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CAT Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) Syllabus 2024 - The CAT 2024 exam consists of three subjects, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation (LRDI) and Quantitative Aptitude (QA). Candidates who are planning to appear in the CAT 2024 exam must be familiar with the fact that CAT conducting body will not provide any official CAT syllabus. So candidates must know the complete CAT 2024 VARC syllabus, preparation tips and best books to prepare for the CAT Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section.
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Careers360 brings to you details of CAT, exam dates, features of the VARC section, major topics along with an expected number of questions in this article of the CAT 2024 VARC Syllabus. Along with that, the major preparation tips to be followed to ace the VARC section, and the best books are also provided in this article.
Particulars | Details |
Sectional Time Duration for VARC |
|
Type of Questions | MCQs and TITA Questions (Both) |
Marking Scheme for MCQs |
|
Marking Scheme for TITA Questions | No negative marking |
Difficulty Level | Moderately to High |
The very first section that candidates see in the CAT 2024 exam is the VARC section out of the three. For the VARC section, candidates are expected to select passages carefully and answer accurately. The questions in the VARC section are divided into both MCQs and TITA Questions. As of now, every year 10 questions from Verbal Ability are asked and the remaining are from the reading comprehension part.
CAT Verbal Ability syllabus 2024 aims to test candidates on grammar and Verbal Reasoning, Error Correction, Facts, inference or judgment, comprehension, vocabulary, para summary and related topics.
Quick Link - How to tackle TITA questions in CAT
Particulars | Details |
Type of questions in Verbal Ability | Both MCQs and TITA (Non-MCQs) |
Type of questions in Reading comprehension | MCQs only |
Total MCQs in verbal ability | 10 |
Total questions in Reading comprehension | 24 |
Related CAT 2024 VARC Syllabus: Important Topics
As mentioned earlier, the official CAT 2024 VARC syllabus has not been released officially. On the basis of the previous year's question papers of CAT, sample papers and expert advice candidates can get to know what topics are to be asked from the CAT verbal ability and reading comprehension syllabus of CAT 2024. Every registered candidate wants to make it to IIMs but the question is How To Crack CAT? If we look closely, a few topics in the VARC section are very important and repeated every year in the question paper differently.
As per the exam pattern of CAT 2024, out of all questions in this section, some questions will be in a non-MCQ format which means candidates will have to answer the questions without any choices. Here are some major tips for CAT toppers that will help the candidates to score well in the CAT 2024 Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section:
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Book Title | Author/Publisher |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT | Nishit Sinha |
High School Grammar and Composition | Wren and Martin |
How to Prepare for Reading Comprehension and Verbal Ability for the CAT | Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay |
Also Read-
In order to be familiar with when and how to start preparation for CAT, it is important for candidates to be aware of the exam dates of CAT. Details of notification, start and end of registration and other events regarding CAT 2024 are mentioned in this section. CAT 2024 entrance exam is expected to be held on November 24, 2024.
To form a preparation plan for the CAT 2024 exam, candidates must be aware of the type of questions asked, total time duration, marking scheme and related information. Such details are provided under the exam pattern of CAT. Given below is the CAT 2024 exam pattern for the VARC section.
The complete VARC section was moderately difficult in CAT 2023. VARC section of CAT slot 1 exam consisted of questions from para jumbles with 2 questions, sentence filling, 2 odd one out and 2 summary questions. There were 4 reading comprehension with 16 questions and 8 questions from verbal ability section.
According to the CAT slot 1 analysis the distribution of the questions in the Verbal Ability area is as below –
Question Type | Number of Questions | Difficulty Level |
---|---|---|
Para Formation Questions (PFQs) | 2 | Moderate-Difficult |
Sentence Placement | 2 | Moderate |
Sentence Placement | 2 | Moderate |
Para Summary | 2 | Moderate |
Para Odd Man Out | 2 | Moderate |
CAT 2023 slot 2 analysis (VARC section)- The difficulty level of VARC section of CAT slot 2 exam was easy to moderate. As per the CAT 2023 slot 2 analysis, the VARC section had doable questions. There were 4 RC passages, 2 questions from para completion and 4 questions from para jumbles.
Passage Number | Passage – Topic/ Area | No. of Questions | Difficulty Level | Description/ Doable |
1 | Garments/ fashion Industry & Pollution | 4 | Easy to Moderate | 400-450 wordsS |
2 | Netflix Dubbing of titles for Europe- Good or Bad for Europe? | 4 | Easy to | 400-450 words |
3 | Liberalism is Dying | 4 | Moderate to Difficult | 400-450 words |
4 | Facts & Interpretation in History | 4 | Easy | 400-450 words |
Total | 16 | Moderate | Easier than CAT 2022 |
Question Type | Easy | Moderate | Difficult | Total |
Para Summary | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Odd Sentence | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Para Completion | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Para Jumbles | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Total | 2 | 5 | 1 | 8 |
CAT slot 3 analysis VARC section- The VARC section of CAT 2023 slot 3 was moderate to difficult. There were 4 RC and 4 questions. Questions came from para jumbles, summary and para completion.
