There is a popular opinion among CAT aspirants that Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension is easier for non-engineers and that they struggle only in quants. But is that true? I am a non-engineer and I have a lot of friends from various academic backgrounds and one thing I can say for sure is that VARC is not easy for all non-engineers. If you are one of those who is struggling with VARC despite being a non-engineer, read on. I scored 99.63 percentile in VARC and 99.62 percentile overall in CAT 2021 and I will share some of the preparation techniques that I used for VARC while preparing for this exam.
1) READ,READ AND READ:
I cannot stress this point enough but
reading is one of the most important things which will help you not only in CAT but also in the further GDPI processes and even in your MBA. Reading newspapers (online or offline) is a must, to stay up to date with the current affairs and to also improve your reading skills along with it.
Apart from that start reading articles, books, etc on whatever topic you are interested to know about. Read not just for the sake of cracking an exam. Start enjoying the process and you will reap the benefits in the long run. There are lots of reading lists available for VARC in our website itself. Some of them are given below:
https://insideiim.com/definitive-reading-list-cat-preparation-rc-books-2iim?src=pratibhacat20201st
https://insideiim.com/definitive-reading-list-cat-preparation-rc-blogs-websites-2iim?src=pratibhacat20201st
https://insideiim.com/best-resources-to-prepare-for-va-rc-cat?src=varcprep
2) RC practice/Topic tests:
Even after being an avid reader, some aspirants might have trouble solving actual CAT VARC questions. That’s why it is important to practice RCs from various sources and acquaint ourselves with the various type of questions asked in the examination. There are lots of free sources available on the internet which can be used for this purpose. You can also solve Para Jumbles, Odd one out to increase your chances of getting them right. For Para summaries your RC practice should suffice, but you can practice further if you would like to.
Lots of coaching institutes provide topic tests along with their subscription. If you are someone who has joined coaching, please make use of these topic tests which can be done in a very small duration.
3) Mocks:
I am sure everyone would be already aware of mocks and their importance in the CAT preparation. Especially with regards to VARC, after each mock read all the passages again and try to answer the questions without a time limit. Try to understand what your thought process was when you chose an answer. For VA, check whether you are able to solve them correctly without time limit.
Even if you get low mock scores initially, don’t lose hope. Keep practicing and improve on your mistakes. Also keep in mind that CAT is known for surprises and you should be able to keep your calm not matter what happens during the exam.
ALL THE BEST FOR CAT 2021!!
Stay Home, Stay Safe [And prepare :)]