Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

Since I believe you must have ordered the books online till FLIPKART delivers it at your doorsteps continue reading this article to have an in depth knowledge of the examination.

Let us first talk about the format of the VARC CAT. Out of the total of 34 questions, in general,  the larger chunk of 24 questions goes to RCs ie. Reading comprehension, and the remaining 10 questions come from the Verbal Ability part. So, the first area to focus your efforts on is the RCs.

For the last few years, there have been 5 RC questions, each containing 4-5 questions. In order to save time, you need to build your comprehension and reading speed. It is advised that you take time out for reading every day.

You can read anything from novels, newspaper editorials, feature articles in magazines, etc., and on any topics like technology, business, history, arts, sports, and so on. Read a variety of subjects. And then try to explain what you read in your own words.

If you think VARC is a weak area for you, you need to know that it will not get better in a few weeks. You need to be consistent. Do not skip practice even for a day. Reading is a great habit in itself and has many benefits for the brain.

Reading is not only important for your CAT exam but also beneficial for many other avenues in life. You develop focus, and you know about so many new facts and information that may help you in the group discussions and interview rounds.

Coming to the VA or Verbal ability in CAT, it consists of chiefly paragraph summaries/ paragraph completion (3-4), paragraph jumbles (3-4), and odd sentences (3-4). It rarely happens that a CAT asks direct questions related to grammar or sentence corrections. Out of these 10 questions in VA, around 6-7 are TITA (Text Input Type Answer) type questions. There is no negative marking in TITA.

VA in CAT requires lots of practice as the accuracy becomes very low here. You can only increase accuracy through practice.

I also talk about the VARC strategy for CAT later in this article.

VARC Syllabus: Highlights

Note:This syllabus for VARC for CAT is based upon the previous year’s question papers of CAT:

The VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension) syllabus is consistent across various MBA entrance exams, yet the structure of the VARC section can differ. For instance, while CAT predominantly features English passages for reading comprehension and para jumbles, XAT incorporates a good number of fill-in-the-blanks and grammar questions. Here are some key highlights to guide your VARC syllabus preparation for MBA exams:

1. The VARC section holds substantial weight and is a crucial part of MBA entrance exams.
2. A well-planned, long-term approach to VARC syllabus preparation is vital, especially for candidates who aren’t proficient in English comprehension.
3. Possessing a strong command over English comprehension and vocabulary is essential to excelling in this section.
4. Candidates preparing for the CAT, XAT, or GMAT should start VARC preparation well in advance to cultivate the habit of reading and develop an interest.
5. VARC is often the initial section of MBA entrance exams due to the potential time consumption from dense and lengthy passages. Tackling Reading Comprehension questions at the beginning, when the mind is fresh, is recommended.
6. Success in the VARC section hinges on diligent practice and attention to detail. It’s crucial to practice a variety of Reading Comprehension passages, including poems, and be familiar with the diverse types of passages encountered in MBA entrance exams.
7. Fluency in spoken English is vital, but grammatical accuracy is equally important. A solid grasp of English grammar aids in comprehending complex questions.
8. VARC questions can become tricky if you lack knowledge of English grammar rules. Thus, focusing on English grammar during MBA entrance exam preparation is crucial, as it aids in solving Reading Comprehension and parajumbled questions.

By understanding these insights, you can approach your VARC preparation strategically, increasing your chances of success in the MBA entrance exam.

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension Syllabus for MBA Exams

VARC carries a significant weightage in the CAT exam.It evaluates a candidate’s verbal and comprehension skills, essential for managerial roles. Proficiency in VARC indicates strong communication and reasoning abilities. A good score in VARC can positively impact the overall percentile in CAT.

Types of VARC Questions

1. Reading Comprehension

1.1. Passage-based Questions: Multiple choice questions based on passages.

1.2. Vocabulary-based Questions: Antonyms, synonyms, and contextual word usage.

2. Verbal Ability

2.1. Grammar-based Questions: Error identification, sentence correction.

2.2. Para Jumble: Unscrambling sentences to form coherent paragraphs.

2.3. Summary Writing: Summarizing a given passage into a concise paragraph.

2.4. Critical Reasoning: Analyzing arguments, drawing logical conclusions.

Strategies to Enhance VARC Performance

Develop Reading Habits: Regular reading of newspapers, magazines, and quality literary works improves vocabulary and comprehension skills.

