Consistently scoring 99+ in VARC requires active reading habits built over years, not months, combined with practice on past CAT and GMAT papers. The OP scored 99.6, 99.
- 6, and 99.9 in three CAT attempts at VARC, and attributed it to being a voracious reader since age 10 and working part-time as a content writer. For late starters who can't build decade-long reading habits, the shortcut is: (
- solve past 10-15 years of CAT VARC papers (not mocks), (
- solve past GMAT RC papers, (
- do not rely on mock VARCs because CAT sets 3 papers per year and mock providers can't maintain that quality.
- Strategy for exam day: start with RCs (attempt all, minimal skips), move to VA (answer all with confidence), review less-sure VA answers in buffer time. Mock VARC scores are unreliable indicators of CAT performance because mocks overweight trickiness and underweight consistent logic. For 40+ marks in CAT VARC, mastery of: (
- active reading with author's tone and intent, (
- pattern recognition for para jumble and summary questions, (
- trap identification for extreme-option choices.
Practice daily: read The New Yorker, The Economist, Aeon essays, or similar high-quality long-form content for 60-90 minutes. IIM Mumbai at Rs 23L fees and Rs 22 LPA average accepts candidates with balanced sectional performance; VARC at 99+ plus QA/DILR at 90+ is a typical winning combination. Check your eligibility at collvera.