ITM Business School MBA Admissions 2025
400+ Company Visits | Highest CTC Offered: 21 LPA | Average CTC Offered: 8.65 LPA | 100% Placement Assurance
CAT RC Tips: How to Prepare for CAT 2025 Reading Comprehension - Expert Strategies
Edited By Team Careers360 | Updated on Jul 18, 2025 12:59 PM IST | #CAT
Upcoming Event
CAT Application Date : 01 Aug' 2025 - 13 Sep' 2025
The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are expected to conduct the CAT 2025 exam in November, following the trend of previous years. One of the most important sections in the exam is VARC, where many students find the CAT Reading Comprehension part especially tricky. Although the passages may seem straightforward, solving them quickly and accurately takes both practice and a solid strategy. Preparing well for CAT 2025 means building reading speed, understanding tone, and mastering question types. Scroll down for expert guidance and don’t forget to check the One Year Study Plan for CAT to keep your preparation on track.
This Story also Contains
- CAT RC Tips 2025 for Reading Comprehension Section
- Sources of Reading Comprehension
- CAT RC Preparation Tips
- CAT Reading Comprehension Last Year Questions
- Strategy to Solve Reading Comprehension Questions Quickly
CAT RC Tips 2025 for Reading Comprehension Section
The below section will include tips on how to crack RC in the CAT 2025 exam. Candidates can apply these tips while preparing for their exams.
1. The 3 P’s of Acing CAT Reading Comprehension
While reading the CAT comprehension, remember the 3 P’s that go hand-in-hand: Prepare, Practice and Patience. These are the most important steps for any student to follow while practising RC passages for CAT.
Prepare: Preparing beforehand will immensely help the candidate ace the CAT exam reading comprehension. Solve mock tests, read books, study important material, make and refer to notes and keep only one goal in mind: you have to ace the CAT RC.
Practice: Practising will keep your mind in the flow. The more you practice, the easier the actual CAT reading comprehension will seem to you. CAT RC practice includes reading, writing and problem solving every day; you will be good to go.
Patience: Have patience while you read the CAT comprehension. Reading it in a hurry will actually waste your time instead of saving it because you won’t be able to register anything and will keep coming back to the comprehension to find answers.
Relevant Article- CAT Exam Preparation Tips for beginners
2. Get Into the Habit of Reading
Build a habit of reading everyday. Make sure to include light-reading in your schedule throughout the day, like reading the news or 10 pages of your favourite novel everyday. Try to work on your speed. CAT RC passage can be on a vast variety of topics so make sure not to read only the books of your interest. Go through CAT previous year RC passage as well.
3. Build a Unique Approach
Build your own approach to solving the CAT reading comprehension section. Apply this while solving mock tests of CAT 2025 so that when you finally sit for the CAT entrance exam, you know how to go about it. This has two benefits. Firstly, you will have clarity regarding what to do because your thoughts and approach to solving the CAT MBA exam will be organised. This will lead to the second benefit, which is speed. Knowing what to do will automatically improve your speed.
4. Refer to CAT RC Preparation Books
Make sure to refer to the relevant study material. Go through your CAT notes and refer to CAT comprehension passage preparation books. Some recommended books are:
‘How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT'- by Arun Sharma & Meenakshi Upadhyay
'Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT' - by Nishit K Sinha
5. Go Through the Questions and Find the Keywords First
Before you start reading the CAT comprehension passage, take a moment to glance through the questions first. Look for keywords in each one, this will give you a sense of what’s being asked in the CAT Reading Comprehension section. Make a mental note of these points before you begin reading. This technique often helps you spot answers quickly and saves time. Managing your time well is also key, so do check our guide on How to do Time Management for CAT? With the right balance of speed and accuracy, you’ll also be able to judge how many questions to attempt in CAT to get 99 percentile confidently.
6. Solving CAT Mock Tests
While preparing for CAT 2025, make sure to solve as many mock tests as you can. If you are reading and solving new CAT comprehension passages every day, you will get into the flow of it and solving the actual comprehension of your CAT entrance exam will feel like an everyday habit. You can also go through CAT tricks by 99 percentilers to ace the exam.
7. Time Yourself
While solving mock tests, writing, reading study material, and reading any books or other material make sure to time yourself. Set deadlines at which you should end a particular task. This will help immensely in increasing your speed.
