Forty minutes. Twenty-four questions. No way to borrow time from DILR if VARC goes badly. CAT 2026 is on 29 November 2026, so you have about 30 days left to turn “I run out of time” into a repeatable routine.
This guide shows how to attempt CAT VARC in 40 minutes. It covers where each minute goes, which questions to take first, when to walk away, and how to choose your sequence from your own mock data instead of a topper’s advice.
The short version
- The 40-minute VARC section has 16 RC questions (4 passages) and 8 VA questions.
- A workable budget is about 7.5 minutes per RC passage, about 10.5 minutes for the VA block, and a 1-minute final sweep.
- Always type an answer for TITA questions. Answer an MCQ only when you are at least about 50% sure after elimination.
- Choose RC-first, VA-first or hybrid by testing all three in mocks this fortnight, then lock one by 19 November.
What You’re Solving: The CAT VARC Section at a Glance
The recent pattern, based on the CAT 2025 paper, looks like this. Confirm the final format on the official CAT website, because IIMs can change it.
| Component | Questions | Format | Marking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 16 (4 passages × 4) | MCQ | +3 correct, −1 wrong |
| Para Summary | 2 | MCQ | +3 / −1 |
| Para Completion | 2 | MCQ | +3 / −1 |
| Odd Sentence Out | 2 | TITA (typed answer) | +3, no negative |
| Para Jumbles | 2 | TITA (typed answer) | +3, no negative |
| Total | 24 | 40 minutes | 72 marks |
Three details change how you plan:
- Question formats differ by slot. Most CAT 2025 slot reports put the typed-answer (TITA) questions at the para jumbles and odd sentences. Counts varied slightly between reports, so check your mocks.
- The 40-minute timer is per section. Unused VARC time does not carry into DILR.
- Passages run long. CAT 2025 analyses describe RC passages of roughly 400–550 words. Topics ranged from income inequality and electronic music to mental health and complex systems.
The 40-Minute Math Most Aspirants Skip
Forty minutes over 24 questions averages out to about 100 seconds each. But the questions are not equal. An RC passage gives you 12 marks for about 7.5 minutes of work (about 1.6 marks per minute). A para summary can give 3 marks in about 60 seconds.
Here is a quick pace check for one RC passage:
- Reading 500 words at 250 words per minute takes about 2 minutes.
- Four questions at about 75 seconds each takes about 5 minutes.
- That puts one passage at about 7–7.5 minutes.
Accuracy beats volume. The table treats every question as an MCQ for simplicity. Real scores run slightly higher because TITA has no penalty.
| Attempts | Correct | Wrong | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 14 | 2 | 42 − 2 = 40 |
| 18 | 15 | 3 | 45 − 3 = 42 |
| 22 | 15 | 7 | 45 − 7 = 38 |
| 24 | 14 | 10 | 42 − 10 = 32 |
Attempting 22 questions scores less than attempting 16 carefully. Most CAT 2025 slot analyses put “good attempts” in VARC at roughly 16–19 questions. The exact figure varied by slot and difficulty.
When does a guess pay off? A blind guess among 4 options has an expected value of exactly zero (0.25 × 3 − 0.75 × 1). Eliminate two options and it rises to +1 mark per guess. Eliminate none and you are gambling.
How to Attempt CAT VARC in 40 Minutes: Choose Your Sequence
There is no single correct order. The time blocks below are the same in each blueprint, only rearranged.
| Blueprint | Best for | Clock plan |
|---|---|---|
| A: RC-first | Readers whose focus is sharpest early | Scan 0:00–1:30 → 3 RC passages 1:30–24:00 → VA 24:00–34:30 → 4th RC (selective) 34:30–39:00 → sweep 39:00–40:00 |
| B: VA-first | People who tire on long passages | VA 0:00–10:30 → scan 10:30–11:30 → 3 RC passages 11:30–34:00 → 4th RC (selective) 34:00–39:00 → sweep 39:00–40:00 |
| C: Hybrid | Those who want an easy win early, then a VA break | Scan 0:00–1:30 → best RC 1:30–9:00 → VA 9:00–19:30 → 2 RC passages 19:30–34:30 → 4th RC (selective) 34:30–39:00 → sweep 39:00–40:00 |
How to decide with data. Take one 40-minute sectional in each format over the next two weeks. Score each attempt on three things:
- Marks scored.
