In Week 8 of Rediff's MBA preparation series, CAT expert Aashish Sood shares strategies that will help improve your reading comprehension and verbal ability skills.
As the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2025 draws closer -- the exam is scheduled for November 30, 2025 -- aspirants will need to focus on the verbal ability and reading comprehension (VA-RC) section.
This section doesn't just test your English proficiency; it measures how well you process information, draw inferences and think critically under time pressure.
According to CAT expert Aashish Sood, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow and Delhi Technical University, "The VA-RC section basically evaluates whether you understand grammar and have the stamina to read and comprehend quickly."
1. Build reading stamina
It is important at this stage, says Sood, to improve your reading speed and comprehension skills.
"Your reading speed should be around 300 words per minute," he advises.
To develop this skill, you must read diverse material daily -- editorials, features and analytical opinion pieces.
"Read newspapers for ideas and mark difficult words to expand your vocabulary," he adds.
2. Practise variety of questions
The VA-RC section typically includes para jumbles, summaries and inference-based reading comprehension, demanding both conceptual clarity and flexibility.
"Solve different types of questions, understand where you went wrong and identify how to improve your speed and timing," Sood suggests.
3. Spare time to review your work
One of the most common mistakes aspirants make, according to Sood, is skipping the review step.
"You may have made a mistake but you won't spot it unless you review your final answers," he cautions.
Revisiting attempted questions will help you spot careless errors and improve accuracy, which will help you in the overall percentile.
Do check out the video below where CAT expert Aashish Sood shares actionable tips to boost your accuracy, speed and comprehension skills for the VA-RC section.
Production: Afsar Dayatar/Rediff
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ALSO SEE
- Part 1: What You Need To Know About CAT 2025
- Part 2: Beyond CAT: MBA Entrance Exams in India
- Part 3: How To Prepare For CAT 2025
- Part 4: How to Excel in Quantitative Aptitude
- Part 5: How to score well in Quant
- Part 6: How to prepare for Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
- Part 7: DI-LR Tips: Focus on Accuracy, Not Attempts
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