How to Tackle RC Passages in CAT 2025 Like a Pro

How to Tackle RC Passages in CAT 2025 Like a Pro

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is an all-India entrance exam for admission to MBA and PGDM programs at top business schools in India. The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are responsible for administering the CAT.
The three components of the CAT exam are Quantitative Ability (QA), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC).
Since nearly 16 of the 24 questions in the VARC section are based on reading comprehension, RC (reading comprehension) is an important part of the CAT's VARC section. Students who struggle in this area frequently hold misconceptions about CAT RC preparation.

What does reading comprehension mean? There are several reasons why these abilities are crucial for CAT

The capacity to fully comprehend whatever you are reading is known as reading comprehension. When you try to comprehend what you are reading, then you realize its true meaning and what the author is trying to convey through the passage.
Reading Comprehension can provide several benefits. It can improve your communication skills in your personal and professional life. It also aids in boosting knowledge in several areas and helps in gathering information faster.

Some other benefits of improving Reading Comprehension Skills for the CAT exam are:

• Ability to analyze and respond to written documents, especially in the workplace.
• Improvement in ability to write clearly.
• Ability to grasp current events that are in written form like newspapers.
• Increase in focus on reading for an extended time.

Common Myths Regarding CAT RC Preparation

The most common misconception is that comprehension of CAT RC passages necessitates an understanding of the author's intent, which is only partially accurate. Answering the following questions does not require a full alignment with the author's intent, so you can review the passage based on your attitude and perceptions.

It is not necessary to read the entire passage because reading comprehension frequently contains filler words and sentences. Do not worry if you leave out any words; a proper reading comprehension strategy for CAT would require you to comprehend the main idea of the passage. As long as you concentrate on the questions posed beneath the passage, you can resolve all of this. All you need to do is read and comprehend at your pace, and you will not have to worry about anything else.

Another misconception about the RC passages is that you must have a very large vocabulary in English. But this is also not accurate. Even though you might need to know some of the vocabulary, non-native speakers are unable to fully understand every word. It is normal to not know all the words.

In these circumstances, you make an educated guess based on the sentence's direction and flow after using the entire sentence to ascertain the meaning of any given word. You will often find that your guess will turn out to be correct.

Additionally, it is not required to read every line of the reading comprehension. Knowing the passage's distilled meaning is necessary to respond to the questions.

Now that the myths have been dispelled, let us talk about the most typical issues encountered when preparing for the CAT RC.

Avoid these common pitfalls when reading an RC passage

You must keep several things in mind while preparing for CAT 2025 and ensure that you avoid common pitfalls while balancing this area.

1. Don't highlight trivialities too much

Details are important. Don't be obsessed with examples, pictures, etc. You have to hang on to the main point and not the examples. Understanding the flow and structure will help you analyze these questions.

2. Do not memorize

It is not necessary to memorize every word in the passage. Your priority should be to understand the flow, structure and key points of the passage. For factual or targeted queries, you can always go back and read the passage again. But you might not get this luxury.

3. Do not first read the text

Go through the questions after reading the entire RC paragraph, not the other way around. You will be prepared to concentrate on the things that you have to look at. Concentrate only on questions, not on a specific response option. There is a quick overview of the questions. However, you can apply this logic in parajumble.

4. Don't focus too much on RC vocabulary

It's great to have a strong vocabulary, but it doesn't stop you from understanding Shakespearean vocabulary. So, don't put yourself under stress in this area and make sure you do not get stuck on particular words while reading the passage.

5. Don't spend time on RCs you can't understand

Sometimes, we find a passage that we cannot understand. If you are struggling with such a passage in the CAT exam, be sure to avoid such a passage with patience. Focus on the RC passages you can handle with ease. If necessary, go back to the tricky passage.

The above are some of the basic points that must be taken into account when dealing with reading comprehension of MBA entrance exams. This will improve your focus, and increase your understanding of the subject.

Which is the Toughest Section in CAT?

This has no particular answer. Some people may find Quantitative Ability (QA) very easy because they are associated with math, while others may find Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) very easy because of their reading habits.
It is highly individualized and heavily influenced by your strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, the aspirant's strengths and weaknesses determine which CAT section is the hardest. To become more flexible and adaptive, try to make the most of your strong points and concentrate on your weaknesses.

Sambhavi Prakash