Passage Number | Passage – Topic/ Area | No. of Questions | Difficulty Level | Description/ Doable |
1 | Romantic Aesthetics/ Philosophy | 4 | Difficult to comprehend/read | 400-450 words |
2 | Cultural Property Law → Exploration of Sites | 4 | Easy to Moderate | 400-450 words |
3 | Nutmeg Curse→ Environment Degradation | 4 | Moderate | 400-450 words |
4 | Rational Thinking | 4 | Moderate | 400-450 words |
Total | 16 | Moderate | Easier than CAT 2022 |
Question Type | Easy | Moderate | Difficult | Total |
Para Summary | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Odd Sentence | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Para Completion | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Para Jumbles | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Total | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 |
As per CAT Exam Analysis 2022 slot 1, the overall difficulty level of the VARC section is moderate. No questions are asked on Odd one out. The paper consists of 3 questions from Para Summary and Para Jumbles and 2 from Fill in the Blanks.
As per CAT Analysis 2022, the RC section had 4 difficult passages, especially one on Institutions. The verbal Ability section was based on Para Summary, Para Completion, and Para Jumbles.
As per CAT 2022 Analysis, the VARC is moderate. The RC passages are easy to read as the options are a little tricky. RC passages VARC topics for CAT are asked from the below topics:
Based on the initial reaction of test-takers, the CAT 2021 Slot 1 Exam Analysis of VARC is provided below.
Based on the initial reaction of test-takers, the CAT 2021 Slot 2 Exam Analysis of VARC is provided below.
Based on the initial reaction of test-takers, the CAT 2021 Slot 3 Exam Analysis of VARC is provided below.
The CAT 2024 VARC syllabus have both MCQs and TITA (Non-MCQs) where every year 10 questions are from Verbal Ability and the remaining are from the reading comprehension part. The topics have been discussed in the article.
The topics include:
The topics in Verbal Ability for CAT exam are:
The ways to prepare for Reading Comprehension and Verbal Ability:
The syllabus of CAT includes verbal ability & reading comprehension (VARC), data interpretation & logical reasoning (DILR), and quantitative aptitude (QA).
As per CAT 2024 VARC Syllabus, this section will have 24 questions.
The student cannot join the postgraduate MA program directly in the second year of the MA after completing the MBA.
Universities generally expect students to begin the first year of a masters' program even though they had qualifications at the level of a bachelor's degree. The university's curriculum along with the courses are planned to give an in-depth knowledge of the subjects.
But you could opt for:
Postgraduate Studies:
Research Career: In case research interests you, then you can pursue a Ph.D. in your specific interest.
Specialized Master's Programs: Find any specific master's course that supports the career goal.
Professional Certifications:
Make a professional certification in CFA, CA, or FRM to enhance the professional skills and better opportunities in the career field.
Job Entry via MBA
After gaining an MBA from a renowned institution, it's possible to get entry into the corporate world where the diversity in the career field is assured.
In the end, it would depend on what you would like and what you are particularly interested in. It will be better if you take a suggestion from your academic advisor or career counselor.
Hello Pratik,
If your family income exceeds 8 LPA, it will affect your eligibility for the NC-OBC category under the CAT reservation rules. The NC-OBC category requires that the family income should be below 8 LPA to qualify. If you anticipate that your income will exceed this threshold, you should update your status and notify the CAT authorities .
Here's what you can do:
Email the CAT authorities
: Inform them about the potential change in your income status and request to be considered under the
General
category, if applicable. You should do this before the examination or any further processing, as your eligibility for the OBC category depends on the income criteria.
Documents and Proof
: Make sure you have a valid
OBC certificate
and any relevant documentation regarding your family income, in case they require verification. Also, be aware that if your income exceeds 8 LPA, you might need to apply under the
General
category, as the OBC-NC reservation is no longer applicable.
General Category Consideration : If your application is accepted as General, you will be evaluated based on the General category criteria, including cutoffs and ranking.
To summarize, notifying the CAT authorities is the correct approach to avoid discrepancies later, and if your income is above the threshold, you will be treated as a General candidate for the admissions process.
For more details about CAT exam you can check out an article by Careers360 whose link is given below:
Link: https://bschool.careers360.com/exams/cat
I hope this answer helps you. If you have more queries then feel free to share your questions with us we will be happy to assist you.
Thank you and wishing you all the best for your bright future.
Hi Shreya ,
Having a tattoo on your wrist should not create a problem during the CAT exam as long as it does not contain any content that violates exam rules , such as communication-related symbols , unauthorised messages or any text resembling formulas or answers .
For a safe side , it is recommended :
1. Inform the Invigilators : Let them know about your tattoo during the identification check , so there are no misunderstandings .
2. Follow the Guidelines : Ensure you follow all instructions regarding permissible items and dress code on the exam day .
Hope this helps you .
ALL THE BEST .
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Hello,
Yes, you can also join IIMs two years after graduation, depending upon the justification in interviews and your performance in entrance exams. If you are not sure about CAT, try those other management exams less hard:
Common Management Admission Test: Easier than CAT; 4-5 months of continuous preparation will suffice.
MAT : Much easier and takes place thrice a year.
SNAP (Symbiosis National Aptitude Test): A bit easier than CAT, apt for Symbiosis Institutes.
Xavier Aptitude Test or XAT : Hence, easier than CAT but the unique decision-making section.
Use exams like CMAT and MAT as a challenge to be competitively prepared. This can be given about 4-5 months, along with a few rounds of mock tests and smart studying.
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.
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A BDE often collaborates with cross-functional teams, including marketing and product development, to align business objectives. Strong communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills are essential for success in this role. BDE strives to expand the company's customer base, drive sales, and contribute to overall organisational growth in a dynamic and competitive business environment.
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