8. Skimming
Before you start reading the CAT comprehension, make sure to skim through the CAT reading passage quickly. Highlight what you think is important. This will make you understand the essence of the passage and when you actually read it, you will get a better understanding of it.
Sources of Reading Comprehension
The list of sources of reading comprehension is as follows:
Newspapers: While reading the newspaper, focus on topics such as Social Science(History, Civics, Geography), Natural Science, Philosophy/Psychology, and Editorials. Read Speaking Tree from The Times of India Newspaper daily. You can read newspapers like The Hindu, The Economic Times, The Economist, etc.
Aeon Essays: It is one of the common sources of Reading Comprehension for CAT.
The Atlantic: It covers areas like politics, sports, news, health, technology, etc.
The New York Times: It is an American Newspaper in New York City. It is one of the expected sources for the Reading Comprehension for CAT. But you have to subscribe to a paid subscription as it is not available for free.
The Guardian: The Guardian is a free blog where you can read articles subject-wise. Focus on topics like social sciences, Technology, and Sports, which are common in CAT. It is one of the important sources of CAT RCs.
CAT 2025: VARC, DILR, and Quant MCQs & Weightages
Comprehensive CAT prep guide with focused practice on Verbal Ability, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude.
Download NowCAT RC Preparation Tips
To ace the CAT RC 2025 section, students are advised to follow the tips to tackle reading comprehension in CAT exam.
Develop a good reading habit.
Work on your vocabulary to improve.
Ask questions about the content you are reading.
Understand question types.
Comprehend the main idea of the passage.
Focus on the Accuracy.
Practice from the right resources.
The right option never comes from the passage use the elimination method to answer accurately.
Globsyn Business School PGDM Admissions 2025
Highest CTC: Rs 18.33 LPA | Average CTC: Rs 7.39 LPA | Experiential Learning | Classes by Industry Professionals | Alumni Mentorship Program
Indus Business Academy (IBA), Bangalore PGDM Admissions 2025
Triple Accreditation (NBA, IACBE & SAQS) | Dual Specialisation | Merit-Based Scholarships Available
CAT Reading Comprehension Last Year Questions
The candidates can refer to the reading comprehension questions asked in the CAT previous year examination.
Passage:
The history of many major technological or industrial advances is inexorably shadowed by its less predictable history of unintended consequences and secondary effects, which sometimes entail severe social consequences. Sometimes these consequences are innocuous, even beneficial. Gutenberg invents the printing press, and literacy rates rise, which causes a significant part of the reading public to request books for the first time, which creates a great demand for the microscopic typewriter.
Oftentimes, the secondary effects seem to belong to an entirely different sphere of society. When first industrialised — using coal, oil, or gas for factories that brought untold wealth — they did not foresee how great an ecological price the success of these processes would demand. The notion of environmental control, which began in the United States which came to include metropolitan areas like Phoenix and Las Vegas, was first explored when Carters first started thinking about the issues in the early 1990s.
Sometimes the unintended consequences come about when consumers use an invention in a surprising way. Edison famously thought his photograph, when he invented the phonograph, would help businessmen make records of their speeches. But it was quickly discovered that Edison’s original intention was subverted when he discovered a much larger audience willing to buy for musical recordings made on phonographs. The rest of the world appreciated this quite differently. By 1910, the need for jazz music was so huge that Edison thought phonograph records could revolutionize the entire recording business. Edison even thought he could change the world by transforming his business into a major public asset.
We now turn the cartography of modern history’s most momentous unintended consequences, as it is mainly technological advances. For instance, when automobiles were first being produced during the Industrial Revolution, at the outset of mechanical engineering’s first development, no one had even considered that motor vehicles would change human social behavior or, more likely, make way for great disasters like massive road accidents. Even today, the automobile, despite recent technological progress to reduce carbon footprints, still demands a better future to minimize casualties.
Through the exhaust systems of automobiles, emissions were released into the atmosphere, reducing the risk of global warming.
1. Question: We can assume that the author would support all of the following views EXCEPT:
Options:
The by-products of diesel fuel, within the fuel itself, were responsible for the build-up of atmospheric gases in the atmosphere.
It has become easier for people today to bring out innovations with wide worldwide consequences than it was earlier.
We have technologies in the past that have had innocuous or beneficial outcomes.
The emissions caused by the large-scale use of fossil fuel ought to have been addressed earlier than they were.
