Read Any CAT RC Passage in 90 Seconds: The Skim–Map–Answer Method
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Reading Comprehension is the bulk of VARC, and the single biggest time-sink in the section is re-reading. You finish a passage, realise you retained nothing, and read it again. Two passages of that and your VARC clock is gone.
The fix isn't reading faster. It's reading for structure, not for every fact.
Why you re-read (and why it kills your score)
You re-read because you tried to absorb the passage — every detail, every name, every number. But RC questions rarely test recall of detail. They test whether you grasped the argument: what the author claims, and how they support it. Read for that, and the details wait quietly until a question needs them.
Step 1 — Skim for structure (30 seconds)
Read the first and last sentence of every paragraph fully, and let your eyes glide over the middle. Paragraph openers and closers carry the skeleton of the argument; the middle is usually evidence you can fetch later.
Step 2 — Map the passage (30 seconds)
After skimming, force yourself to answer two questions in your head:
- What is the author's main point? (one sentence)
- What is the tone? (neutral, critical, persuasive, analytical…)
That one-sentence summary plus a tone tag is your map. If you can't produce it, you skimmed too fast — spend 15 seconds more, not a full re-read.