8 Commandments to improve your CAT VARC Score
CAT VARC – the section that is relatively easier for some of the CAT aspirants, while being the Achilles Heel for the rest. I belong(ed) to the former category. Going in to CAT 2019 with 26 days of preparation, the one and only aspect I was sure about was to pivot my performance around VARC. It so happened that out of my scaled score of 102.xx (translating to 91.2%ile), I scored 62 from VARC.
So when I started preparing in June 2020 (CAT can be alluring even if you start off your prep in a whim, like I did last year), I was fully confident CAT VARC is going to be a cakewalk. Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, that was not to be. Mock #1 showed me the other side of VARC. Though the level of difficulty of the passages were nowhere close to that in CAT 2019, my scores plummeted. Having cursed myself enough, I pretended to be “more cautious” in VARC; the results were worse in Mock #2. Between Mock #2 and Mock #3, I reflected a lot on what was going wrong.
The following is a non-exhaustive list that comes from a very subjective experience, but can nonetheless be extrapolated objectively to all aspirants.
1) Nobody is an expert in CAT VARC
This applies to the other sections of the CAT as well. A common pressure most aspirants face is the want to maximize their score in the section they are strong at. I was (and am) not well-versed in DILR and Quant, so the natural impulse was to go berserk at the VARC section.
The results were obvious – not only did my VARC scores go down the drain but the other two sections were not encouraging as well.
You simply cannot go all-out even in a section you think you are good at.
So, choose questions wisely. Take VARC as seriously as the other two sections.
2) Do NOT limit your reading to just RC passages
Normally, one does not realize the power of reading diverse content consistently over a period of time. My CAT 2019 VARC score was a result of the reading habit – everything from Chetan Bhagat to John Grisham to Ayn Rand to The Economist to The Caravan – that had been built up over several years.
Hence when I started preparation for CAT 2020, I had already decided to limit myself to passages and articles that are of a particular length. The results of Mock #1 hit the nail in the coffin, and the results were laughing at me. My attempts to hit more “passages” before Mock #2 proved even more disruptive.
Once I started reading longish articles and brought my Kindle back to life, I understood why reading books is vital.
CAT VARC questions deal with making inferences, connecting the dots, analyzing arguments that strengthen and weaken the passage, and more. These are subconscious aspects that get ingrained only by reading a lot.
Trust me, you will know what I mean once you read a couple of novels of your favorite genre/author/both. Read diversely – articles on Science, History, Economy, Philosophy, Sports, Entertainment. Spare nothing; you will reap the benefits in a month to two.
3) Mindful reading versus memorizing
This, again, is an offshoot of limiting yourself to only RC passages. When you are constantly trying to ‘get it right’ while reading, your focus derails.
You concentrate on nitpicking minute details, while losing out the theme, coherence and essence of the passage in front of you.
Because you are also preparing number-intensive Quant and DILR, you will be enticed to focus too much on the specifics of numbers; they might not even be needed to understand the crux of the passage.
Being mindful is not easy, but it is good to cultivate the habit as early as possible. I have a set of tips and tricks for myself.
Read one paragraph, close your eyes for 3 to 5 seconds, let the idea of the passage sink in.
This helps you to consolidate the idea of smaller chunks of the passage. In addition, you will get to know where counter-arguments step in, where the author seems to become slightly less/more confident, etc. In short, this helps you understand and decode the theme and tone of the passage.
Figure out the topic (like, Biology) that the passage deals with, right at the end of the first paragraph (or the first two).
CAT VARC involves knowing which passages to choose and which to leave (the same applies for DILR puzzles as well). Quite often, you know there are certain areas where you do not understand the progression of the passage (I usually flunk in the passages that deal with Biology and Philosophy. History and Current Affairs are my strong areas in terms of RC passages). It is important to leave those out, or at least spend less time there; this would give you more time to spend with topics you are more acquainted to.
Once you finish reading all paragraphs, read the passage at a stretch (without taking breaks in between paragraphs).
This is again a great idea for reinforcement. However mindful you are, chances are that you might have missed out on a couple of ideas/arguments in the first read.
The second reading helps in developing your understanding of the passage, while also filling gaps.
For any question, come back to the particular location of the passage which the question deals with before answering (even if the answer seems pretty obvious).
This is very crucial. There are enough and more questions where the options are misleading; you might be stuck between two options and choose exactly the wrong one (happens to me all the time). Going back to the passage and skimming the particular section that deals with the question gets it right most of the time.
Do not try to attend all questions following a passage, just because you read it fully.
Remember, you are not an expert in CAT VARC. For all practical purposes, even the question setter might not be. So, do not break your head over attending ALL questions related to a passage. If you are not sure, leave it. Time spent pondering over dubious options is less worthier than time spent reading another passage.
4) Do NOT include ideas you know
Throw away all your subjective baggage as you step in to attend CAT VARC.
This is not a place to validate your idea of political inclinations or current affairs.
Put simply, if “The Sun rises in the West”, according to the passage (I am obviously exaggerating), just take it in. Read further to know why it could be the case, before jumping the gun.
5) Read the passage first and then go to the questions
It is a common misconception that if you read the questions first, you will know which part of the passage you should focus on. THIS IS ABSURD, AND ABSOLUTELY WRONG. More often than not, CAT VARC passages are designed in such a way that there are interconnected ideas and conflicting arguments across several paragraphs.
You have to understand nuances as well as the bigger ideas in a passage.
So, do yourself a favour and turn a deaf ear to those who say you are wasting your time by reading the full passage before looking at the questions.
6) Slow down – it is alright to attempt less in CAT VARC
My biggest battle with CAT VARC is to suppress the desire of attending more. You have adequate number of mocks to optimize your performance; if you keep attending questions mindlessly – just because you think you are an expert – you will not know your weaknesses.
Shed the notion that VARC is the only section to maximize your score.
7) It is not a sin to re-read a passage
If you are one of those who think it is a waste of time to re-read a passage, cheers! We are on the same boat (or at least, we were). However, it is important to read a passage twice (or in some cases, even thrice) to comprehend the line of thought and narration of the author.
Don’t beat yourself down thinking you are not good enough because you re-read passages.
8) Getting back on track takes time
Once scores come down, you cannot wave a magic wand and take them to back to the summit in no time. Out of the many analogies attributed to the CAT preparation – “CAT prep is a marathon, not a sprint”, etc. – the one that rings true oftentimes is “CAT scores are like climbing a hill. Downhill takes no time, but uphill requires a hell lot of effort and time.”
I am going to end this with one of my favourite quotes, by Samuel Adams. “Nil desperandum – Never Despair. That is a motto for you and me.”
Best wishes for CAT 2020!
Written by Giridharan Raghuraman
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