- Accuracy.
- How rushed you felt in the last five minutes.
Pick the blueprint that wins on marks without sacrificing accuracy. Do not switch after that.
Also Read: Cat sectional mock 2026
The Minute-by-Minute Plan (Blueprint A, with Checkpoints)
| Clock | Task | You should have | If behind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0:00–1:30 | Scan passage openings, rank difficulty | Order of attack set | Take the first clearly easy passage |
| 1:30–9:00 | RC passage 1 (easiest) | 3–4 questions answered | Cap each remaining question at 60 seconds |
| 9:00–16:30 | RC passage 2 | 7–8 RC questions done | Skip one low-confidence question |
| 16:30–24:00 | RC passage 3 | 11–12 RC questions done | Same rule: skip, don’t sink |
| 24:00–34:30 | All 8 VA questions | VA done, jumbles last | Type best guesses on TITA |
| 34:30–39:00 | RC passage 4 (hardest) | 2–3 questions | Answer only direct-reference questions |
| 39:00–40:00 | Sweep | No blank TITA answers | Fill every TITA blank |
Glance at the clock only at these checkpoints. Checking it every minute drains focus and makes panic worse.
Your First 90 Seconds: Scanning Passages Without Wasting Them
The scan decides your passage order, so keep it short.
- Read the first few lines of each passage and glance at the length.
- Attempt first: a clear structure, concrete language, or a familiar theme.
- Attempt last: abstract, philosophy-heavy writing with long, nested sentences.
- Do not assume a short passage is easy. Judge by the language and by how direct the questions look.
Stop at 90 seconds. A long scan is time you take from the questions.
Reading a Passage in Under Three Minutes
You are not trying to memorise the passage. You are building a map that tells you where to look.
- Read for the job of each paragraph. Ask what it does: introduce, argue, counter, give an example, or conclude.
- State the gist in one line before you open the questions.
- Note the author’s attitude. Look for turns such as “however”, concessions, and loaded adjectives.
- Go back to specific lines for detail questions. Never re-read the whole passage.
| RC question type | Typical time | Fast approach |
|---|---|---|
| Main idea / primary purpose | 45–60 s | Use your one-line gist, then eliminate options that are too narrow or too broad |
| Inference | 75–90 s | Reject options that go beyond the text |
| Detail / reference | 60 s | Find the line, confirm, move on |
| Tone / author’s attitude | 60 s | Match the author’s strength of opinion; avoid extremes |
Elimination is faster than searching for the “right” option. Drop options that are too extreme (“always”, “never”, “only”), out of scope, or distorted. Fifteen seconds spent eliminating two options often saves a minute of re-reading.
The VA Block: 8 Questions in About 10.5 Minutes
Take the VA questions in order of reliability.
| Order | Type | Time cap | Approach |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Para Summary (MCQ) | 60 s | Find the central claim; reject options with extra or missing ideas |
| 2 | Para Completion (MCQ) | 60 s | Judge how the paragraph turns or ends; check flow, not keywords |
| 3 | Odd Sentence Out (TITA) | 75 s | Find the sentence that shifts topic, even if it shares keywords |
| 4 | Para Jumbles (TITA) | 120 s | Find the opener, link pronouns and connectors, build certain pairs first |
The caps add up to 630 seconds, which is 10.5 minutes. Because jumbles are time sinks, they come last. If a jumble passes 2 minutes, type your best pair-based order and move on. There is no penalty on TITA.
When to Skip, When to Guess: A Three-Tier Rule
Use this the moment you finish reading a question.