2. The author lists all of the following examples as "externalities" of major technical advances EXCEPT:
Options:
A) Extension of the phonograph to large-scale recording of music
B) Build-up of chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere
C) Application of the Jacquard loom to modern IT programming
D) Cooling and de-humidifying of factories through air-conditioning
3. Carrier, Babbage, and Edison are mentioned in the passage to illustrate the author's point that:
Options:
The secondary effect of past inventions mostly resulted in the creation of new inventions.
Despite the original intention, the unintended consequences of their inventions were largely beneficial.
These inventors could not have visualized the eventual impact of their inventions on society.
Inventions typically end up being used for entirely different purposes than the original intent.
4. Which of the following best conveys the main point of the first paragraph?
Options:
The entire impact of a technological advance should be evaluated by the boost its secondary effects give to generating further technological advances.
The full impact of technological advances cannot be estimated in the short run as the ripple effects often extend far beyond the original intent.
It is important to judge an invention not by its immediate outcomes, but by the holistic impact of its secondary effects.
The secondary effects of most major technological advances in the past, especially if they were unintended, have turned out to be beneficial.
Strategy to Solve Reading Comprehension Questions Quickly
Reading Comprehension questions can fetch you easy marks in CAT 2025 if you adhere to the right strategy. There are several ways in which you can approach a CAT RC questions. Here are some tips that you can adhere to:
Glance through the questions first so you know what to keep an eye out for.
Skim the passage for structure, not every detail. Look for introduction, transitions, and conclusion.
Highlight names, keywords, and shifts in opinion to find answers quickly later.
Stick to what the author says and don’t overinterpret tone or inference questions.
Watch out for extreme options because correct answers are usually balanced and supported by the passage.
Go back to just the right spot instead of rereading the whole thing for one detail.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the trick to reading comprehension?
The tricks for solving reading comprehension are as follows:
1) You should jot down the important points or underline the points while reading the passage.
2) Identify the central idea of the passage.
3) Use the elimination method to mark the correct answer.
4) You should focus on understanding the passage. Don’t panic by seeing lengthy passages.
2. How can I improve my reading comprehension fast?
Follow the below points to improve reading comprehension:
1) You should work on your vocabulary.
2) You should look for the main idea of the passage.
3) Write down a summary of what you read.
4) You should break the lengthy passage into smaller sections.
5) Eliminate distractions.
3. How to get 100 on reading comprehension?
1) Firstly, you should read the passage very carefully.
2) Jot down the important points or underline the keywords.
3) You should understand the central idea and supporting examples of the passage.
4) Read the questions before the passage reading.
5) You should answer the questions after reading the complete passage.
4. What is the most popular strategy for solving reading comprehension RC?
First, read the questions to know what to look for. Then, skim the passage and check back only when needed.
5. How to prepare for RC for CAT?
Read different types of passages every day. Build your vocabulary and practice under timed conditions to improve.
6. How should I prepare for CAT 2025?
Create a study plan that focuses on your weak areas. Practice mocks regularly and review your mistakes carefully.
7. What is the trick to reading comprehension?
Understand the main idea clearly and don't get stuck on details. You can also use the questions to guide your reading.
Articles
Certifications By Top Providers
Accounting with Tally ERP9
Via NIIT Digital Banking Business Model
Via State Bank of India Digital Skills Artificial Intelligence
Via Accenture Thinking Critically
Via Harappa Banking 101 A Guide for Beginners in the Banking Sector
Via EduBridge Business Analytics Foundations
Via PW Skills Explore Top Universities Across Globe
University of Essex, Colchester
Wivenhoe Park Colchester CO4 3SQOxford Brookes University, Oxford
Headington Campus Oxford OX3 0BP UKNorthumbria University, Newcastle City Campus
Sutherland Building, Northumberland Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 8STCardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff
Llandaff Campus, Western Avenue, Cardiff, CF5 2YBUniversity of Reading, Reading
Whiteknights PO Box 217 Reading Berkshire RG6 6AHBristol Baptist College, Bristol
The Promenade, Clifton Down, Bristol BS8 3NJSAT 2025 Exam: Dates, Registration, Fees, Syllabus, Eligibility
21 min ⋆ Jul 14, 2025 11:07 AM ISTACT Exam 2025: Dates, Registration, Fees, Eligibility, Syllabus, Sample Paper and Results
19 min ⋆ Jul 14, 2025 10:07 AM ISTIELTS 2025 Exam: Test Dates (July), Registration, Syllabus, Fees
21 min ⋆ Jul 03, 2025 06:07 AM ISTMinimum IELTS Score for Canada Student Visa, PR & PGWP in 2025
12 min ⋆ Jul 04, 2025 06:07 AM ISTBonafide Certificate 2025: Meaning, Application, Format & Sample
16 min ⋆ Jul 05, 2025 09:07 AM ISTSGPA Full Form: How to Calculate SGPA, CGPA & Percentage?
