CAT or Common Admission Test is the most popular MBA entrance exam in India. This exam is conducted annually to more than 2 lakh students. CAT has three parts, one of which is VARC — Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension. This section is often difficult for many students as it requires reading, comprehension, and clear thinking in the English language. 

The bright side is that there is one area on which you can make a lot of progress quickly: VARC. In this blog, we will share 7 powerful hacks that will help you to score well in the VARC section of the CAT 2026. We will also inform you about the best varc book for cat, the right cat preparation books 2026 and how to use cat mock test papers and cat previous years question papers the smart way.

Read More - CAT QA Syllabus and Important Topics: Your Complete Cheat Sheet

A Quick Look at All 7 Hacks

First, let's take a quick look at all seven hacks before we go into detail on each one.

Hack 1 – Read Every Single Day

This is the simplest hack, but also the most effective. Daily reading boosts your reading speed, enhances your comprehension of intricate concepts, and expands your vocabulary — all in one. Read newspapers such as The Hindu or The Indian Express in the morning. Read articles on history, science, economics and culture. These are the kinds of subjects that can be found in CAT RC passages. 

Begin at 20 minutes per day of reading and gradually build up to 45 minutes. A good varc book for cat with practice passages will also give you an idea of the language style that will be used in the actual test.

Hack 2 – Master Reading Comprehension Passages

The VARC section is largest in size and consists mainly of Reading Comprehension (RC). In CAT, you'll receive about 24 questions from RC passages. Therefore, if you become proficient at RC, your score will increase by a lot. The key is NOT to read the passage word by word. Rather, read for the general purpose. What does the author want to tell you? What is the tone (positive, negative or neutral)? 

Practise with cat exam preparation books that have a wide variety of RC topics. When reading a text, make a summary in your own words in two or three sentences. This is a habit that creates a lot of understanding and makes the answering of inference-based questions much easier.

Hack 3 – Build Your Vocabulary the Smart Way

Vocabulary plays an important role in the Verbal Ability section of VARC. For sentence completion, odd one out and critical reasoning, a good command of words is necessary for all questions. However, memorizing hundreds of words is not effective. You need a system. 

Read and memorize 10 new words a day. Record them in a small notebook, with the meaning and an example sentence. Weekly review of old words. Word Power Made Easy is one of the best cat books for vocabulary development, in an easy and fun way. If you come across a new word, look it up and add it to the list.

Hack 4 – Solve CAT Mock Test Papers Regularly

This is one hack that most toppers agree on. Regularly sitting Cat mock test papers is the best preparation for the real exam. Mock tests help your brain to deal with time, pressure and quick decision making. Once you master the basics, try to complete one full mock test per week. 

Don't simply hand in the test and look at the mark. It's the analysis you do after the test that is the real benefit. Know why you missed each question. Did you not understand the passage? Or, did you run out of time? Data about yourself provided in each mock test for improvement.

Hack 5 – Analyse Your Mistakes Carefully

Most pupils complete practice tests but do not review their mistakes. That is a very bad idea. If you get something wrong, then you must have a gap in your knowledge. If you don't correct it, then you'll be repeating the same error for every test and also on the actual exam. 

Keep an error log. For each question you answer incorrectly, record the question, why you answered it incorrectly, and what the correct method would be. Review this log once a week. As you continue to play, you'll notice trends in your mistakes and can focus on correcting them. This one habit can help you get much more accurate.

Hack 6 – Learn the Para-Jumbles and Para-Summary Strategy

In almost each CAT exam, there are Para-Jumbles and Para-Summary questions. Para-jumbles are a set of sentences that are all scrambled and you must unscramble them to put them in order. In para-summary, you will be provided with a paragraph and asked to write the best one-line summary. 

In para-jumbles, always start by reading the first sentence. Usually presents a new idea without a pronoun such as 'he', 'she', or 'they'. Next, locate the sentence that makes sense after the first sentence. Read for main point (para-summary), not for supporting details. In good cat preparation books 2026 there will be specific chapters for each of these types of questions which will provide step-by-step strategies.

Hack 7 – Revise Using CAT Previous Years Question Papers

One of the most underused tools are the previous years' question papers of the CAT. These papers give you the exact format of RC passages, para-jumbles and verbal questions which have appeared over the years. The pattern of the exam is much better understood when studied carefully than any coaching material can teach it. 

Solve past 5 years papers under timed condition. After each paper, analyse your performance section by section. Practice reading passages of the most common types: abstract, literary, social science, and business topics. Understanding these patterns will help you greatly on exam day.

Best Books for CAT VARC Preparation

It is very important to select the proper books. The following is a list of the most recommended resources for VARC preparation.

6-Month Study Plan for VARC

This is a simple month-wise strategy for you to follow while you're on track for CAT 2026.

Tips to Stay Consistent

It is better to study a little each day than for hours and hours for a couple of days and then forgo it. Spend 1-2 hours per day studying VARC. Don't attempt to do it all at once. When you are just getting started, concentrate on one hack per week. Participate in an online CAT group or study with a friend to help keep you motivated. Reward small successes — if your RC accuracy went up this week then you made a step forward. 

Apply the appropriate verbal ability strategy: read actively, practice regularly and be honest with yourself. The three-step loop is the gap between high scorers and average scorers.

Conclusion

VARC is a section where students who read extensively, play smart and learn from their mistakes get rewarded. These 7 hacks in this blog post include all the important aspects of VARC preparation: Daily Reading, RC mastery, vocabulary building, mock tests, error analysis, para-jumble strategy, and previous paper revision. 

Read the appropriate cat preparation books 2026, collect a reliable varc book for cat, practice a lot of cat mock test papers and always revisit cat previous year's question papers. Be consistent, stick to your plan and CAT 2026 VARC section won't be a difficult one. You've got everything you need — so get started today.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1. How many questions are there in VARC in CAT 2026?

The CAT exam consists of 24 questions in VARC. Of these, about 16-18 are Reading Comprehension questions and the remaining questions are Verbal Ability questions such as para-jumble, para-summary.

Q2. How many mock tests should I take before CAT 2026?

At least 20 to 30 full-length cat mock test papers should be done prior to the exam. Begin taking one mock test a week and then ramp up to two a week in the final two months.

Q3. Is vocabulary very important for CAT VARC?

Yes, the ability to read faster, understand passages better, and correctly answer word-based questions is helped by a good vocabulary. Add 10 new words each day as part of your daily routine.

Q4. Can I improve my VARC score without coaching?

Absolutely. Most of the CAT toppers have self-prepared by reading good books on CAT exam preparation, reading regularly and practicing mock tests with discipline. Self-study is very suitable for VARC, as long as it is done consistently.