How to Increase Score in VARC CAT 2026: Improve Accuracy, Reading Speed and Para-Summary Skills

Reading faster does not always mean scoring higher in CAT VARC. You might understand a passage but choose an unsupported inference, confuse the author’s tone or lose marks through uncertain MCQ attempts.

Learning how to increase score in VARC CAT requires more than improving reading speed. You need strong comprehension, effective option elimination, verbal reasoning and consistent accuracy under time pressure.

For CAT 2026, the recent CAT 2025 pattern offers a useful preparation benchmark: 24 VARC questions in 40 minutes, including 16 Reading Comprehension (RC) and eight Verbal Ability (VA) questions. The exact 2026 distribution should be confirmed through official examination instructions.

How to Increase Your VARC Score in CAT 2026

A practical improvement process is:

Understand the passage → Identify the question demand → Eliminate unsupported options → Select confidently → Analyse mistakes → Practise under timed conditions.

Instead of focusing only on attempting more questions, concentrate on converting more attempts into correct answers.

Under the recent CAT marking scheme, incorrect MCQs carry negative marks. Therefore, accuracy and question selection directly affect your net score.

Understanding the CAT VARC Section

The CAT 2025 VARC section included the following question types:

The section had 40 minutes, including 20 MCQs and four TITA questions.

Use this as a recent-paper reference, not a guaranteed CAT 2026 blueprint. Candidates should monitor the official CAT website for examination updates.

Why Is Your CAT VARC Score Not Improving?

Before changing your study routine, identify the underlying problem.

Your preparation should address the specific weakness rather than treating every low score as a reading-speed problem.

How to Improve Reading Comprehension for CAT VARC

CAT Reading Comprehension tests your understanding of arguments, not your ability to memorise sentences.

While reading, identify:

• The central argument
• The purpose of each paragraph
• The author’s position
• Important contrasts and qualifications
• Evidence supporting the main claim

Read for Structure, Not Individual Details

Consider a passage organised as follows:

Paragraph 1: Introduces a theory

Paragraph 2: Questions its limitations

Paragraph 3: Presents an alternative

Paragraph 4: Explains the implications

Recognising this structure helps you answer main-idea and inference questions without repeatedly searching through the entire passage.

How to Identify the Main Idea

The main idea is what the author says about a topic, not merely the topic itself.

A passage may discuss artificial intelligence but argue specifically that existing methods of evaluating AI bias overlook important social assumptions.

Choose an answer that captures the argument without becoming too narrow or exaggerated.

How to Improve Accuracy in CAT VARC

Accuracy improves when every selected answer has support from the passage.

For each RC question, ask:

Does the passage support this option, or does it merely sound reasonable?

Use Option Elimination

Common incorrect-option patterns include:

• Too extreme: Uses words such as “always” or “never” without sufficient support.
• Outside the passage: Introduces information the author does not establish.
• Partly correct: Begins accurately but adds an unsupported conclusion.
• Reversed logic: Confuses cause and effect or misrepresents the author’s position.
• Too narrow: Covers one example instead of the central argument.
• Too broad: Makes a claim larger than the evidence supports.

For inference questions, prefer the option requiring the fewest unsupported assumptions.

How to Identify the Author’s Tone in CAT RC

Tone describes the author’s attitude towards the subject.

Common possibilities include analytical, critical, sceptical, cautious, approving and concerned.

To identify tone accurately:

1. Examine the passage’s overall language.
2. Distinguish the author’s opinion from views attributed to others.
3. Notice qualifying words such as “however” and “although.”
4. Avoid choosing a stronger emotional tone than the passage supports.

A mildly critical passage should not automatically be described as hostile.

How to Improve Reading Speed Without Losing Comprehension

Effective reading speed matters more than raw words per minute.

Try these methods:

• Read phrases and ideas rather than focusing excessively on individual words.
• Avoid rereading paragraphs automatically.
• Build familiarity with unfamiliar subjects such as economics, philosophy, science and sociology.
• Practise understanding paragraph roles while reading.
• Measure both time taken and answer accuracy.

If faster reading reduces comprehension, adjust your pace.

The objective is to understand the passage efficiently enough to answer questions correctly.

How to Solve Para-Summary Questions in CAT

Para-summary questions test whether you can preserve a paragraph’s central meaning.

Use three steps.

Identify the Core Claim

Determine what the paragraph is fundamentally arguing. Separate the main point from examples.

Preserve Important Qualifications

Words such as “although,” “however,” “despite” and “while” can change the meaning substantially.

