CAT VARC Paper Analysis 2025: Analysis, Difficulty Level, & Weightage
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Content Writer | Updated On - Nov 28, 2025
CAT VARC Paper Analysis 2025 will be provided here as soon as the CAT 2025 exam is conducted. The previous year’s CAT Paper Analysis for VARC is given below for the reference of CAT aspirants. Past year paper analysis will help candidates enhance their CAT Preparation.
- In the VARC section, four types of questions are asked – Reading Comprehension type questions; Verbal Ability type Summary questions; Verbal Ability type Odd-sentence out and Verbal Ability type Para-jumbles. Check CAT 2025 Exam Pattern
- The maximum number of questions might be expected from Reading Comprehension type questions, which could have a maximum weightage of up to 16 marks.
- Verbal Ability type questions could have a weightage of around 8 marks.
- Out of the total 24 questions in the VARC section of CAT 2025, 19 MCQs and 5 non-MCQs will be asked.
- The ideal attempt in VARC of CAT 2025 might be 16 to 18 questions, which might secure the candidates with 90 to 95 percentiles.
- Based on past year trends the overall rating of VARC of CAT could be Moderate to Difficult.
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Table of Content
2.1 Slot 1 Analysis
2.2 Slot 2 Analysis
2.3 Slot 3 Analysis
3.1 Slot 1 Analysis
3.2 Slot 2 Analysis
3.3 Slot 3 Analysis
4.1 Slot 1 Analysis
4.2 Slot 2 Analysis
4.3 Slot 3 Analysis
CAT VARC Paper Analysis 2025
CAT 2025 VARC Paper Analysis will be updated here soon after the exam has been conducted.
| Exam Slot | VARC Paper Analysis |
|---|---|
| Slot 1 | TBU |
| Slot 2 | TBU |
| Slot 3 | TBU |
Check:
CAT VARC Paper Analysis 2022
- CAT 2022 was conducted in 3 shifts – Morning, Afternoon and Evening
- The stipulated time for the VARC section was 40 minutes and a total of 24 questions were asked.
- The overall difficulty level of the VARC section was moderate.
Slot 1 Analysis
- In CAT 2022 Slot 1 VARC a total of 24 questions were asked, out of which 21 were MCQs and 3 were TITA-type questions.
- 4 passages were asked which were on Chinese Art, Stoicism, Ghosts and Mystery and Supernatural Phenomena.
- The estimated good number of attempts in CAT 2022 Slot 1 VARC was around 17 – 19 questions.
| Topics | No. of questions | Ideal Attempts |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 16 | 13 |
| Verbal Ability – Para-jumbles | 3 | 3 |
| Verbal Ability - Summary | 3 | 3 |
| Verbal Ability – Para-jumbles (Odd-sentence out) | 2 | 2 |
Slot 2 Analysis
- In CAT 2022 VARC slot 2, 18 questions were MCQs and 6 were TITA-type.
- The difficulty level was found to be moderate in slot 2 VARC.
- Reading Comprehension passages in CAT 2022 VARC Slot 2 were on Philosophy, Music, Octopus and Technology.
| Topics | No. of questions | Ideal Attempts |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 16 | 14 |
| Verbal Ability – Para-jumbles | 3 | 7 |
| Verbal Ability - Summary | 3 | |
| Verbal Ability – Para-jumbles (Odd-sentence out) | 2 |
Slot 3 Analysis
- In CAT 2022 slot 3 VARC there were 21 MCQs and 3 TITA-type questions.
- The reading comprehension passages were on Indian History, Human Automation Technology, and Crime Rate and 1 passage was Philosophical.
| Topics | No. of questions | Ideal Attempts |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 16 | 8 – 10 |
| Verbal Ability – Para-jumbles | 3 | 2 |
| Verbal Ability - Summary | 3 | 2 |
| Verbal Ability – Para-jumbles (Odd-sentence out) | 2 | 1 |
CAT VARC Paper Analysis 2021
CAT 2021 was conducted in 3 Slots:
- Shift 1- From 8.30 am to 10.30 am in the morning
- Shift 2- From 12.30 pm to 2.30 pm in the afternoon
- Shift 3- From 4.30 pm to 6.30 pm in the evening
The analyses of the three slots are given below in a briefing table and then in the below pointers.