10 min ⋆ Jul 07, 2025 12:07 PM ISTPopular Courses and Specializations
List of colleges accepting CAT
Browse Bschool Colleges by State
Questions related to CAT
Have a question related to CAT ?
Hello Aspirant,
Yes, if your caste is listed under Central OBC and you come under the category of Non-Creamy Layer, then you shall be eligible for the OBC-NCL reservation in the CAT exam and IIM admissions, irrespective of its being categorized as OEC in Kerala. Remember to get a valid OBC-NCL certificate obtained as per the format prescribed by the Government of India.
gopi 30 July,2025
Hey Vijay:)
Thanks for reaching out!
OEC,(Other Eligible Communities) is a state-specific reservation category used in Kerala,and it is not recognised as a separate category in central-level exams like the CAT.
For Central govt exams candidates must choose from the recognised categories: General,SC,ST,OBC-NCL,EWS or PwD.If your community is listed under OEC-SC or OEC-ST in Kerala,you should check whether it falls under SC or ST in the central list and apply accordingly.
Similarly,If your OEC community is in the central OBC list and you meet the non-creamy layer(NCL)rules,you can apply as OBC-NCL, otherwise you need to apply under the general category.
You can verify caste's status in the central list on the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) website.
Hope this clears your doubt!
Taabia Fathima 30 July,2025
Hi dear candidate,
The score of your CAT exam is valid for one year from the date of exam.
For example: If your CAT exam was held on 24th November 2024 then your score is valid till 31st December 2025 meaning that you can take admission in the academic year 2025 - 27.
BEST REGARDS
Aryan 27 July,2025
With a Telangana EWS state rank of 2000 in NEET 2025, you have a decent chance of getting an MBBS seat under Category A (Convener quota) in government or semi-government medical colleges, especially during the later rounds of counselling. Your chances are higher in newer or peripheral colleges.
Abhilasha Agrawal 28 July,2025
CAT ( Common Addmission Test ) is for those students who want to study MBA or other post-graduation program in mangement field. Who have Bachelor's degree with minimum 50% recognised university can apply for CAT .final year graduation students are also eligible to apply for CAT exam .
Supriya 25 July,2025
Popular CAT Questions
Directions for question :
M/s Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, one of the top four audit and accounting firms in the world with headquarters at London, UK, and with an operational presence in 153 countries, hires Management Trainees (MT) from all the premier management institutes of India thrice every year, in the months of January, May and September.
Each new group of Management Trainees (MT) have to go through a four month rigorous training schedule, after which they have to pass through a test consisting of a written assessment and a case-analysis. The top hundred ranked Management Trainees (MT) based on the performance in the test are confirmed as Management Executives (ME). The rest are given the opportunity of undergoing the training for four months one more time along with the next batch of Management Trainees (MT) and then passing through the subsequent test consisting of the written assessment and case-analysis. The Management Trainee (MT) who fails to get confirmed as a Management Executive (ME) the second time is fired.
The scatter-graph below depicts the number of Management Trainees (MT) at Deloitte taking the tests from January 2020 till May 2022, and the vis-à-vis hired Management Trainees (MT) at Deloitte who were fired :
It is also known that for the month of September 2019 at Deloitte, 96 hired Management Trainees (MT) failed to be confirmed as a Management Executive (ME) the first time, and that 36 hired Management Trainees (MT) were fired.
Question :
In which test did the minimum number of Management Trainees (MT) get confirmed as a Management Executive (ME) in the second attempt ?
Option: 1
September 2020
Option: 2
May 2021
Option: 3
January 2021
Option: 4
January 2022
Directions for question:
The bar-graph given below shows the foreign exchange reserves of Nepal (in million Rupees) from 2014 to 2021. Answer the following questions based on the graph :
Question:
What was the percentage increase (rounded to the nearest integer, if deemed necessary) in the foreign exchange reserves in 2020 over 2016 ?
