What to Read for CAT VARC 2026: Best Blogs, Articles, and Websites for CAT RC Prep

Overview: Hey aspirants! If your CAT prep is in full swing, you may be wondering what to read for CAT VARC that actually builds skill and speed. Read on to know the trusted websites, newspapers, magazines, and blogs that mirror the style and depth of CAT Reading Comprehension passages.

• The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section is the first and one of the most crucial parts of the CAT exam, carrying the highest weightage among all sections. 
• Out of the total 68 questions in CAT, 24 belong to VARC — with 16 questions coming from Reading Comprehension and 8 from Verbal Ability. 
• Among these, 4 are TITA (Type in the Answer) questions that do not carry negative marking. Many aspirants believe that being weak in grammar or English automatically limits their potential in VARC, but this is far from true. 

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• The right sources make dense passages feel familiar, reduce anxiety during mocks, and train you to read with purpose. 
• With the right study resources and focused preparation, even non-native English speakers can significantly improve their comprehension and verbal reasoning skills. 

Here you will know what to read for CAT VARC, the key VARC syllabus areas, and practical preparation strategies to help you strengthen your reading ability, understand the exam pattern better, and ultimately maximise your CAT score.

Why Reliable Sources Matter for CAT RC Practice?

CAT passages often come from reputable outlets that publish serious thought. Reading these sources helps you train on the very styles, tones, and sentence patterns you will face on test day. It builds control over complexity and clarity when questions get tricky.

You will meet scholarly articles across science, technology, philosophy, history, society, and the arts. This range is not optional. It reflects the test’s design. Start with a short daily target, then move to longer essays over time. The goal is steady exposure, not a one-off reading spree.

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What to Read for CAT VARC: Best Resources

Here is the list of the best reading comprehension resources for CAT VARC 2026:

1. Aeon Essays

Aeon Essays tops the list because many CAT-style RCs mirror its tone and structure. The site publishes long-form essays that tie research, theory, and lived experience into a single thread. It is serious yet readable, and it challenges you to follow complex logic.

• Science and technology
• Psychology and cognitive science
• Philosophy and ethics
• Society and culture

These are often the most fascinating RCs to practice on. The essays can be long, so read with an eye for argument flow, paragraph roles, and author stance. Many learners find it useful to practice selective reading strategies for such pieces.

2. The Atlantic

The Atlantic is well known among MBA aspirants. It often features passages with higher sentence density and layered argumentation. Some sentences can run between 30 to 60 words, which is prime practice for parsing structure and spotting the main claim.

• Archaeology and ancient history
• Modern history and culture
• African culture and society
• Linguistics and language policy

If you struggle with dense writing, build a habit of summarising each paragraph in one line. It helps prevent getting lost in detail.

3. TED Talks

In the series of “what to read for CAT VARC 2026” TED brings you fresh ideas in digestible form. While videos are not text, reading TED talk transcripts helps your comprehension and idea mapping.

• Scientists and innovators
• Thinkers and teachers
• Policy leaders and social researchers

This is good warm-up reading. It primes you for more complex essays while keeping your curiosity alive.

What to Read for CAT VARC: Best Newspapers

The most important VARC CAT resources to boost your preparation include:

1. New York Times

The New York Times has been a steady source for CAT-style passages over the years. Its articles are cleanly edited, rich in ideas, and backed by reporting. But you do not need to read the entire newspaper. Focus on the parts that best match CAT RC.

Read these sections first:

• Opinions and op-eds
• Editorials
• Weekend columns

Weekend columns are often engaging and well-argued, which makes them ideal for practice. They help you sharpen tone detection and inference. You also build a feel for how writers handle data, studies, and counterpoints. Do short sessions daily, and keep a log of what you read.

2. BBC News

BBC News exposes you to a standard and advanced level of British English. Many CAT RCs pull topics that feature public policy and social analysis, so BBC is strong practice for range and tone. Its coverage keeps the language precise and the structure clean.