| Exam Parameters | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| VARC sub-section that had Maximum Weightage | Reading comprehension typed questions with 16 marks containing a total of 4 sets in which each set had 4 questions | Reading comprehension typed questions with 16 marks containing a total of 4 sets in which each set had 4 questions | Reading comprehension typed questions with 16 marks containing a total of 4 sets in which each set had 4 questions |
| Difficulty level of VARC in CAT | Moderate level | Difficult level | Moderate to Difficult level |
| Overall Level of Difficulty | Moderate to Difficult level | Moderate level | Moderate level |
Slot 1 Analysis
The table below shows the question break-up of CAT 2021 Slot 1 VARC:
| Sub-sections in VARC | Ideal Attempts |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension type questions | 12-14 |
| Verbal Ability typed Summary questions | 2 |
| Verbal Ability typed Odd-sentence out | 1-2 |
| Verbal Ability typed Para-jumbled | 2 |
Slot 2 Analysis
Given below are the ideal attempts of questions od CAT 2021 Slot 2 VARC:
| Sub-sections in VARC | Ideal Attempts |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension type questions | 12-14 |
| Verbal Ability typed Summary questions | 2 |
| Verbal Ability typed Odd-sentence out | 1-2 |
| Verbal Ability typed Para-jumbled | 2 |
Slot 3 Analysis
The table below shows a good number of attempts of CAT 2021 Slot 3 VARC:
| Sub-sections in VARC | Ideal Attempts |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension type questions | 12-14 |
| Verbal Ability typed Summary questions | 2 |
| Verbal Ability typed Odd-sentence out | 1-2 |
| Verbal Ability typed Para-jumbled | 2 |
Also Check:
CAT VARC Paper Analysis 2020
CAT 2020 was conducted in 3 slots by the Indian Institute of Management, Indore. These 3 slots are conducted in three shifts:
- Shift 1- From 8.30 am to 10.30 am in the morning
- Shift 2- From 12.30 pm to 2.30 pm in the afternoon
- Shift 3- From 4.30 pm to 6.30 pm in the evening
The analysis of the three slots is given below in the table:
| Exam Parameters | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| VARC sub-section that had Maximum Weightage | Reading comprehension type questions with 18 marks containing a total of 4 sets in which two of the sets had 4 questions each and the other two of the sets had 5 questions each | Reading comprehension type questions with 18 marks containing a total of 4 sets in which two of the sets had 4 questions each and the other two of the sets had 5 questions each | Reading comprehension type questions with 18 marks containing a total of 4 sets in which two of the sets had 4 questions each and the other two of the sets had 5 questions each |
| Difficulty level of VARC in CAT | Moderate level | Moderate level | Moderate level |
| Overall Level of Difficulty | Moderate level | Moderate level | Difficult level |
Slot 1 Analysis
Given below is the CAT 2020 Slot 1 VARC analysis:
| Topic | Number of Questions | Type of Question | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 18 | MCQ | Moderate to Difficult |
| RC-1: Currency in the Tang Empire | 4 | MCQ | Easy to Moderate |
| RC- 2: Elephant Seal Migration | 5 | MCQ | Moderate to Difficult |
| RC-3: the importance of Grammar | 5 | MCQ | Easy to Moderate |
| RC-4: Subsets of Anarchist Philosophy | 4 | MCQ | Moderate to Difficult |
| Verbal Ability | 8 | MCQ and TITA | Moderate |
| Out of Context sentence | 2 | TITA | Easy to Moderate |
| Para Jumbles (4 sentences) | 3 | TITA | Moderate to Difficult |
| Summary | 3 | MCQ | Easy to Moderate |
Slot 2 Analysis
The table below shows the CAT 2020 slot 2 VARC analysis:
| Topic | Number of Questions | Type of Question | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 18 | MCQ | Moderate to Difficult |
| RC-1: Piracy in International Waters | 4 | MCQ | Easy to Moderate |
| RC- 2: Renewable Energy Technologies | 5 | MCQ | Moderate to Difficult |
| RC-3: The Study of Visual Culture | 5 | MCQ | Easy to Moderate |
| RC-4: Aggression - Theories and Models | 4 | MCQ | Moderate to Difficult |
| Verbal Ability | 08 | MCQ & TITA | Moderate |
| Para Jumbles | 3 | TITA | Moderate to Difficult |
| Out of Context Sentence | 2 | TITA | Easy to Moderate |