Option: 1 None
Option: 2 None
Option: 3 None
Option: 4 None
Explore Career Options (By Industry)
Marketing Director
A career as Marketing Director is also known as a marketing expert who is responsible for the overall marketing aspect of the company. He or she oversees plans and develops the company's budget. The marketing Director collaborates with the business team to plan and develop the marketing and branding strategies for the company's products or services.
4 Jobs Available
Business Development Executive
A Business Development Executive identifies and pursues new business opportunities to drive company growth. They generate leads, build client relationships, develop sales strategies, and analyse market trends. Collaborating with internal teams, they aim to meet sales targets. With experience, they can advance to managerial roles, playing a key role in expanding the company’s market presence and revenue.
3 Jobs Available
Content Marketing Specialist
Content Marketing Specialists are also known as Content Specialists. They are responsible for crafting content, editing and developing it to meet the requirements of digital marketing campaigns. To ensure that the material created is consistent with the overall aims of a digital marketing campaign, content marketing specialists work closely with SEO and digital marketing professionals.
3 Jobs Available
Sales Manager
A Sales Manager leads a sales team to meet targets, formulates strategies, analyses performance, and monitors market trends. They typically hold a degree in management or related fields, with an MBA offering added value. The role often demands over 40 hours a week. Strong leadership, planning, and analytical skills are essential for success in this career.
2 Jobs Available
Marketing Manager
A marketing manager is a person who oversees a company or product marketing. He or she can be in charge of multiple programmes or goods or can be in charge of one product. He or she is enthusiastic, organised, and very diligent in meeting financial constraints. He or she works with other team members to produce advertising campaigns and decides if a new product or service is marketable.
A Marketing manager plans and executes marketing initiatives to create demand for goods and services and increase consumer awareness of them. A marketing manager prevents unauthorised statements and informs the public that the business is doing everything to investigate and fix the line of products. Students can pursue an MBA in Marketing Management courses to become marketing managers.
2 Jobs Available
SEO Analyst
An SEO Analyst is a web professional who is proficient in the implementation of SEO strategies to target more keywords to improve the reach of the content on search engines. He or she provides support to acquire the goals and success of the client’s campaigns.
2 Jobs Available
Digital Marketing Executive
Digital marketing is growing, diverse, and is covering a wide variety of career paths. Each job function aids in the development of effective digital marketing strategies and techniques. The aims and objectives of the individuals who opt for a career as a digital marketing executive are similar to those of a marketing professional: to build brand awareness, promote company services or products, and increase conversions. Individuals who opt for a career as Digital Marketing Executives, unlike traditional marketing companies, communicate effectively through suitable technology platforms.
2 Jobs Available
Business Analyst
Individuals who opt for a career as a business analyst look at how a company operates. He or she conducts research and analyses data to improve his or her knowledge about the company. This is required so that an individual can suggest the company strategies for improving their operations and processes.
In a business analyst job role a lot of analysis is done, things are learned from past mistakes and the successful strategies are enhanced further. A business analyst goes through real-world data in order to provide the most feasible solutions to an organisation. Students can pursue Business Analytics to become Business Analysts.
2 Jobs Available
MBA/PGDM Admissions OPEN
XAT- Xavier Aptitude Test 2026
Apply75+ years of legacy | #1 Entrance Exam | Score accepted by 250+ BSchools | Apply now
Amity University Noida MBA Admissions 2025
ApplyAmongst top 3% universities globally (QS Rankings)
Graphic Era (Deemed to be University) Admissions 2025
ApplyNAAC A+ Grade | Among top 100 universities of India (NIRF 2024) | 40 crore+ scholarships distributed
UPES MBA Admissions 2025
ApplyRanked #41 amongst institutions in Management by NIRF | 100% Placement | Last Date to Apply: 30th July | Limited seats available in select program
Shoolini University Admissions 2025
ApplyNAAC A+ Grade | Ranked No.1 Private University in India (QS World University Rankings 2025)
Sharda University Admissions 2025
ApplyNorth India's Largest Educational Group | NIRF Ranked 86 | NAAC A+ Grade | Highest Package 1.6 Cr | Applications Closing on 31st July
News and Notifications
3 days ago :
July 30, 2025 - 12:05 PM IST
July 29, 2025 - 05:03 PM IST
July 27, 2025 - 04:37 PM IST
July 27, 2025 - 11:09 AM IST
July 27, 2025 - 10:31 AM IST
July 26, 2025 - 06:56 PM IST
July 25, 2025 - 05:55 PM IST
Stay up-to date with CAT News
Back to top