The reading comprehension section in the CAT exam is one of the most crucial sections and students must use their time wisely while attempting this section as it may be time consuming as well. The CAT 2025 exam is all set to be conducted on November 30, 2025 and candidates are provided with an official notification by the authorities for the same. The CAT Reading Comprehension (RC) section of the CAT exam primarily focuses on a candidate’s ability to understand, interpret, and analyze complex texts.
Students can get shortcut techniques to use while solving the VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension) section here. Aspirants must read all the CAT reading comprehension questions carefully first as the answers will completely be based on their understanding of the passages. Refer to the following to learn more about the CAT short techniques for reading comprehension section.
CAT Shortcut Techniques for Reading Comprehension Section
The following table contains all the important CAT reading comprehension techniques for students appearing in the CAT exam.
Technique | Description | When to Use |
Read Questions First | Skim through the questions before reading the passage to know what to look for | Best for factual/detail-based RCs |
Eliminate Extreme Options | Avoid options with absolute words like always, never, must, only | Useful in inference or tone-based questions |
Scan for Keywords | Use keywords from the question to locate relevant lines in the passage quickly | Effective for direct, fact-based questions |
Focus on First & Last Lines | The first and last lines of each paragraph often contain the main idea | Good for identifying author’s argument or structure |
Summarize Paragraphs Mentally | After each paragraph, pause and mentally summarize it in 5–6 words | Helps with comprehension and tone-based questions |
Use POE (Process of Elimination) | Eliminate clearly incorrect or unrelated options to narrow down choices | Best when unsure of the correct option |
Don’t Re-Read Entire Passage | Avoid rereading the whole RC unless absolutely necessary | Saves time in long or dense passages |
Track the Author's Tone | Note whether the tone is neutral, critical, analytical, etc. | Helps in tone and inference questions |
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Mistakes to Avoid While CAT RC Preparation
Stagnation due to Reading Neglect: Without prior reading, solving RC questions impedes comprehension growth.
Over Focus on Grammar Over Evaluation Guidelines: Direct grammar evaluation isn’t done in the CAT, so any focus on this will squander preparation time.
Ignoring TITA Fills (Jumble Puzzles): Because TITA questions lack options many candidates skip them which lowers the overall scoring for VA.
Guessing In RCs Without Eliminating Options: Making guesses at random diminishes the likelihood of success. First, removing 2-3 options can help.
Inaccurate Reading Speed: Reading at high speeds leads to lack of understanding and increased error chances while reading too slowly can consume a lot of exam time.
Ignoring question types such as Odd Sentence Out: This question type is often neglected but with some practice can be scored very well.
Failure to Review Mock Outcomes: Not reviewing outcome analysis makes mocks unhelpful in improving mock related issues.
Using Only One Resource: Over relying on one book or site to prep limits exposure to various levels of difficulty or style.
VA and RC Pose as a single entity: Distinct strategies are needed for each as they focus on different skills.
Vocab enhancement under rating: Using or having poor vocabulary limits understanding of context, especially in RC.
Types of RC Passages in CAT
The Reading Comprehension (RC) section in the CAT examination consists of a different approach towards the types of passages which are taken from all types of styles and disciplines. Familiarity with the types of categories of passages that will frequently be asked can assist the candidate to improve their reading style according to the subject matter and difficulty of the passage. Below are the primary types of RC passages featured in CAT:
- Philosophy and abstract thought
- Science and technology
- Economics and trade
- Business and management
- Sociology and social issues
- Politics and governance
- History and historical analysis
- Environment and ecology
- Literature and literary criticism
- Psychology and human behavior
- Education and learning theories
- Culture and anthropology
- Ethics and morality
- Globalization and development
- Law and justice systems
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