Eliminate Distorted Summaries

Reject options that introduce new claims, exaggerate conclusions, focus only on examples or reverse the argument.

A good summary is not simply shorter. It preserves the paragraph’s essential logic.

How to Improve Para-Jumbles and Odd-Sentence Questions

Para-Jumbles

Look for:

• An independent opening sentence
• Mandatory sentence pairs
• Pronoun references
• Chronological relationships
• Logical connectors
• A coherent concluding sentence

Read the completed sequence to check whether the argument develops naturally.

Odd Sentence Out

First identify the sentences that form a coherent paragraph.

Then look for the sentence that cannot be integrated logically into the central argument.

Do not select a sentence merely because its vocabulary looks different.

Paragraph Completion

Focus on subject continuity, pronouns, chronology, tone and logical progression.

A grammatically correct sentence may still be an unsuitable completion.

How Many VARC Questions Should You Attempt in CAT?

There is no universal ideal attempt count.

The appropriate number depends on section difficulty, your accuracy and the time required for each question.

Consider this simplified example using only MCQs:

Candidate B scores higher despite making fewer attempts.

The lesson is to improve the quality of attempts before increasing their number.

How Can You Score 40+ Marks in CAT VARC?

A 40+ score requires strong net performance, not a fixed attempt count.

Under the recent +3/−1 MCQ marking scheme, 14 correct and two incorrect answers would produce:

(14 × 3) − 2 = 40 marks

Other combinations are possible, including TITA questions.

Likewise, no particular VARC score guarantees 99 percentile in CAT 2026. Percentile depends on difficulty, normalization and candidate performance.

Use challenging score targets for preparation without treating them as guaranteed outcomes.

How to Analyse a CAT VARC Mock

After every mock, classify incorrect answers.

Maintain an error log and revisit recurring problems.

Avoid recording every error as a “silly mistake.” Specific diagnosis produces more useful improvement.

How to Improve VARC Score in CAT in One Month

Avoid repeatedly changing strategies during the final weeks.

Focus on consistency, accuracy and effective time management.

Can You Improve CAT VARC Without Coaching?

Yes. Structured self-study can support VARC improvement.

A practical routine may include regular reading, previous CAT questions, timed sectional tests and detailed analysis.

For a student with approximately 60–90 minutes available, a sample session could include:

• 20 minutes of active reading
• 30 minutes of RC practice
• 15 minutes of VA questions
• 15 minutes of error analysis

Adjust the routine according to your current performance rather than following it rigidly.

CAT VARC Preparation for Students in Greater Noida and Delhi NCR

Students in Greater Noida, Noida and Delhi NCR follow the same national CAT examination framework as candidates elsewhere in India.

At IIMT Group of Colleges, Greater Noida, we encourage prospective students to combine entrance-exam preparation with thoughtful academic and career planning.

Students exploring postgraduate education can review our programmes and courses and learn about the IIMT admission process.

Those interested in management education can also explore the MBA programme at IIMT College of Engineering.

Before applying, candidates should confirm current programme eligibility, accepted entrance examinations and the applicable admission route. CAT performance alone does not guarantee admission.

Conclusion

Learning how to increase score in VARC CAT begins with improving comprehension and decision-making, not simply reading faster.

Understand the author’s argument, identify the exact question demand, eliminate unsupported options and maintain accuracy.

For Verbal Ability, practise paragraph logic, summaries and sentence relationships.

Most importantly, analyse every mock to understand why you lost marks.

A reliable VARC strategy is built through comprehension, accuracy, controlled attempts and consistent practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Is reading newspapers enough for CAT VARC?

No. Regular reading helps develop comprehension, but CAT preparation also requires exam-style RC questions, verbal reasoning and timed practice.

Q. Should I read RC questions before the passage?

There is no universal rule. Test both approaches and choose the one that gives you better comprehension, accuracy and time efficiency.

Q. Should I attempt every TITA question in VARC?

Not automatically. Recent CAT papers have not applied negative marking to incorrect TITA responses, but difficult questions can still consume valuable time.

Q. Can I improve VARC accuracy without increasing reading speed?

Yes. Better comprehension, option elimination and question selection can improve net scores even without a major increase in reading speed.

Q. How should I handle unfamiliar RC topics?

Focus on the passage’s argument and structure rather than relying on prior subject knowledge. CAT questions should be answered using the supplied text.

Q. Is accuracy more important than attempts in CAT VARC?

Both matter. However, increasing attempts without sufficient accuracy can reduce your score because incorrect MCQs carry negative marks.