CAT 2026: Focus on clarity, time management; tips to prepare for VARC, DILR, Quant sections

The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026, scheduled to be conducted on November 29, will have a total of 68 questions divided into three sections such as Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA). Candidates must choose questions on the basis of clarity and time, expert Pradeep Pandey Academic, head at TIME (Triumphant Institute of Management Education), said.

As per the marking scheme, candidates will be awarded three marks, and one mark will be deducted for each wrong response in the MBA and management admission test.

The expert has shared a few tips for CAT 2026 aspirants on how to deal with questions in VARC, DILR, and QA sections.

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Use mock tests as laboratories to prepare for VARC, DILR, QA: Expert

According to Panday, VARC requires passage selection, interpretation and option elimination, DILR requires scanning, comparison and structured representation, while Quant requires syllabus coverage, conceptual application and controlled calculation.

Students should use mocks as laboratories, test an approach, study the result, identify the gap and make one corrective change, he said.

“Every year, CAT aspirants search for one universal strategy. They want one ideal timetable, one fixed attempt target and one time-management formula that can be applied equally to VARC, DILR and Quant ,” Pandey added.

“In my experience of guiding students, this is where many preparations begin to go wrong. The three sections may appear together on the same screen, but they demand three different kinds of thinking. VARC requires interpretation, DILR demands selection and structured reasoning, while Quant tests conceptual application, formulation and calculation. The goal is common—accurate marks within limited time—but the route to that goal must be different,” he said.

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How to deal with VARC questions?

VARC tests whether a student can understand an unfamiliar argument, identify the author’s intention and distinguish a logically correct option from a tempting one.

Passage selection is therefore important and a candidate should not select a passage only because it is short or based on a familiar subject.

“During the initial scan, look at the subject, paragraph structure, density of language, tone and the nature of the questions. A long passage with a clear argument may be easier than a short passage with abstract reasoning,” the expert said.

He further said that a sensible order is to select one passage where the central idea becomes clear quickly, followed by a passage of moderate difficulty.

A passage can be postponed if its argument remains unclear even after careful reading or if its questions appear heavily inference-based and time-consuming. This decision should be based on the passage’s structure, not on fear of a particular subject.

“Read editorials, science, history, economics, philosophy and social commentary. While reading, ask: What is the author really saying? Why has this example been included? Is the tone critical, appreciative, doubtful or neutral?,” he added.

Candidates should not decide in advance that every VA question must be attempted. Choose questions on the basis of clarity and time.

“In para summary, first identify the central idea and reject options that are too broad, too narrow or introduce information not present in the paragraph. In Para Jumbles, look for mandatory pairs, opening sentences, pronoun references and logical transitions. In Odd Sentence questions, identify the sentence that breaks the central flow or changes the subject,” he said.

VARC rewards comprehension, elimination and judgement. The correct option is not necessarily the one that repeats words from the passage; it is the one that represents the author’s meaning most accurately,” he added.

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‘DILR is a problem-selection section’

According to the expert, DILR is not only a problem-solving section. It is also a problem-selection section.

Candidates should use the first 8–10 minutes should be used for a serious scan of all three sets. This does not mean glancing at their titles and immediately choosing the first familiar-looking set. Read deeply enough to understand the structure of each set, the variables involved, the likely entry point and the amount of calculation or casework required, the expert ‘s tips read.

Only after comparing all three sets should you decide where to begin. “A familiar topic may involve difficult casework, while an unfamiliar-looking set may have a simple structure. The topic name must not make the decision for you,” he said.

“If a set appears strange, spend 2–3 mins understanding what is given and what is required before rejecting it. But once sustained effort produces no measurable progress, move on. Leaving a set is not failure; it is a scoring decision,” he added.

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Use study material booklets for Quant preparation

Quant rewards conceptual clarity, but it also exposes incomplete preparation. A student who masters a few favourite chapters and ignores the rest is depending too heavily on the paper’s generosity.

The better approach is to complete basic or Level 1 preparation across all chapters. This does not mean mastering every advanced problem. It means being able to recognise and attempt easy and moderate questions from every major area.

Chapters should not be labelled permanently as easy or difficult. Difficulty belongs to the question, not the chapter name. Geometry may produce a direct question, while Arithmetic may require lengthy calculations. Algebra may look intimidating but contain a simple observation.

Class handouts should be used for concepts, formulas and standard methods. Study Material booklets should be used for active problem-solving. Sectional tests and mocks should decide what needs further revision.

Give special priority to questions in which you spent considerable time but still made an error. Such questions reveal both a knowledge gap and a time-management problem.

Quant also rewards flexibility. Options, estimation, simple values, diagrams and range analysis can sometimes save time. However, an alternative method is useful only when the student understands why it works. A shortcut memorised without understanding can create more errors than it prevents.