Practice Sample Papers: Solve previous CAT question papers and mocks to get acquainted with the exam pattern and question types.

Vocabulary Enhancement: Learn new words, their meanings, and usage. Utilize flashcards or join vocabulary classes if necessary.

Analyze Passage Structure: Understand the structure of passages, identify the main idea, and grasp the author’s tone and perspective.

Time Management: Allocate time for each question wisely and avoid spending excessive time on challenging questions.

Sample VARC Questions with Answers

Reading Comprehension:

Question: According to the passage, what factors contribute to climate change?

Answer: The passage mentions factors like deforestation, industrial emissions, and burning of fossil fuels as contributors to climate change.

Question: What is the author’s view on renewable energy sources?

Answer: The author believes that renewable energy sources provide a sustainable solution to reducing environmental damage caused by traditional energy sources.

Verbal Ability:

Question: Identify the error in the following sentence: “He gone to the market yesterday.”

Answer: The correct sentence is “He went to the market yesterday.” The error lies in the usage of the incorrect past participle form of the verb “go.”

Question: Rearrange the following sentences to form a coherent paragraph:

She opened the gift.

The bell rang.

The children eagerly gathered around.

Answer: The correct order of sentences is: 3. The children eagerly gathered around. 2. The bell rang. 1. She opened the gift.

How to become better at VARC for CAT?

1: Read, read, read

Your goal for VARC should be to read as much as your timetable allows. Target at least an hour of reading per day. You can read anything that interests you like Philosophy, politics, technology, history, current affairs, etc in a day.

It is also important that you analyze the text after reading it. Read it as many times as you want. Go for quality, not quantity. As you read it multiple times, you will find information that you did not pay attention to the first time. As you practice this, you will understand and comprehend more information in fewer attempts.

Once you read it, write it in your own words.

Write what do you think about the writing style

You can also critique the opinion. Write about what you like or don’t like about the writer’s opinion.

Even if you just write the piece in your words, it is quite enough. Just be consistent and do this every day. You will see the progress yourself and will find out how much your reading comprehension, as well as writing, has improved.

2: Improve your vocabulary

As you read, mark and write the words whose meaning you do not know. Write their meaning by looking at the dictionary. Make a list of this in a copy or somewhere so that you can come back to it and read it again. Unless you revise it, you won’t memorize it.

If you read on a laptop or mobile, it is more convenient to find the meaning by just clicking on the word. There are many browser extensions for that. Check it out and install one. You can check the meaning of any new word by just double-clicking on it.

In one month you will have hundreds of new words and by 4-5 months you will have a vast bank of novel words.

3: Baby-steps

Conquering CAT is a very big mission. What you should do ideally is to divide your plan into many many small steps. Small goals are easy to conquer, give you immense motivation and keep you highly inspired. Divide big topics and take one week for each whole topic. Divide each topic into levels and exercises for every day. For example, Reading Comprehension, Sentence Correction, Incomplete sentences, and Critical reasoning.

Prepare a timetable or a study plan for CAT. divide each subject into small parts that are to be accomplished in weeks and days. Take time for reading every single day. Either that or solve around 2-3 RCs every day. Keep analyzing your mock test performance and focus on areas that are weaker than others.

Some candidates prefer to keep a target of around 20-30 pages of any novel every day. In this way, you can finish a book in around 2 weeks. During the whole CAT preparation, this can mean about 12-15 books depending on your reading speed. The key here is not to go for more pages but to try to fully understand the limited pages you read.

4: Grammar is Maths

Grammar is like elementary maths. If you don’t think you are absolutely comfortable with English grammar, like most candidates, you can refer to a good grammar guide like the wren and martin. You will understand the minor nuances of the language. But by simply reading a Grammar book you won’t be able to crack any exams because the writer of the grammar has never written its book from any competitive point of view. Here, I would recommend the aspirants to purchase my book English Grammar available on Flipkart selling nation-wide https://shorturl.at/BDMP0 because this book has been written from a perspective to crack any state or national level examinations ; using which any aspirants can get clear conception of the fundamental aspects of English Grammar needed to attempt any questions of competitive nature.