Can I ace CAT VARC if I’ve already prepared for GMAT Verbal section?

Question

Divakshi Arora · Accepted Answer

If someone&rsquo;s already done serious prep for GMAT Verbal, it definitely helps with CAT VARC ,  especially for Reading Comprehension. GMAT RC trains you to read dense passages with focus and answer questions based on logic, which is a huge part of CAT too.
But beyond RC, the overlap drops. GMAT doesn't test para jumbles, odd-sentence-out, or summary questions, which make up almost half of CAT VARC. These need their own strategy and muscle memory. In CAT, you can&rsquo;t rely on elimination or options ,  especially in TITA (type-in-the-answer) questions. That&rsquo;s a big shift from GMAT&rsquo;s multiple-choice style.
Also, CAT RC options are more indirect. They test tone, inference, and trap choices more aggressively. So even if accuracy is high on GMAT RC, you still need to adjust to CAT-style logic. So yes, a GMAT Verbal base is useful, but acing CAT VARC requires dedicated practice on non-RC question types and getting used to CAT&rsquo;s trickier options.

Shruti T · Answer

GMAT Verbal prep gives a solid head start, but CAT VARC has its own quirks. Here&rsquo;s what matters if the goal is to ace CAT:
&bull; RCs are longer and more inference-heavy in CAT. GMAT trains you in precision, but CAT RC needs more comfort with vague or indirect options. &bull; CAT has TITA questions (no options) in VA &mdash; para jumbles and odd-one-out. These don&rsquo;t exist in GMAT, so they need targeted practice from day one. &bull; Reading style changes too. CAT includes abstract, philosophical, or dense humanities-based RCs that aren&rsquo;t as common in GMAT. &bull; In CAT, time pressure is worse. VARC section has to be solved fast with no individual timing per question like in GMAT. &bull; Build a habit of solving 3&ndash;4 VA questions daily. Sites like 2IIM and past CAT VA sets help get used to the format and logic.
GMAT Verbal builds strong reading discipline. But CAT VARC rewards familiarity with patterns &mdash; and that only comes from specific practice.

Jayant M · Answer

If you&rsquo;ve already prepared for GMAT Verbal, you&rsquo;ll find some parts of CAT VARC easier, especially the basic reading and reasoning skills. But you still can&rsquo;t rely on GMAT prep alone because CAT VARC is a completely different challenge. CAT passages are longer, denser, and far more inference-based. There&rsquo;s no grammar section to save marks, and accuracy matters more than rules.
You&rsquo;ll also need extra practice for parajumbles, odd-sentence-out, and summary questions since none of these appear in GMAT. GMAT gives you structure; CAT expects adaptability. With a few weeks of CAT-style practice, the GMAT foundation helps, but you&rsquo;ll need to train specifically for the CAT way of asking questions.

Mansih K · Answer

Many students switch from GMAT prep to CAT VARC and realise the shift is bigger than expected. Here&rsquo;s how it usually goes:
&bull; RC feels tougher because CAT focuses heavily on inference &bull; There&rsquo;s no grammar or sentence correction like GMAT &bull; CAT logic questions rely more on intuition than rules &bull; Parajumbles and Odd One Out take extra practice &bull; Accuracy matters more than polished English
GMAT Verbal gives you a strong base in reading clarity, but CAT demands comfort with ambiguity. If you add consistent CAT-style reading and solve a few full VARC sections, you can still perform really well &mdash; the key is adapting to the unpredictability of the CAT format.