- Tier 1: confident. Mark it and go.
- Tier 2: two options left on an MCQ. Attempt it. The expected value is positive.
- Tier 3: no progress after about 90 seconds. Mark for review and move on. Come back only if the final minute allows.
- TITA, always. Type something for every typed-answer question.
What to Do When You’re Behind
| Situation | Action |
|---|---|
| 1–2 minutes behind at a checkpoint | Cap remaining questions at 60 seconds each and use elimination faster |
| 3+ minutes behind going into passage 4 | Read quickly and answer only the direct-reference questions |
| Stuck on a jumble | Build the most certain pair, type a best guess, move on |
| Mind has gone blank | Pause for a breath, look at the clock only at the next checkpoint, then take the next easiest question |
Your 30-Day Countdown to 29 November
Use these weeks to turn the plan into habit. The admit card is currently scheduled from 4 November, so check your slot details when it opens. For a longer prep structure, see our CAT VARC preparation plan.
| Dates | Focus | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| 30 Oct–5 Nov | Baseline | One 40-minute sectional in Blueprint A; log time per question type |
| 6–12 Nov | Test Blueprint B | One sectional; 2 timed RCs and 30 minutes of VA daily |
| 13–19 Nov | Test Blueprint C | One sectional; compare all three; lock your sequence by 19 Nov |
| 20–26 Nov | Rehearse | 2–3 full-length mocks using your locked plan; analyse every error |
| 27–28 Nov | Taper | One RC and a few VA questions; fixed sleep schedule |
| 29 Nov | Exam day | Follow your plan; don’t change it mid-section |
Keep a daily reading habit alongside this. Thirty minutes of editorials such as The Hindu’s editorial page helps reading speed more than any shortcut.
Mistakes That Quietly Cost VARC Marks
- Reading every word of the hardest passage first. It burns your best minutes on your lowest-yield questions.
- Treating all VA questions as free. Only the TITA ones are penalty-free.
- Re-reading the whole passage instead of going back to the relevant lines.
- Changing your sequence mid-exam because the first few minutes felt different from the mock.
- Attempting to prove you can do all 24. CAT rewards selection, not completion.
- Practising without an error log. Note the passage, question type, wrong reason and trap for every miss.
Summary on How to Attempt CAT VARC in 40 Minutes
To attempt CAT VARC in 40 minutes, split the section into a 1.5-minute scan, three full RC passages at about 7.5 minutes each, a 10.5-minute VA block, a selective fourth passage and a 1-minute sweep. Take TITA questions every time, and take MCQs only when you can narrow them to two options or better. Test RC-first, VA-first and hybrid in mocks, then lock your choice by 19 November.
FAQs on How to Attempt CAT VARC in 40 Minutes
Can I finish all 24 questions in CAT VARC?
Almost no one does so profitably. The section is built so that selection matters. Most CAT 2025 analyses put good attempts at roughly 16–19 questions.
Is there negative marking in VARC?
Yes, for MCQs: −1 for a wrong answer. TITA questions, such as para jumbles and odd sentence out in recent papers, carry no negative marking.
Should I read the questions before the passage?
It is a personal choice, and the research I found does not settle it. Test both approaches in two or three sectionals and keep the one that gives better accuracy.
What should I do if I get stuck on a para jumble?
Build the pair you are surest about and type your best order after about 2 minutes. There is no penalty, so a blank is a wasted chance.
Can I mark questions and come back later?
Yes, you can navigate within the section and mark questions for review. Use it only for questions that are close calls, and leave about a minute for the sweep.
How many mocks should I take in the final 30 days?
Take a VARC sectional every week for the first three weeks, then 2–3 full-length mocks. Analysing each one matters more than taking extra ones.
How to Attempt CAT VARC in 40 Minutes Conclusion
You do not need to be a faster reader overnight. You need a plan that tells you what to do at every checkpoint and a habit of following it. Test your sequence this fortnight, lock it, and walk into the exam with the clock already planned.
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