CAT 2026 VARC section is expected to have 24 questions — Reading Comprehension contributes 16 questions (around 67% weightage) while Verbal Ability accounts for the remaining 8 questions (around 33%).
The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section is often the deciding factor in CAT scores. Understanding the chapter-wise weightage helps you allocate preparation time effectively and target high-scoring topics first. Based on CAT 2021–2025 trends, RC consistently dominates the section while VA topics like para jumbles, para summary, and odd sentence out appear in a predictable pattern.
- Total VARC questions: 24 (based on CAT 2022–2025 pattern)
- RC questions: ~16 from 4 passages with 4 questions each
- VA questions: ~8 covering para jumbles, para summary, and odd sentence out
- VA questions are mostly TITA (no negative marking); RC questions are MCQs with +3/−1 marking
- Time allotted for VARC: 40 minutes
| Direct Link to CAT 2026 Official Website | iimcat.ac.in |
CAT 2026 VARC Section Overview
The VARC section tests reading speed, comprehension, and language reasoning. CAT 2026 is expected to follow the same pattern as recent years, with 24 questions in 40 minutes. The section is split into two broad areas: Reading Comprehension and Verbal Ability. RC passages are drawn from diverse topics — business, social sciences, philosophy, literature, and science — while VA tests reasoning through jumbled paragraphs and summary identification without relying on grammar rules.
| Component | Expected Questions | Weightage | Question Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension (RC) | 16 | ~67% | MCQ (−1 negative marking) |
| Verbal Ability (VA) | 8 | ~33% | TITA (no negative marking) |
| Total VARC | 24 | 100% | Mixed |
Reading Comprehension Weightage and Topics
Reading Comprehension is the single most important topic in CAT VARC, contributing 16 of the 24 questions. In CAT 2022–2025, RC had 4 passages with 4 questions each. Passages range from 400 to 600 words and test inference, main idea, vocabulary in context, author’s tone, and critical reasoning. Students who can process dense academic and analytical writing quickly have a strong advantage here.
RC topic areas based on CAT 2021–2025 trends are shown below:
| RC Topic Area | Frequency | Common Question Types |
|---|---|---|
| Business, Economics and Policy | High | Inference, Main Idea, Title |
| Social Sciences and Philosophy | High | Author’s Tone, Inference, Critical Reasoning |
| Science and Technology | Moderate | Factual, Vocabulary in Context |
| Literature and Arts | Moderate | Inference, Tone, Context-Based |
| History and Culture | Low to Moderate | Factual, Inference |
Each RC passage typically carries one main idea or title question, one or two inference-based questions, and one vocabulary or tone question. Accuracy matters more than speed in RC — one wrong MCQ costs you 4 marks (−1 instead of +3), so attempting only when confident is the right approach.
Verbal Ability Weightage and Topics
Verbal Ability contributes approximately 8 questions to the VARC section, almost entirely in TITA format with no negative marking. This makes VA a strategic attempt zone — you should attempt all VA questions since wrong answers carry no penalty. Grammar and vocabulary have largely disappeared from recent CAT exams; VA is now purely reasoning-based.
| VA Topic | Expected Questions | Format | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Para Jumbles (PJ) | 3–4 | TITA | Moderate to High |
| Para Summary | 2–3 | MCQ or TITA | Moderate |
| Odd Sentence Out (Sentence Elimination) | 2–3 | TITA | Moderate |
| Fill in the Blanks / Sentence Completion | 0–1 | MCQ | Low to Moderate |
Para Jumbles ask you to arrange 4–6 sentences into a coherent paragraph by typing the correct sequence. Odd Sentence Out asks you to identify the sentence that disrupts the logical flow of a passage. Para Summary presents a short paragraph and asks you to choose its best one-line summary. Practising these with a focus on logical connectors and thematic coherence — rather than grammar — is the most effective preparation approach.
Year-Wise VARC Question Distribution (2021–2025)
CAT 2026 VARC is expected to have 24 questions based on the stable pattern observed from 2022 to 2025. The section shifted from 26 to 24 questions in CAT 2022, with VA dropping from 10 to 8 questions. The RC count has remained at 16 throughout this period.
| Year | Total VARC Questions | RC Questions | VA Questions | RC Passages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAT 2021 | 26 | 16 | 10 | 4 |
| CAT 2022 | 24 | 16 | 8 | 4 |
| CAT 2023 | 24 | 16 | 8 | 4 |
| CAT 2024 | 24 | 16 | 8 | 4 |
| CAT 2025 | 24 | 16 | 8 | 4 |
| CAT 2026 (Expected) | 24 | 16 | 8 | 4 |
These figures are based on trends from CAT 2021–2025. The official CAT 2026 notification will confirm the final exam pattern. Students should monitor the official IIM CAT website for any updates.
Marking Scheme and VARC Scoring Strategy
CAT VARC uses a +3/−1 scheme for MCQs and +3/0 for TITA questions. This difference directly shapes how you should approach RC versus VA in the 40-minute window.
| Question Type | Correct Answer | Wrong Answer | Unattempted |
|---|---|---|---|
| RC MCQs | +3 | −1 | 0 |
| VA TITA (Para Jumbles, Odd Sentence Out) | +3 | 0 | 0 |
| VA MCQs (Para Summary, if MCQ format) | +3 | −1 | 0 |
A strong VARC strategy for CAT 2026: attempt all VA TITA questions first (no penalty risk), then prioritise the two easiest RC passages, and skip RC questions where you are less than 70% confident. A VARC scaled score of around 45 typically places you above the 85th percentile, while 50–54 marks is generally needed for the 90th percentile — based on CAT 2022–2025 score trends. These are expected figures based on recent patterns and may vary in CAT 2026.
CAT 2026 VARC Chapter-Wise Weightage FAQs
Ques. How many questions are there in the CAT 2026 VARC section?
Ans. Based on CAT 2022–2025 trends, CAT 2026 VARC is expected to have 24 questions — 16 from Reading Comprehension and 8 from Verbal Ability. The section has a time limit of 40 minutes.
Ques. Which topic has the highest weightage in CAT VARC?
Ans. Reading Comprehension has the highest weightage, contributing approximately 16 of the 24 VARC questions (around 67%). It consists of 4 passages with 4 questions each, covering topics like business, philosophy, social sciences, and science.
Ques. Are Para Jumbles in CAT TITA or MCQ format?
Ans. Para Jumbles in CAT are TITA (Type In The Answer) questions — you type the correct sentence order. There is no negative marking for TITA questions, so you should always attempt them regardless of confidence level.
Ques. What types of passages appear in CAT Reading Comprehension?
Ans. CAT RC passages cover topics such as business and economics, social sciences, philosophy, science and technology, literature, and history. Based on recent years, social science and business-policy passages appear most frequently.
Ques. How many Verbal Ability topics are tested in CAT?
Ans. CAT currently tests three main VA topics: Para Jumbles (3–4 questions), Para Summary (2–3 questions), and Odd Sentence Out (2–3 questions). Vocabulary and grammar-based questions have largely disappeared from recent CAT papers, making VA almost entirely reasoning-based.
Ques. What VARC score is needed for the 90th percentile in CAT?
Ans. Based on CAT 2022–2025 score trends, a VARC scaled score of approximately 50–54 is typically associated with the 90th percentile. A score of around 45 generally corresponds to the 85th percentile. These are expected figures based on recent patterns.
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