The Common Admission Test, or CAT, is a national exam administered in India for admission to numerous IIMs and other top business schools. This guide will teach you more about CAT.
The Verbal Ability (VA) part of the CAT assesses your English grammar and sentence production abilities. The CAT Verbal Ability questions are part of the Verbal Ability Reading Comprehension portion, which has a high weightage of 34 to 36 percent in the overall CAT test. The Verbal Ability for CAT Questions is centered on English Language, Grammar, Vocabulary, Correct Paragraph Understanding, and Para Summary, among other crucial areas.
Read on to learn everything there is to know about Verbal Ability. How does the CAT Verbal Ability Test measure up? What topics are covered in the CAT Verbal Ability Syllabus? How much time should be spent on CAT preparation for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension? These are the questions that normally arise before learning how to prepare Verbal Ability for CAT.
In the CAT, the English Language test is called Verbal Ability. As a result, the questions in the CAT Verbal Ability Test are designed to assess mastery of clear and perfect English language usage. VA is a critical component of CAT preparation for the VARC portion. In the CAT 2023 exam, CAT Verbal Ability questions will account for 25 to 30% of the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) Section.
In terms of Verbal Ability for CAT Questions, the number and kind of questions are dependent on the following themes. So, rather of going aimlessly and diving into CAT Preparation for VARC without knowing how to prepare Verbal Ability for CAT, it would be a futile journey because the revised CAT test pattern has changed the Verbal Ability question pattern in the CAT exam.
| Verbal Ability Questions in CAT | Number of questions | Type of Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Para Summary | 2-3 | Mix of Non MCQ/MCQ |
| Jumbled Paragraph | 2-3 | No Negative Marking, Non-MCQ |
| Picking the Odd sentence out of Jumbled Paragraph | 1-2 | Mix of MCQ/Non-MCQ with Negative or No Negative Marking |
| Para completion | 1-2 | No Negative Marking |
It should be mentioned that the precise amount of questions and subjects on Verbal Ability may vary in the actual CAT test. For example, questions on para completion reappeared in CAT 2022 after a long absence, but questions on selecting the odd phrase from a jumbled paragraph were absent.
Before delving into how to prepare Verbal Ability for CAT; how to ace CAT Verbal Ability; and what CAT Verbal Preparation Material and preparation strategy should be, we must first understand the composition and type of Verbal Ability Reading Comprehension section in the revised IIM CAT 2023 exam pattern. The Verbal Ability for CAT Syllabus has been revised since 2015, when IIM Ahmedabad overhauled the CAT test style. of addition, the altered part sequence positions CAT Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension as the first component of the Exam.
The full name of the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension part for the CAT is Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension. Verbal Ability questions of the CAT have followed the same pattern in prior years. The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension composition for the CAT 2023 is likewise predicted to follow the same pattern as previous year, as seen below:
| CAT Verbal Ability Questions Composition | Verbal Ability Reading Comprehension pattern |
|---|---|
| Section Name | Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) |
| Section Name | Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) |
| Total VARC Questions | 24 |
| Total Verbal Ability Questions | 6-8 |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension Time to attempt the section | 40 Minutes |
| Marks for Each Correct Answer | +3 |
| Negative Marks for Each Wrong Answer | -1 |
| Difficulty Level of Verbal Ability Questions | Moderate to High |
| No Negative Marking Questions in CAT Verbal Ability section | 6-8 (Most of the Verbal Ability questions in CAT are Non-MCQs and they do not carry any penalty of negative marking) |
To prepare for the CAT for VARC, you must first comprehend the distinction between different types of questions and the procedure for answering them. So, before you begin your CAT preparation for VARC, be aware of the following information regarding Non-MCQs in CAT Verbal Ability Preparation:
The CAT Verbal Ability curriculum has altered over the previous 4-5 years. If you continue to prepare according to the previous format of CAT Verbal Ability Syllabus, you may wind up with a minimal score in the Verbal Ability portion in CAT 2023.
While grammar, vocabulary, and English language usage remain the fundamentals for Verbal Ability preparation, the regions and themes on which questions in the CAT Verbal Ability Section are prepared have altered over the previous four years. Although the reappearance of questions on forgotten subjects in Verbal Ability cannot be ruled out, the main areas to prepare for Verbal Ability for CAT as per new CAT syllabus on Verbal Ability should be concentrated on the following themes:
| Topics Covered in Verbal Ability Syllabus for CAT | Expected number of questions | Key features |
|---|---|---|
| Jumbled Paragraphs | 2-3 | 5 Jumbled sentences to be arranged in a coherent manner to bring meaningful result |
| Summary/Inference of short paragraph | 2-3 | Small para of 4-5 sentences followed by 4 answer options |
| Picking the Out of Context sentence in a Jumbled Paragraph | 1-2 | 5 Jumbled Sentences out of which one odd sentence to be picked out |
| Para completion by filling in a sentence | 2-3 | A small para of 3-4 sentences with a blank space asking to choose a sentence from the given 4 choices |
Following are the most important aspects giving guidance on how to prepare Verbal Ability for CAT Exam are:
The VARC section of the CAT exam demands strong language skills, critical thinking abilities, and efficient time management. By dedicating time and effort to mastering this section, candidates can significantly improve their overall CAT exam performance and increase their chances of securing admission to top management institutes. Prepare with diligence, practice consistently, and unlock the secrets of the VARC section to achieve your CAT exam goals.
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