Friday 21-Apr-23

Hello friends,

The VARC section of CAT is generally the least analysed section, and there are many misconceptions among students. Many of them want to know what reading materials should they refer to improve their speed and understanding. And to find out the right answer, we went through all the 58 RC passages that have appeared in the last 5 years CAT exam.  

Based on our thorough analysis, here are our top takeaways:

Number 1: You should read international books and publications. All of us have grown up reading local and national newspapers. But there was not even 1 passage that was borrowed from any Indian newspaper or magazine. International publications have a slightly different style of writing, and they use different words and phrases compared to Indian articles. So you should be comfortable reading globally-renowned publications such as the Economist and Guardian.

Point Number 2: Is AEON the best source for CAT Reading Comprehension practice? Probably NOT.

We analysed the RC passages that appeared in the last 5 years and found that AEON wasn't among the top two sources of texts. Can you guess which were the top two?

CAT borrowed most from the Economist and New York Times. Here is the full list of publications which were used more than once.

For general reading, you should read a VARIETY of publications, including those in the list I have shared. It will give you flavour of what to expect on CAT, and help you improve your English and general awareness.

Takeaway No. 3: Most students do not read the right kind of passages. So what kind of articles you should read? Short Answer: Off-beat, boring stuff.

CAT does NOT pick passages related to "breaking news", politics or sports, unfortunately. I know all of us like to read this, but you need to actively seek out OTHER passages, related to arts, science, music, history et cetera.

It will be difficult to concentrate at first, because this is not what you are used to. But it is the best way to practice, apart from taking mocks.

Before I talk about the 4^th and 5^th takeaway from our analysis, let me quickly mention about PrepWiz’s Mentorship Initiative. We are partnering with several CAT toppers who are now in various IIMs and other top institutes, and they are ready to speak with you, discuss and answer all your questions on preparation strategy.

Here is our mentor list and you can register for a free session using the link below.

And now, takeaway No. 4: If you don’t read books, then you should at least read reviews. I'll share a very IMPORTANT tip: BOOK REVIEWS are a common source of RC passages for CAT. Book and essay reviews have appeared 7 times in the last 5 years' RC sections, based on our analysis.

And last but not the least, point number 5: Did you know that CAT RC passages taken from international magazines and newspapers such as the Economist, New York Times and Guardian were EASIER TO READ than others.

This is IMPORTANT because you will have a higher success rate with such passages.

The question is – How will you identify such passages? If you read the magazines and newspapers we have mentioned, you'll get a better understanding of their writing style and the right RC passages during CAT.

Here is a quick summary of the points I mentioned.

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