| Summary | 3 | MCQ | Easy to Moderate |
Slot 3 Analysis
| Topic | No. of Questions | Ideal Attempt |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 18 (5+5+4+4) | 14-15 |
| Verbal Ability - Para jumbles | 3 | 3 |
| Verbal Ability - Summary | 3 | 3 |
| Verbal Ability - Para jumbles (Odd-sentence out) | 2 | 2 |
CAT VARC Paper Analysis 2019
CAT 2019 was conducted in 2 Slots by the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode:
- Slot 1- From 9.00 am to 12.00 pm in the morning
- Slot 2- From 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm in the afternoon
Slot 1 Analysis
| Sections | Number of questions | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| RC passage-1: Story of Aladdin-as shared by Antonio Galland in 1712, learnt from Syrian story teller Diyab | 5 MCQs | Difficult |
| RC Passage-2: Idea of Folk | 5 MCQs | Tough Vocabulary |
| RC Passage-3: Emperor Penguins in Antarctica- Covering heating, radiation, convection | 4 MCQs | Difficult |
| RC passage-4: Topophilia, the affective bond between people and place by Yi-Fu Tuan | 5 MCQs | Moderately Difficult |
| RC Passage-5: Contemporary Internet Shopping - Few choices are better than many options | 5 MCQs | Difficult |
| Para jumbles | 4 Questions (Non-MCQs) | Difficult |
| Para Summary | 3 Questions (Non-MCQs) | Difficult |
| Odd sentence Out | 3 Questions (Non-MCQs) | Difficult |
Slot 2 Analysis
| Sections | Number of questions | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| RC passage-1: British Colonialism | 5 MCQs | Difficult |
| RC Passage-2: Museums, Arts | 5 MCQs | Complex formation and tough vocabulary |
| RC Passage-3: Central Governments & Decentralization | 5 MCQs | Difficult |
| RC passage-4: Ecology | 5 MCQs | Moderate to Difficult |
| RC Passage-5: Cultural Identity & Language – Egyptian | 4 MCQs | Difficult |
| Para jumbles | 4 Questions (Non-MCQs) | Difficult |
| Para Summary | 3 Questions (Non-MCQs) | Difficult |
| Odd sentence Out | 3 Questions (Non-MCQs) | Difficult |
CAT VARC Paper Analysis 2018
CAT 2018 was conducted in 2 Slots by the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata:
- Slot 1- From 9.00 am to 12.00 pm in the morning
- Slot 2- From 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm in the afternoon
Slot 1 Analysis
| Question Topic | No of Qs. | Type | Level of Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 24 | MCQ | Easy to Moderate |
| RC-1: Happiness and Economics. Approx. 500 words | 5 | MCQ | Easy to Moderate |
| RC- 2: Human elephant relationship Approx. 500 words | 5 | MCQ | Easy |
| RC-3: Absence of WWII memorials in India Approx. 500 words | 5 | MCQ | Easy |
| RC-4: Problem of single use plastic. Approx. 800 words | 5 | MCQ | Easy |
| RC-5: Influence of parental gene in mice. – Approx. 600 words | 4 | MCQ | Moderate |
| Verbal Ability | 10 | MCQ & TITA | Easy to Moderate |
| Parajumbles ( 4 sentences) | 4 | TITA | 2 Moderate and 2 Easy |
| Out of Context sentence | 3 | TITA | 1 Easy and 2 Moderate |
| Summary | 3 | MCQ | 1 Easy, 1 Moderate and 1 Difficult |
Slot 2 Analysis
| Question Topics | No of Qs. | Type | Level of Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 24 | MCQ | Easy to Moderate |
| RC-1: Evolution of white-lipped snails Approx.- 550 words | 4 | MCQ | Easy |
| RC- 2: Saturn’s rings and several of its moons –Approx. 600 words | 5 | MCQ | Easy to Moderate |
| RC-3: Evaluation based on metric fixation- Approx. 500 words | 5 | MCQ | Easy |
| RC-4: Access of the poor to government Services – Approx. 700 words | 5 | MCQ | Easy to Moderate |
| RC-5: – Fallacy of Meritocracy- Approx. 650 words. (The same passage was a part of SimCAT6) | 5 | MCQ | Easy to Moderate |
| Verbal Ability | 10 | MCQ & TITA | Easy to Moderate |
| Para jumbles | 4 | TITA | 4 Easy |
| Out of Context sentence | 3 | TITA | 2 Easy and 1 Moderate |
| Summary | 3 | MCQ | 1 Easy and 2 Moderate |
CAT VARC Paper Analysis 2017
CAT 2017 was conducted in 2 slots by the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow. These 2 slots are conducted in two shifts namely:
- Shift 1- From 9.00 am to 12.00 pm in the morning
- Shift 2- From 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm in the afternoon
The analyses of the two slots are given below in a briefing table.
