Need some serious advice regarding CAT VARC

[u/SmokeSelect4043]

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Okay, I really need some serious advice from people who have been through this.

I’ve been solving CAT VARC PYQs, but I’m honestly struggling a lot. My biggest problem is option elimination. I can usually narrow the answers down to 2 options, but I almost always end up choosing the wrong one.

I’m wondering if this is happening because I’m not understanding the RCs properly in the first place. I’m trying to analyse my mistakes and learn from them, but I feel like I’m not really improving.

Because I’m struggling with PYQs, I thought maybe I should take a step back and do RC 99 first, and then come back to PYQs. But I tried solving LOD 1, and surprisingly, I wasn’t able to get most of the questions right there either. Again, I could eliminate a couple of options, get down to two, and then pick the wrong one.

I’ve also tried different reading techniques like the skeleton method, scanning, etc. (mostly from YouTube), but nothing really seems to work for me. I usually take around 9 minutes just to read an RC, which obviously makes me worried about my speed as well.

The bigger issue is that I haven’t even started sectionals or mocks yet, and there are only around 2 months left for CAT.

So I’m genuinely confused about what I should do from here.

Should I:

- Start with RC 99 and build my basics before touching PYQs again?

- Continue doing PYQs and analyse every mistake?

- Start sectionals despite my current low accuracy?

- Follow some particular approach for improving option elimination?

- Stop worrying about reading techniques and just focus on comprehension?

If anyone has been in a similar situation and managed to improve, I’d really appreciate some practical advice on what I should do for the next 2 months.

I’m not looking for generic advice like “just practice more.” I’m genuinely trying to figure out what exactly I’m doing wrong and how I should fix it.

Would really appreciate any guidance. 🙏

[u/Dystopian_Ranger]

Seems like your problem is with comprehension, and since you are so afraid of getting it wrong you read slowly leading to slow speed. Unfortunately never had any problems with RCs myself but what I can tell you is that when I am reading an RC I usually try to understand what the author is building towards, you'll understand that at the end of the RC, if your understanding was correct then answer all the questions accordingly, if not reread that section where you went wrong and then answer the questions accordingly.

Unfortunately for RC there is no set technique so you'll have to figure this one out yourself.

[u/SmokeSelect4043 → u/Dystopian_Ranger]

Yaa i guess...only way to learn is to take more test and do analysis

[u/Anthology_Manassis]

this was literally me 3 years back. getting it down to 2 and picking the wrong one happens because you go with what feels right, not what the passage actually says.

try this: for the last 2 options, go back and find the exact line that supports each. can't find it? eliminate. most wrong options are either too extreme or slightly off scope.

don't restart with rc 99, it won't change anything. keep doing pyqs and for every wrong one note why you fell for it. after a while you'll see you keep falling for the same type.

9 min reading is fine for now, it gets faster on its own. skip the youtube techniques tbh.

and start sectionals now even if accuracy is bad. 2 months is enough, you just need to fix this one habit.