CAT 2026 VARC: Reading Comprehension vs Verbal Ability Weightage

In CAT 2026, the VARC section carries 24 questions worth 72 marks, with Reading Comprehension (RC) accounting for approximately 16 questions (~67% weightage) and Verbal Ability (VA) covering the remaining 8 questions (~33%).

Understanding how marks are distributed across RC and VA is essential for planning your CAT 2026 strategy. RC questions are MCQ type and carry negative marking (-1 per wrong answer), while most VA questions — especially para jumbles and odd-sentence-out — are TITA type with no penalty. This difference changes how you should attempt each sub-section on exam day.

• Total VARC questions: 24 (72 marks at +3 each)
• Reading Comprehension: ~16 questions across 4 passages (48 marks, ~67% weightage)
• Verbal Ability: ~8 questions — para jumbles, para summary, odd one out (24 marks, ~33% weightage)
• RC questions are MCQ with -1 negative marking; most VA questions are TITA with no negative marking
• A VARC score of 40+ out of 72 typically corresponds to 90th percentile based on past CAT trends

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CAT 2026 VARC Section Overview

The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section is one of three sections in CAT 2026, alongside Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) and Quantitative Ability (QA). VARC carries 24 questions and 72 marks, making up approximately 36% of the total CAT score (198 marks). Each correct answer gives +3 marks. Wrong MCQ answers carry -1; TITA questions have zero penalty.

The section runs for a fixed 40-minute window. Based on CAT 2021–2024 patterns, the structure has been consistent: 4 RC passages with 4 questions each (16 MCQs) and 8 standalone Verbal Ability questions (mix of TITA and MCQ). This pattern is expected to continue in CAT 2026.

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Reading Comprehension: Weightage and Question Types

RC accounts for approximately 16 out of 24 VARC questions — roughly 67% of the section’s total marks. This makes RC the single highest-weightage topic in all of CAT 2026. Each passage runs 400–700 words and tests your ability to infer meaning, identify tone, summarise arguments, and spot logical gaps.

Common RC question types in CAT:

• Main idea or central theme — what the passage is primarily arguing or explaining
• Inference-based — what the author implies but does not state directly
• Author’s tone and attitude — critical, optimistic, sceptical, or neutral
• Best title or summary — choosing the most accurate and complete headline for the passage
• Vocabulary in context — the specific meaning of a word or phrase as used in the passage

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Verbal Ability: Weightage and Question Types

VA accounts for approximately 8 out of 24 VARC questions — roughly 33% of the section’s total marks. Crucially, most VA questions are TITA type, meaning wrong answers carry no penalty. This makes VA a high-reward, low-risk opportunity for well-prepared students.

VA question types expected in CAT 2026 (based on 2021–2024 trends):

• Para Jumbles (PJ) — arrange 4–5 sentences in the correct logical order; answered as TITA with no penalty for wrong sequences
• Para Summary — choose the best one-line summary for a short paragraph; these are MCQ and carry -1 for wrong answers
• Odd Sentence Out (OSO) — identify the one sentence that does not belong in a coherent paragraph; TITA type with no penalty

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CAT 2026 VARC Marks Distribution Table

The table below shows the expected marks split across RC and VA sub-types in CAT 2026, based on patterns from CAT 2021 to 2024. The overall 16-question RC and 8-question VA split has remained unchanged across four consecutive CAT cycles.

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Scoring Strategy for Reading Comprehension

RC carries 48 marks and has negative marking — your RC accuracy is the single biggest driver of your VARC percentile. A target of 10–12 correct RC answers (out of 16) is typically sufficient for 85–90 percentile in VARC based on past cutoffs.

Note: The score targets above are indicative and based on CAT 2021–2024 trends. Actual cutoffs may vary depending on the difficulty level of CAT 2026.

Key RC strategies for CAT 2026:

• Read the passage fully before attempting questions — CAT RC tests deep comprehension, not skimming; jumping to questions first causes you to re-read repeatedly and wastes time
• Rank passages by difficulty in the first 3 minutes — attempt the two most accessible passages first to lock in marks before tackling harder ones
• Skip uncertain inference questions — a wrong guess costs you 1 mark and reduces your net score; if you are not confident, skip and move on
• Eliminate options with extreme language — CAT RC traps use words like "always", "never", "only", "completely"; eliminate these first
• Time yourself strictly — aim for 7–8 minutes per passage including questions; do not spend more than 10 minutes on any single passage

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Scoring Strategy for Verbal Ability

VA offers 24 marks and most questions carry zero negative marking — attempt every TITA question even when uncertain, as wrong answers cost you nothing. Scoring 15–18 out of 24 in VA meaningfully lifts your VARC total.

• Always attempt para jumbles and odd-sentence-out — these are TITA with no penalty; a wrong sequence costs zero marks, while a correct one gives you +3
• Para Jumbles approach — identify mandatory pairs first (a pronoun that clearly follows a noun from another sentence); pin down the opening and closing sentences, then fill the middle
• Para Summary approach — the correct summary must be broad enough to capture the full paragraph but must not introduce new ideas or go beyond what the text says; eliminate options that are too narrow or add information
• Odd Sentence Out approach — the odd sentence typically shifts topic, tense, or perspective abruptly; read all sentences and identify which one breaks the logical flow
• Sequence VA after RC in the exam — spend the first 30–32 minutes on all 4 RC passages, then use the remaining 8–10 minutes to attempt all VA questions

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How to Balance RC and VA Preparation for CAT 2026

Because RC has 2× the weightage of VA, your VARC preparation time should reflect that ratio — roughly 60–65% on RC and 35–40% on VA. That said, VA is easier to improve quickly because TITA questions reward pattern recognition over deep reading skill.

• Build a daily reading habit — read one long-form article each day from publications like The Hindu, The Economist, or Scientific American to improve reading speed and vocabulary in context
• Drill VA question types weekly — solve 10–15 para jumbles and 5–8 odd-sentence-out questions every week; accuracy in VA improves sharply with repeated exposure to sentence-flow patterns
• Categorise your RC errors after each mock test — separate inference errors from tone errors from careless reading mistakes; each type needs a different fix
• Practice timed RC under exam conditions — 8 minutes per passage is the target; practising under time pressure reveals pacing problems that unlimited practice hides
• Do not deprioritise VA — a single additional para jumble correct can shift your VARC percentile by 1–2 points in a competitive year, especially at the 90–95 percentile boundary