For many CAT aspirants, VARC feels like the most unpredictable section of the exam. Some students read daily and still struggle with low scores, while others understand the passage while reading but somehow end up selecting the wrong options. There are also students who spend months preparing seriously yet feel like their VARC scores simply refuse to improve.
What makes this section even more frustrating is that improvement in VARC is not always immediately visible. In Quant, you can clearly feel concepts becoming stronger with practice. But in VARC, progress often feels slow, confusing, and inconsistent. One mock score may go very well, while the next one feels terrible. Take a look at the VARC Syllabus for 2026.
But the reality is simple, VARC is not a talent-based section. It is a skill-based section. And like every skill, it improves gradually with the right approach.
Stop Looking for “Shortcuts” in VARC
One of the biggest mistakes students make is searching for hacks like:
- “How to solve RC without reading?”
- “Tricks to score 99 percentile in VARC”
- “Shortcut methods for parajumbles”
The reality is simple: there are no shortcuts in VARC.
CAT VARC is designed to test comprehension, logical thinking, interpretation, and reading ability.
If your fundamentals are weak, tricks will only work temporarily.
Instead of trying to outsmart the paper, focus on becoming a better reader and thinker.
That is what actually improves scores.
This is why good mentors always focus on building understanding first. At FundaMakers, students are encouraged to understand the author’s argument, tone, and intent rather than blindly apply tricks. Because in the end, strong comprehension is what improves consistency in VARC.
Build Strong Reading Habits
Another major reason students feel stuck in VARC is because they are not comfortable reading difficult content regularly. CAT RC passages are rarely simple. They are often abstract, philosophy-based, opinion-driven, or academic in nature. Initially, these passages feel mentally exhausting, especially for students who are not habitual readers.
The solution is not avoiding difficult passages. The solution is building reading stamina gradually.
Reading editorials, essays, psychology articles, business opinions, and long-form articles daily helps students become comfortable with complex writing styles. But reading alone is not enough. The important part is active reading.
While reading, students should constantly ask themselves:
- What is the author trying to say?
- What is the central argument?
- Why has a certain example been used?
- What is the tone of the passage?
This habit slowly trains the brain to process RC passages more naturally during the exam. Many students underestimate how much consistent reading improves VARC performance over time. This is why structured reading routines are an important part of preparation at FundaMakers as well.
Focus on Understanding Before Speed
A common mistake among aspirants is trying to read fast before learning how to read properly. Students often believe that increasing reading speed alone will improve scores, but speed without comprehension is useless in VARC.
Initially, students should focus on understanding every paragraph clearly, identifying the flow of ideas, and mentally summarizing the author’s argument. Once comprehension improves, speed automatically follows.
In fact, many high scorers in VARC spend more time understanding the passage deeply rather than rushing through it. The goal should not be to finish reading quickly. The goal should be to understand the passage accurately enough to answer questions confidently.
Practice Questions, But Analyse Them Properly
Just solving RCs daily is not enough.
The real improvement happens during analysis.
After every RC set, ask:
- Why was my answer wrong?
- What exactly did I misunderstand?
- Did I assume something outside the passage?
- Did I miss the author’s tone?
Similarly, for VA questions:
- understand the logic behind parajumbles,
- sentence flow,
- and paragraph structure.
Students who analyse deeply improve much faster than students who only solve large quantities of questions.
At FundaMakers, mock discussions and VARC analysis sessions are designed to help students understand how CAT setters frame options and why certain answers appear tempting despite being incorrect. This process helps students develop stronger decision-making ability, which is one of the most important skills required in VARC.
Don’t Panic Because of Mock Scores
One of the most important things students need to understand is that VARC scores fluctuate a lot. One mock may feel very easy because the passages match your comfort zone, while another may feel difficult because of unfamiliar topics or low concentration levels.
Many aspirants panic after one or two bad mocks and immediately start doubting their preparation strategy. But VARC improvement should never be judged through isolated mock scores. What matters is long-term progress.
Instead of obsessing over scores after every mock, students should focus on analysing mistakes, identifying patterns, and improving consistency gradually. Improvement in VARC is rarely dramatic. It usually happens slowly through repeated exposure and practice.
Be Patient; VARC Improvement Takes Time
This is probably the hardest part for most students.
Unlike Quant, where concept improvement feels visible, VARC improvement often feels invisible in the beginning. You may read daily for weeks and still not see dramatic score jumps immediately. But slowly, comprehension becomes stronger, focus improves, answer selection becomes smarter, and confidence increases.
Students who improve consistently are usually the ones who stay patient despite temporary setbacks. They continue reading, practising, analysing mocks, and learning from mistakes even when progress feels slow.
There is no instant transformation in VARC. But with enough consistency, improvement always happens.
Best Way to Prepare for VARC
If you are stuck in VARC right now, don’t assume that you are naturally bad at English or incapable of improving. Most CAT aspirants struggle with VARC at some stage of their preparation journey.
The solution is not shortcuts or random tricks.
The solution is:
- consistent reading
- strong comprehension
- proper analysis
- interactive learning
- and patience
Because in the end, CAT VARC is not about fancy vocabulary. It is about understanding ideas clearly and thinking logically under pressure.
If you want more tips and tricks for good scores in CAT, visit FundaMakers.