| Exam Parameters | Slot 1 | Slot 2 |
|---|---|---|
| VARC sub-section that had Maximum Weightage | Reading comprehension typed questions with 24 marks containing a total of 5 sets in which four of the sets had 5 questions each and the other set had 4 questions in it | Reading comprehension typed questions with 24 marks containing a total of 5 sets in which four of the sets had 5 questions each and the other set had 4 questions in it |
| Difficulty level of VARC in CAT | Easy to moderate level | Easy to moderate level |
| Overall Level of Difficulty | Moderate level | Moderate level |
Verbal Ability Question Analysis
Of all the questions that appeared in CAT Verbal Ability in 2015, 2016, and 2017, given below is the question distribution and their level of difficulty.
| Details | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Para-Jumbles | Tricky and Time Consuming | 1 - Easy ; 3 Tough | Tough |
| Summary | Tough | 2 - Easy; 1 - Tough | Reasonably Difficult |
| Out of Context | Easy | Easy | Reasonably Difficult |
| Overall | Tough | Easy-Moderate | Tough- Moderate |
Overall Percentile in VARC
In order to get a good 97-98 percentile a candidate must make sure he/she has a minimum number of attempts such as:
| Good Number of Attempts | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| VA | 18-21 | 17-18 | 20-22 |
| RC | 8-9 | 5-6 | 7-8 |
| Overall | 27-29 | 22-24 | 27-30 |
FAQs
Ques. Whether non-Multiple typed questions carry negative marking in the VARC sub-section of CAT exam 2025?
Ans. No. On the basis of the previous year marking schemes that have been followed by various CAT exam conducting institutions, there will be no negative marks allotted for any wrong answers chosen by the candidates in the VARC sub-section of CAT Exam 2025.
Ques. How many Reading comprehension sets can be expected in the VARC sub-section of CAT exam 2025?
Ans. Four sets of read comprehension types might be expected in this year's CAT exam VARC section. Please, note that the count of four is only based on the previous year's trends and this might change at the discretion of IIM which conducts the CAT exam.
Ques. What is a good attempt in the VARC CAT exam 2025?
Ans. The good attempts for the VARC sub-section in the CAT exam 2021 conducted at the end of 2021 were 13 to 15 questions with an accuracy level being around 85 per cent. So, expect the good attempt for this year in VARC to be 12 to 16 questions that could fetch you the accuracy levels to get a good percentile.
Ques. Is VARC tough in the CAT exam 2025?
Ans. The toughness of any sections like VARC, DILR, and QA will be varying depending on the slots/shifts and every year. So, at least one slot of CAT 2025 needs to be completed for commenting on the toughness of VARC. For instance, in CAT 2019, the VARC section was the toughest among the other two sub-sections when compared to the CAT 2018.
Ques. How many questions could be expected in VARC of CAT 2025?
Ans. Based on last year's trend followed in the CAT exam 2021, the sub-section VARC in the CAT exam 2025 could be expected to have around 24 questions in it. Please, note that the number of questions asked in the VARC section was changed to 24 questions in the CAT 2021 from 26 questions in the CAT 2020. So, the change in the count of questions might take place, which will only be intimated by the CAT exam conducting IIM for this year.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.
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