While everyone focuses on AEON Essays, an excellent resource to build your reading habit and train your mind, these resources often get overlooked for a comprehensive VARC preparation. Here is a list of resources that have been the source of CAT VARC section Reading Comprehension questions in past years. We have compiled RC topics and their sources from 2017-2023 below. (scroll down to see year-wise data tables)
- The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Guardian
These are renowned sources for high-quality journalism and in-depth articles. The complexity and variety of topics make them an excellent resource for enhancing reading skills. They cover a broad spectrum of reading material from politics and international affairs to science and culture. Reading these will be easier due to the shorter and more engaging content.
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- Smithsonian Magazine
Smithsonian Magazine is a captivating publication that features a wide array of articles that integrate the realms of history, science, and, artistic creativity Most science-based articles and content on Animals are excerpts from the Smithsonian magazine.
- The Economist
The Economist covers global economics, politics, and current affairs. The content is more on the analytical side. It is also a beneficial resource to improve your G.K. for other exams and interviews.
Other highly recommended blog posts to follow: JSTOR Magazine, Prospect Magazine, OReilley, and TIME. Crash Course is a YouTube channel that explains Philosophy, Sociology, Political science, and more.
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CAT 2023 Reading Comprehension Passages & Source
Slot 1
| Title | Source | Genre |
| Wolf | The Economist | Environment |
| Geographic Determinism | Journal | Sociology |
| Indian Ocean | Writing Ocean Worlds (Book) |
Literature |
| Sahlins- Society | Public books.org | Literature |
Slot 2
| Title | Source | Genre |
| Second Hand September | Prospect Magazine | Environment |
| Netflix | The Economist | Culture |
| Historians | Richmond | History |
| Liberalism | The Economist | Political Science |
Slot 3
| Title | Source | Genre |
| Romantic Aesthetics | Stanford- Encyclopaedia of Philosophy | Philosophy |
| Archaeology- Patrimony | LA Times | Archaeology |
| Nutmeg | The Third Pole | History |
| Rational Thinking | Washington | Literature |
CAT 2022 Reading Comprehension Passages & Source
| No. | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | |||
| 1 | The Chinese Copy | AEON | Octopuses | Superpowers on the shore- Sejal Mehta | Automation | Wall Street Journal |
| 2 | Stoicism | Encyclopedia of Emotion (1) | Philosophy of Social Sciences | The Sage- Ian C. Jarvie | Biology & Technology | Design Indaba Magazine |
| 3 | Critical Theory of Technology | OReilly | Tech-Social Dualism | Scientific American Website | Orientalism | JSTOR Website |
| 4 | Stories of Undead | Atmostfear Entertainment | Humans Make Music | JSTOR Website | The Great Migration | i Research Net |
CAT 2021 Reading Comprehension Passages & Source
| No. | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | |||
| 1 | Travelling of Utopians | Marxist Internet Archive | Why Fiction Trumps Truth | NY times | Ultra tiny nano- machines |
New Scientist |
| 2 | Cuttlefish | Smithsonian Magazine | Ways to keep languages alive | Press Reader |
Measuring time accurately | New Scientist |
| 3 | A rock, human & tree | Aeon | The women’s question in tradition | American Ethnologist | The hidden soul | American Imago |
| 4 | The Thirst of Empire | Book- Erika Rappaport | Scandals of Knowledge | Cambridge Core | The language within us | NY Times |
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CAT 2020 Reading Comprehension Passages & Source
| No. | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | |||
| 1 | Elephant Seal | The Atlantic | Visual Culture | Journey of Visual Culture | Screen Exposure | NY Times |
| 2 | Vocabulary | Excerpt from Stephen King’s Book | Piracy | The Spectator | Economic Crisis | Denver Post |
| 3 | China Tang Dynasty | Britannica | Aggression | Multiple Sources | Travel | Book- Encyclopedia of Human Geography |
| 4 | Greek Anarchia | Britannica | Renewable Energy | MIT Press Direct | Political Philosophy | The Guardian |
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CAT 2019 Reading Comprehension Passages & Source
| No. | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | ||
| 1 | Topophilia | Encyclopedia of Human Geography | How slums can save the planet | Prospect Magazine |
| 2 | Music of the People | The Guardian | British Colonialism | The Atlantic |
| 3 | Internet Shopping | The Atlantic | Why do governments move civil servants | The Economist |
| 4 | Alladin | TIME Newsletter | Embracing Linguistic Diversities | TIME |
| 5 | Emperor Penguins | Smithsonian Magazine | 3D Scans help preserve history | NPR Newsletter |
CAT 2018 Reading Comprehension Passages & Source
| No. | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | ||
| 1 | Elephant | NY Times Magazine | Hiring Best People | Big Think |
| 2 | Recycling won't solve pollution | Scientific American | Snails to trace stone age | Smithsonian Magazine |
| 3 | Utilitarian Goal | NY Times | Against Metrics | Aeon |
| 4 | Evolution | Aeon | Saturn Rings | The Economist |
| 5 | Historians have scant interest in war | Hindustan Times | - | - |
CAT 2017 Reading Comprehension Passages & Source
| No. | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | ||
| 1 | Modern Maps | BBC | Cities are at the forefront of creativity | NY Times |
| 2 | Phone is Smart | NY Times | Ecosystem | - |
| 3 | Death of Malls | TIME | Car Drivers Dream | The Guardian |
| 4 | London Olympics Infrastructure | NY Times | Bring Back Typewriters | The Guardian |
| 5 | - | - | Vikings | Smithsonian Magazine |
