NinetynineMost important topics for CAT VARC
The most important CAT VARC topics, by questions asked from 2017 to 2025, are RC · Society, History & Politics (179), RC · Science & Technology (138), Para Jumbles (81). The top five cover 78% of all 642 VARC questions. The full ranking, trends and an example PYQ for each topic follow.
Key facts
- RC · Society, History & Politics is the most-asked CAT VARC topic since 2017, with 179 of 642 questions (28%).
- No VARC topic appeared in all 24 papers; the most consistent is Para Jumbles (21 papers).
- Para Summary, RC · Arts & Culture, Sentence Placement are rising in CAT VARC: asked more often per paper in 2022–2025 than in 2018–2021.
- RC · Society, History & Politics, RC · Science & Technology, Para Jumbles, RC · Humanities & Philosophy have been asked less often per paper since 2022.
Which VARC topics does CAT ask most?
Ranked by questions asked across all 24 papers. "Per paper" columns compare the last four years with the four before, because papers got shorter after 2019.
| # | Topic | Questions | Share of section | Per paper 2022–2025 | Per paper 2018–2021 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RC · Society, History & Politics | 179 | 28% | 5.7 | 9.0 | falling |
| 2 | RC · Science & Technology | 138 | 21% | 4.7 | 6.1 | falling |
| 3 | Para Jumbles | 81 | 13% | 1.8 | 4.6 | falling |
| 4 | RC · Humanities & Philosophy | 54 | 8% | 1.7 | 3.4 | falling |
| 5 | Para Summary | 48 | 7% | 2.5 | 1.8 | rising |
| 6 | RC · Economics & Business | 44 | 7% | 1.7 | 1.5 | steady |
| 7 | RC · Arts & Culture | 41 | 6% | 2.3 | 1.0 | rising |
| 8 | Odd Sentence Out | 30 | 5% | 1.5 | 1.2 | steady |
| 9 | Sentence Placement | 27 | 4% | 2.3 | 0.0 | rising |
What should I study first for CAT VARC?
Start with the top five: RC · Society, History & Politics, RC · Science & Technology, Para Jumbles, RC · Humanities & Philosophy, Para Summary. Real examples to try first:
- RC · Society, History & Politics: CAT 2025 Slot 3 VARC Passage 4, CAT 2025 Slot 3 VARC Passage 3, CAT 2025 Slot 1 VARC Passage 4
- RC · Science & Technology: CAT 2025 Slot 2 VARC Passage 4, CAT 2025 Slot 2 VARC Passage 3, CAT 2025 Slot 2 VARC Passage 2
- Para Jumbles: CAT 2025 Slot 3 · VARC Q16, CAT 2025 Slot 3 · VARC Q12, CAT 2025 Slot 2 · VARC Q24
- RC · Humanities & Philosophy: CAT 2025 Slot 3 VARC Passage 2, CAT 2023 Slot 3 VARC Passage 4, CAT 2023 Slot 3 VARC Passage 2
- Para Summary: CAT 2025 Slot 3 · VARC Q14, CAT 2025 Slot 3 · VARC Q7, CAT 2025 Slot 2 · VARC Q14
For RC, the subject matters less than the question type; for verbal ability, para jumbles and summaries reward a fixed routine.
Which VARC topics can I give less time?
RC · Arts & Culture (41 questions, in 9 of 24 papers), Odd Sentence Out (30 questions, in 15 of 24 papers), Sentence Placement (27 questions, in 12 of 24 papers) are the least asked. Less time is not no time: one or two questions on them is common, and they are often the easier ones in a paper.
How do I practise these topics from previous year papers?
Work topic by topic through the real questions: every topic page lists all CAT questions on it, newest first, with answers and worked solutions. Then take full papers under time so you also practise choosing what to attempt. A full plan for using PYQs.
Method: counted from all 24 CAT papers 2017–2025 (1,830 questions), each tagged with one topic. How the data is built.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most important topic in CAT VARC?
RC · Society, History & Politics, asked 179 times in 24 CAT papers from 2017 to 2025.
How many VARC questions come in CAT?
24 per slot in CAT 2025, in 40 minutes. Papers from 2017 to 2019 had 34.
Are the important VARC topics the same every year?
Mostly. RC · Society, History & Politics, RC · Science & Technology, Para Jumbles have led throughout, but per-paper counts shift; see the trend column above and the year-by-year table on the topic weightage page.