250 RCs for CAT Exam: Course Explainer | 250 RCs for CAT Exam PDF Download

Reading Comprehension (RC) plays a crucial role in the VARC section of the CAT exam. Out of the 24 questions in this section, 16 come from RC alone—spread across 4 passages with 4 questions each. The remaining 8 questions test Verbal Ability skills such as Para Jumbles and Odd One Out. With RC making up two-thirds of the VARC section, mastering it is key to boosting your overall score.

Importance of RCs

• Scoring Boost: Each correct RC answer earns you 3 marks, making it a high-impact area for improving your overall CAT score.
• Time Management: Since RC makes up most of the VARC section, practising regularly helps you read faster and manage your time better during the exam.
• Skill Building: RC improves your ability to understand complex texts—an essential skill not just for CAT, but for real-life problem-solving and other competitive exams.
• Vocabulary Growth: Regular reading introduces you to new words and phrases, strengthening your vocabulary.
• Cross-Section Benefits: Strong reading skills also help in DI and LR, where quick comprehension is key.
• Gateway to Top Colleges: Excelling in RC improves your chances of getting into premier institutes like the IIMs. It reflects not only academic strength but also critical thinking and comprehension skills valued by top B-schools.

Tips to Solve RCs

The following are some effective strategies to solve CAT Reading Comprehension:

1. Build Vocabulary Strategically

While a strong vocabulary aids in understanding passages, avoid excessive focus. Enhance your lexical skills by:

• Reading diverse materials (articles, journals, fiction) to grasp nuanced word meanings.
• Actively incorporating new words into daily communication.
• Maintaining a vocabulary journal to track and review unfamiliar terms.
• Aim to learn 10 new words daily. You can use Word Lists for this. 

2. Focus on Core Ideas, Not Small Details

Prioritise understanding the passage’s main message and structure. Avoid fixating on:

• Isolated examples, anecdotes, or statistical data, unless they directly reinforce key points.
• Over-analysing minor details can distract from the overall narrative or argument.

Example: Suppose you’re reading a passage about climate change policy. The author’s main argument is that international cooperation is essential to tackle global warming.

Now, the passage may include:

• A brief anecdote about a flood in Kerala

• A statistic about carbon emissions in Canada

• A quote from a UN report
  If you focus too much on remembering those details, you might miss the core message — that solving climate change requires countries to work together.

In RC questions, especially inference or main idea ones, identifying this central argument is far more important than recalling supporting facts.

3. Understand, don't Memorise 

Do not waste time memorising every detail of the RC. Instead:

• Track the logical flow and transitions between paragraphs.
• Identify the author’s tone, purpose, and primary conclusions.
• Summarise sections mentally to retain essential ideas.

4. Guess Word Meanings Using Context Clues

For unfamiliar words or phrases:

• Analyse surrounding sentences for synonyms, antonyms, or explanatory context.
• Look for tone indicators (e.g., positive/negative language) to infer meanings.
• Break down complex sentences into simpler components to grasp the core idea.
• Remember that while the CAT exam does not directly test vocabulary anymore, there are questions based on the contextual meaning of words. 

Example:
“Despite the manager’s acerbic tone during the meeting, the team remained calm and professional. His sharp criticism was not unexpected, as he was known for being blunt and unsparing in his feedback.”

Even if you don’t know the meaning of acerbic, the surrounding context gives you clues:

• Phrases like “sharp criticism”, “blunt”, and “unsparing” suggest a harsh or biting tone.

• The contrast with “the team remained calm” hints that the tone was negative.

From this, you can infer that acerbic likely means harsh or sharply critical—which is correct.

5. Stick to the Passage

Correct answers are always found within the passage— directly or indirectly. Eliminate options that rely on external knowledge or go off-topic.

6. Adopt a Flexible Approach

You can try out the following approaches and see what works for you the best:

• Passage-First Approach: Read the entire passage thoroughly before tackling questions. Ideal for those who prefer a holistic understanding.
• Question-First Approach: Skim questions first to target specific details while reading. Saves time for detail-oriented test-takers.

EduRev Tip: Experiment during practice to determine which method boosts accuracy and speed.

Remember that mastering RC in the CAT exam is a gradual process. Be patient with yourself and keep working on improving your reading comprehension abilities. With dedication and practice, you can significantly enhance your performance in this section.

Now, you may be wondering where to find sources to practice such RCs on a regular basis.

Fear not, EduRev offers a 250 RCs for Practice course. Let us look at what is offered in detail in this course.

What All Do We Provide in this Course?

EduRev has an exhaustive set of material waiting for you:

RC of the Day: 100 RCs

• EduRev provides you with 100 passages to practice under the "RC of the Day" section on different topics. 
• For CAT preparation, it is a must to practice at least one RC every day.
• This helps you get used to different kinds of passages you might face in the CAT exam.
• The questions in these passages are based on the pattern of the CAT exam. So you can get a real feel of the exam pattern and difficulty.

CAT Previous Year RCs

• You can also practice with passages from previous CAT tests. This helps you understand what to expect in the real exam.
• EduRev provides RCs of CAT exams held from 2015 to 2024.

Topic-Wise RCs

• EduRev provides a separate section of topic-wise RCs so that you can individually practice RCs based on a particular topic and strengthen that area.
• This means you can focus on areas where you need improvement.
• The topics on which RCs provided are:
  • Science and Technology
  • History
  • Philosophy & Humanities
  • Health and Medicine
  • Environment
  • Business and Economics
  • Education
  • Art, Literary and Criticism
  • Climate Change
  • Current Affairs

RC Concepts: Learn How to Solve RCs

• This course also provides you with video lectures on how to solve RCs. 
• Each question is solved step by step. Each option of the question is analysed well so that you can understand how to tackle RC questions.
• The videos teach you tricks and tips to understand passages better and answer questions faster.

Aeon-Based RC

• EduRev has transformed renowned Aeon Essays into interactive Reading Comprehensions. This innovative approach enables learners to engage with and practice challenging essays. 
• Following each RC, we provide detailed answers, ensuring a comprehensive learning experience. Our goal is to facilitate a deeper understanding of complex ideas and enhance critical thinking skills through this unique educational format.

News-Based RC

• We've revolutionised the learning experience by converting news articles from renowned and leading newspapers into interactive Reading Comprehensions. 
• This forward-thinking method empowers learners to actively engage with and tackle complex essays. 
• With detailed answers accompanying each RC, we ensure a thorough learning journey.

Daily Reads for VARC: News Sources 

• We have curated important articles from famous news sources for you to read daily.
• Reading newspapers is extremely important for your preparation for the CAT Exam.
• Along with the articles, we also provide their summary and vocabulary.
• The summarisation of the article helps your mind grasp the passage in a better way. 
• The difficult words in each article help you widen your vocabulary, which ultimately helps you understand the RC in a better way.

Daily Reads for VARC: Aeon Essays

• We have curated important articles from Aeon for you to read on a daily basis on a single platform.
• Aeon Essays is a well-known place on the internet for really good and smart writing
• Along with the articles, we also provide their summary and vocabulary.
• The summarisation of the article helps your mind grasp the passage in a better way. 
• The difficult words in each article help you widen your vocabulary, which ultimately helps you understand the RC in a better way.

Mock Tests for RCs

• We provide 10 practice tests specifically for reading comprehension for the CAT exam based on the current exam pattern. 
• This helps you see how well you're doing.
• You can also check the detailed solutions and analyse where you are lacking.
• We provide test analysis as well.

Practising RC with EduRev helps you get better at reading and understanding passages, which is super important for the CAT test. So, start practising and get ready to do your best in the CAT exam!