CAT 2023 VARC Analysis: Slot 2 Breakdown & Strategy
📋 Table of Contents
🔍 Introduction
The CAT 2023 VARC Slot 2 section featured a combination of readable RCs and familiar Verbal Ability formats. A standout this year was the appearance of a "mandatory" VA question, which had to be attempted by all. This, along with the return of odd-sentence-out questions and the continuation of para-completion, meant that prioritization and time management were crucial. Here's the full analysis.
📊 CAT 2023 VARC Slot 2 Structure
| Section | Questions | MCQ | TITA | Notes |
|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 16 (4+4+4+4) | 16 | 0 | ~400–450 words/passages |
| Para-jumbles | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 Easy, 1 Medium |
| Summary | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 Easy, 1 Medium |
| Para-completion | 2 | 2 | 0 | Both Easy |
| Odd Sentence Out | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 Easy, 1 Medium |
| Total | 24 | 20 | 4 | 1 Mandatory Question (marked with ⚠️) |
- Total time: 40 minutes
- Section overall: Easy to Medium
📘 Reading Comprehension Review
RC Topics and Difficulty
| Topic | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|
| Second-hand Fashion & Environmental Impact | Easy | Clear structure, fact-based |
| Netflix Dubbing & Cultural Impact | Easy | 3 questions doable, 1 tricky |
| Why Liberalism Failed (Book Review) | Medium | Moderate depth, 2 inference-heavy |
| Historical Fact & Interpretation | Difficult | Abstract, philosophical argumentation |
Insights
- Two passages were highly scorable: Fashion & Netflix
- Liberalism and History RCs needed sharper comprehension
- Ideal strategy: Solve 3 RCs, skip 1 (likely History)
🧠 Verbal Ability Breakdown (Mandatory Question & Return of Odd Sentence)
Para-jumbles (2 TITA Questions)
- 1 Easy, 1 Medium
- Flow logic + clue-based pairing
- Attempt both—TITA = No penalty
Summary Questions (2 MCQs)
- 1 Easy, 1 Medium
- Close-option elimination needed
- Avoid summaries with extra info or misaligned tone
Para-completion (2 MCQs)
- Both were easy
- Focused on logical continuation
- Must-read sentence flow, test insertion mentally
Odd Sentence Out (2 TITA Questions)
- 1 Easy, 1 Medium
- Identify mismatch in theme or tone
- Return of the format after reintroduction in 2022
⚠️ Mandatory Question
- One VA question (not specified which) marked as mandatory
- System required it to be answered to submit the section
- Strategy: Avoid skipping any question without checking status
⏱️ Ideal Attempt Strategy
| Target Percentile | Attempt Range | Accuracy Goal | Score Estimate |
|---|
| 99%ile | 17–19 | 75–80% | 40–42 marks |
| 95%ile | 15–16 | 75% | 35–37 marks |
| 90%ile | 13–14 | 70–75% | 30–33 marks |
Time Allocation
- RCs: 25–27 minutes
- VA: 13–15 minutes
- Attempt all TITA and low-effort VA types (summary, para-completion)
📌 How to Solve Mandatory & Odd Sentence Questions
For Mandatory Questions
- Confirm any ⚠️ marked question before navigating away
- Avoid flagging and skipping—answer all VA if unsure which is mandatory
- Attempt the easiest ones first to avoid last-minute pressure
Odd Sentence Strategy
- Group 4 of 5 logically (topic, tone, flow)
- Identify the sentence that disrupts flow or diverges in topic
- Use connectives and subject match as clues
- Recheck your grouped paragraph—if it sounds natural, the leftover is likely the odd one
❓ FAQs
- Was CAT 2023 Slot 2 more difficult than Slot 1? No. It was similar in structure and slightly easier in terms of RC readability.
- What is a mandatory question in CAT VARC? It’s a flagged question marked as mandatory (⚠️), meaning it must be attempted for the section to be submitted.
- Should I skip the Historical Fact RC? Only if short on time or struggling with abstraction. Attempt first three RCs for maximum return.
✅ Conclusion
The CAT 2023 VARC Slot 2 paper balanced familiarity and freshness with the mandatory question alert, continued use of para-completion, and odd-sentence-out format. With strategic selection, students could easily push past 95 percentile. Focus on quick RCs, risk-free TITA questions, and alert handling of flagged items.
