the rules are limited compared with vocabulary. Focus on the following areas:
- Error spotting
- Subject-verb agreement
- Tenses
- Pronouns
- Adjectives
- Adverbs
- Parallelism
- Prepositions
- Practise RC Regularly
Use passages of around 300-400 words and practise questions based on facts, main ideas, tone, arguments, inferences, conclusions, and reasoning.
Build Vocabulary
Prepare synonyms, antonyms, idioms and phrases, and other vocabulary-based questions.
Practise NMAT-Specific Areas
Give special attention to the following areas:
- Prepositions
- Error Identification
- Fill in the Blanks
- Para Jumbles
- Verbal Analogy
The combination-based preposition questions also require familiarity with common word-preposition combinations.
CAT VARC vs NMAT Language Skills: Which One Should You Find Easier?
If you are stronger at reading and comprehension, CAT VARC may feel more manageable because a large part of the section is concentrated around RC.
If you are stronger at grammar, vocabulary, and quick verbal questions, NMAT Language Skills may suit you better.
However, NMAT has significantly greater time pressure. You have 36 questions in 28 minutes, compared with 24 questions in 40 minutes in CAT VARC.
So, the difficulty comes from different sources:
- CAT VARC = heavier RC focus + comprehension and reasoning
- NMAT Language Skills = wider syllabus + much higher speed requirement
Prepare for Both CAT VARC and NMAT Language Skills
Students preparing for both exams should not treat the two sections as identical. For CAT, give more preparation time to RC, followed by Para Jumbles, Summary, and Odd One Out.
For NMAT, combine RC preparation with grammar, vocabulary, Error Identification, Fill in the Blanks, Prepositions, Para Jumbles, and Verbal Analogy.
Conclusion
In terms of numbers, the comparison is clear: CAT VARC has 24 questions in 40 minutes, with around 16 questions coming from RC, while NMAT Language Skills has 36 questions in 28 minutes, with around 2-3 RC passages and multiple grammar- and vocabulary-based question types.
Therefore, CAT VARC is more RC-heavy, while NMAT Language Skills is more speed-heavy and broad-based. For students looking for structured preparation, MBA Karo Online Coaching provides both CAT- and NMAT-focused learning and practice.
FAQs
Q. Is CAT VARC tougher than NMAT Language Skills?
A. CAT VARC can be tougher for students weak in RC, while NMAT can be tougher because of its 28-minute limit for 36 questions.
Q. How many questions are there in CAT VARC?
A. CAT VARC has 24 questions to be solved in 40 minutes.
Q. How many questions are there in NMAT Language Skills?
A. NMAT Language Skills has 36 questions to be solved in 28 minutes.
Q. Which exam has more RC questions?
A. CAT VARC has a much higher RC share, with around 16 of its 24 questions coming from RC.
Q. Does NMAT Language Skills include grammar?
A. Yes. Error Identification, Fill in the Blanks, Prepositions, and other questions can test grammar.
Q. Which section has more time pressure?
A. NMAT Language Skills has more time pressure, with 36 questions in 28 minutes, giving less than one minute per question on average.
