CAT RC Strategy: How Much of a RC Passage Do You Really Need to Understand?

If you’ve ever read a Reading Comprehension (RC) passage and thought, “I don’t understand half of this, I’m doomed,” don’t worry.

Here’s the good news: you don’t need to understand every single word of a CAT RC passage to answer questions correctly.

In fact, most CAT toppers don’t aim for 100%! They usually understand only about 70–80% of the passage, yet maintain excellent accuracy in RC questions. Let’s explore why this strategy works and how you can apply it in your CAT preparation.

The Big Myth About RC Accuracy in CAT

Many CAT aspirants believe: “I must understand every line of the passage, or I’ll get the question wrong.”As a result, they often:

Read extremely slowly.
Re-read difficult lines multiple times
Panic when a section doesn’t make sense

The outcome? The precious CAT exam time is wasted, and accuracy hardly improves. The truth is, CAT Reading Comprehension passages are deliberately designed to be tough. Certain lines are deliberately included to test focus and confuse aspirants. You’re not expected to understand every single word. What really matters is understanding the main idea and tracking the flow of the argument.

Why 70–80% Understanding Is Enough in CAT RC Passages

Think about the most common types of CAT RC questions you’ll face:

Main idea questions require only the big picture
The author’s tone is understood from the overall writing style
Inference Questions are based on the flow of ideas, not every detail
Detailed questions can be answered by locating the exact line in the passage

See the pattern? You don’t need 100% clarity. As long as you capture the core argument and connections between paragraphs, you can solve most CAT RC questions with high accuracy.

How to Apply This CAT RC Strategy in Practice

1. Note the Gist of Each Paragraph: After each paragraph, summarise it in 3–4 words in your head (or on paper).

2. Don’t Get Stuck on Tough Lines: If one line feels impossible, skip it and move on; often the next line clarifies the meaning.

3. Skim Through Heavy Details: Long statistics, jargon, or side examples? Skim them. Ask: Does this change the author’s main point? If not, move ahead.

4. Review After Practice: When checking answers, notice if missing a tough line affected accuracy. 9 times out of 10, it won’t, and this builds confidence.

Common Mistakes Students Make in RC

Reading too slowly, thinking it will improve accuracy
Restarting the passage because one section felt hard (huge time sink)
Panicking when they don’t understand 100%

Remember: Confusion is normal. Even CAT toppers don’t fully understand every passage. They focus on the main idea. The key is confidence, not perfection.

Why This RC Strategy Boosts Your CAT VARC Score

Time is gold in the CAT VARC section.

If you aim for complete understanding, you’ll waste time and attempt fewer questions.
If you target 70–80% understanding in CAT RC passages, you’ll move faster, attempt more questions, and improve your VARC score.

The CAT exam isn’t testing whether you’re a philosophy expert. It’s testing whether you can follow an argument under pressure.

In simple terms, that means:

Focus on the skeleton (main idea)
Don’t stress about the flesh (unnecessary details)

Final Takeaway: Focus on the Big Picture in CAT RC

So, how much of an RC passage do you really need to understand? About 70–80% is enough to follow the argument, contrasts, and tone in CAT RC passages. The rest? Skim and move on.

Stop chasing perfection. Focus on the main idea, and you’ll see both your CAT RC accuracy and confidence improve.

Try this CAT RC strategy in your next mock test, and watch the difference in your speed, accuracy, and overall VARC score!

Happy Learning

Team RODHA