CAT 2025 Expert Tips for Verbal Ability: IIM Professor Shares Strategy

As the Common Admission Test (CAT 2025) draws near, aspirants are preparing for one of the most challenging sections: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC). A leading professor from the Indian Institute of Management Sambalpur has shared key strategies aimed at boosting accuracy and performance in this section. According to the expert, many candidates focus on speed and volume, but the real differentiator in VARC is precision, strategic revision and thorough practice of recurring error types.

Precision Over Volume: Core Advice for VARC

In the run-up to the exam, aspirants often aim to cover large question banks. The professor advises a shift in mindset: emphasise quality rather than quantity. Key recommendations:

• Review sentence correction mistakes by categorising them under subject-verb agreement, pronouns, modifiers and parallelism.
• Maintain a daily “mistake log” to track recurring error patterns and review them systematically.
• For para-jumbles, focus on the logical sequence of sentences—identify connectors like contrast words (“however”, “although”) or chronology markers (“initially”, “later”) rather than guessing positions.

Play to Strengths, Manage Weaknesses & Boost Accuracy

To maximise VARC performance, the professor recommends a strategic allocation of time and effort:

• If Reading Comprehension is a strength, allocate approximately 45-50 minutes to RC and reserve 10-12 minutes for grammar and verbal questions.
• Attempt only those VA questions in which you feel at least 80% confident—three to four correct answers can significantly elevate your percentile.
• Avoid random guessing: one incorrect answer may offset two correct ones, so accuracy is more valuable than quantity.

Final Stretch: Structured Practice & Mental Readiness

With less than the final stretch remaining, aspirants should adopt a clean routine:

• Do mock tests at the same time slot as your actual CAT Exam for rhythm adaptation.
• After each test, analyse mistakes and update your mistake log.
• In the exam hall, when down to two choices, ask: “Which option preserves the meaning most naturally, avoids ambiguity, and maintains correct grammar and flow?”
• Stay composed: many mistakes arise not from lack of knowledge, but from fatigue, overthinking or anxiety.

By follow­ing these refined strategies—understanding sentence logic, tracking errors, mastering para-jumbles, playing to one’s strengths and prioritising accuracy—candidates can approach CAT 2025’s VARC section with confidence and composure. Follow KollegeApply for the latest updates on College Admissions, Courses, Exam Dates, Results, Scholarships, Career Guidance, Education News, and Policy Changes — everything needed to stay ahead in the education journey