Which VARC Topics Are Most Likely To Repeat in CAT 2027? Check Last 5 Years opic-Wise Weightage, Trend Analysis & More

Last Updated: Oct 31, 2026, 17:17 IST

Candidates preparing for CAT 2027 exam can check most repeated VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension) topics from the last 5 years. They can also find topic-wise weightage and completed trend analysis shared in the article below. 

Which VARC Topics Are Most Likely To Repeat in CAT 2027? Check Last 5 Years opic-Wise Weightage, Trend Analysis & More
Which VARC Topics Are Most Likely To Repeat in CAT 2027? Check Last 5 Years opic-Wise Weightage, Trend Analysis & More

CAT 2027: VARC topics in CAT (Common Aptitude Test) includes Verbal Activity and Reading Comprehension questions are designed to test language proficiency, reading and critical reasoning skills etc. VARC topics are expected to repeat and dominate the CAT 2027.

When reading a long CAT passage, it is a time-consuming section. With hardly 40 minutes' time to complete 24 questions, success in the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section is more about knowing exactly what the examiners wish to repeat year after year. A broad analysis shows it to be remarkably consistent over the past five years: common reading-comprehension-based passages make up about two-thirds of the paper. Very specific question types, like Para Summaries, Para Jumbles, and Specific Detail deductions happen like clockwork. This article, however explains the exact repeating patterns so that you can focus on what's important in your studies. 

Check| What were the Most Repeated Quant Topics in CAT in Last 5 Years? Check Topic-Wise Weightage, Trend Analysis & More

VARC Section Structure & Question Distribution (2020-2025)

This table indicates the breakdown of the English paper over six years. From the year 2021 onwards, the exam has been using a fixed style of 24 questions. The reading of long story passages constitutes 16 of the total questions, which is 66% of the paper, while relatively short English puzzles form the remaining eight questions.

Exam Year

Total VARC Questions

RC Questions

VA Questions

RC Share (%)

VA Share (%)

2025

24

16

8

66.67%

33.33%

2024

24

16

8

66.67%

33.33%

2023

24

16

8

66.67%

33.33%

2022

24

16

8

66.67%

33.33%

2021

24

16

8

66.67%

33.33%

2020

26

18

8

69.23%

30.77%

Reading Comprehension Question Type Distribution (2020–2025)

This table outlines the different types of questions presented from passages on reading. More than half of the questions require finding exact facts or guessing implied meanings from what the author wrote. Then come questions about why an author gave a specific example. The sad thing is that the questions about tone and attitude have nearly been eliminated from the examination.

Question Type

Total Questions

Common Passage Themes

Core Skill Evaluated

Specific Detail

29

Science, History, Economics, Tech

Locating stated facts and checking context

Inference

23

Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology

Understanding hidden ideas not said directly

Argument Analysis

15

Philosophy, Politics, Social Issues

Spotting claims, reasons, and assumptions

Structure & Function

15

Literature, History, Science

Understanding why a writer gives an example

Main Idea

9

Philosophy, Literature, Economics

Finding the central message of the whole story

Application

8

Science, Technology, Environment

Using the author's rule in a new situation

Tone & Author Attitude

1

Literature, Social Debates

Guessing how the writer feels about the topic

Total Questions Analyzed

100

All Major Domains

Core Reading Comprehension Pool

CAT Verbal Ability (VA) Question Type Weightage

This table provides information about the distribution of the eight short English questions. Over 60% of the marks come from summarising the short passage and arranging sentences in the correct order. One of the advantages of these types of questions is that the wrong answers will not contribute negatively to the overall score of this section. The rest of the questions require the participants to either find the odd sentence out or provide the missing sentence.

VA Question Type

Share in VA Portion

Format Type

Typical Question Count

Para Summary

31%

MCQ / TITA

2–3 Questions

Para Jumbles

31%

TITA (No Negative Marking)

2–3 Questions

Odd One Out

22%

TITA (No Negative Marking)

2 Questions

Para Completion / Sentence Insertion

16%

MCQ / TITA

1–2 Questions

Total VA Section

100%

Mixed Objective

8 Questions

CAT 2026: VARC 6-Year Trend Analysis 

This table shows how reading passages have changed over six years. The exam has changed to shift from simple story questions into complex themes, such as philosophy, human society, and scientific controversies. Questions have flipped from being memory-testing to one where you find hidden tricks and tricky answers. To get tension-free with these passages, you need to read such tough articles frequently.

Year

Primary RC Focus

VA Pattern

Major Characteristics & Themes

2025

Inference & Interpretation

Mixed VA formats (Summary + PJ)

Dense passages with closely framed, deceptive option traps

2024

Analytical & Conceptual

Summary, Odd One Out, Sentence Placement

Abstract themes, sociology, environment, and science

2023

Critical Reasoning & Inference

PJ, Summary, Odd One Out, Sentence Insertion

Economics, literary criticism, philosophy, and history

2022

Fact & Inference

PJ, Summary, Odd One Out, Sentence Placement

Management, tech policy, anthropology, and humanities

2021

Critical Reasoning & Inference

Para Jumbles, Summary, Odd One Out

Emerging technology, environment, literature, sociology

2020

Fact & Inference

Para Jumbles, Summary, Odd One Out

Science, nature, modern history, psychology, tech evolution

From past six years, the structure of the VARC section of the CAT exam has remained the same. It includes 16 Reading Comprehension questions taken from 4 passages (two-thirds of the entire score) and 8 Verbal Ability questions. While the reading part asks detailed questions and deep inference questions, almost all of them come from reading comprehension. 

On the other hand, Summary and Jumble questions in Verbal Ability form almost 66% of this section and are not subject to negative marking. Overall, the passages remain in the range of 400-500 words, the topics include complex concepts like science, philosophy, and art history.

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Jaya Gupta
Jaya Gupta

Executive - Editorial

Jaya Gupta is an Education Content professional with over four years of experience in writing marketing and academic content, alongside a year of experience working with an indie publishing house. Currently, she is covering higher education content for Jagran Josh (Jagran New Media), leveraging her academic knowledge. She specializes in covering management, engineering, law, medical colleges, study abroad and GATE exams. She holds a Master's degree in English Literature, successfully qualified the 2024 UGC NET, and has guided more than 100 students in framing effective study-abroad academic essays. Her writing interests vary across education, creative expression, and digital culture.

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First Published: Oct 31, 2026, 17:17 IST

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