Focus on:

• Social issues and public policy
• Climate change and the environment
• Travel and culture

This helps you gain confidence with global topics and cross-cultural contexts. You also grow more comfortable with balanced argumentation. Use BBC articles for timed practice to build speed without losing accuracy. It will prepare you for passages that test both knowledge and nuance.

What to Read for CAT VARC: Magazines

The list of important magazines for CAT VARC preparation is:

1. Smithsonian Magazine

Smithsonian Magazine is a known source for passages that blend narrative, science, and history. Many RC themes show up here in a form that is precise yet accessible. It is especially helpful if you want to improve on topics that many students avoid.

Expect coverage on:

• Science, nature, and wildlife
• The solar system and space history
• World history and culture
• Travel writing and personal narratives

Use these to develop your skills in tracking evidence and distinguishing between anecdote and analysis. The variety will help you adapt to sudden shifts in topic during actual CAT RC sets.

2. The Economist

The Economist is popular for a reason. It covers business with depth and clarity, but it also ranges into science, technology, and policy. Its articles are concise, data-aware, and argument-driven. That is exactly what CAT RC expects you to handle.

You will find:

• Global business and policy updates
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Case studies and industry analysis
• The pressure on tech giants and platforms
• Finance and markets

This is ideal for aspirants who want to get familiar with business RCs and data-heavy arguments. Make it a weekly habit. Read one or two long features and write a 3-sentence summary for each.

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3. Harvard Magazine

As the name suggests, Harvard Magazine features a scholarly tone but remains readable. It spreads across many areas that appear in RCs. The prose is measured, the stance is clear, and the subject matter has range.

Expect articles on:

• Business and management thinking
• Nature and environment
• Science and technology
• Education and universities

This helps if you want to strengthen your grip on academic writing in a non-technical format. It also supports the VA part of VARC, since the language is precise and the vocabulary is robust.

What to Read for CAT VARC 2026: Blogs

Blogs keep you engaged with the flow of thought. They are quick to read, yet they still expand your vocabulary if you pick quality outlets. Use them to train attention and maintain a daily reading habit.

1. Tech and Science Blogs

Wired and TechCrunch are fast-moving, which keeps reading interesting. They are also rich in terms that appear in modern business and tech writing. You see how ideas, products, and markets connect across regions.

Common threads:

• Business acquisitions and mergers
• Startups and venture funding
• Science and new technologies
• Big tech and platform policy
• Startup culture in India and the United States

This mix helps you read faster while retaining key terms. You also get a lot of articles and analyses that model how writers present evidence, quote sources, and frame debates. These skills carry over to RC and summary questions.

2. Psychology Blogs

Mind Hacks and Psychology Today are strong picks for building inference skills. They analyse current psychological issues, many of which have sharpened since the COVID period. Expect accessible writing with scientific backing.

Benefits:

• Learn research-backed concepts without jargon overload.
• Get acquainted with the common jargon of psychology
• Practice linking studies to claims

Topics can include attention, memory, anxiety, social behaviour, and mental health trends. These feed into RC passages that ask you to track cause and effect, evidence strength, and author bias.

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3. History Blogs

Historical sources sharpen your ability to handle context, chronology, and causation. These help with RC passages that pull from culture, archaeology, or political history.

1. Ladies of Lord: Focus on Illustrious Women

This outlet focuses on the illustrious women of history. It offers short and engaging profiles that reveal social context, achievements, and influence. Read these to build comfort with biographical narratives and cultural analysis.

2. Mike Anderson’s Ancient History Blog

Mike Anderson writes on ancient history, art, and culture. The posts give you glimpses into major epochs and ideas.

• The Russian Revolution and its roots
• The Roman Empire and governance
• Crossovers with metaphysics and early psychology

Use this to practice tracking names, dates, and key shifts without losing the main argument.

4. Economics Blogs

Economics writing builds skill in handling models, data, and policy arguments. It also helps with vocabulary that shows up in editorials and analyses.

1. Swaminomics

Swaminomics, by Swaminathan Aiyar, has long-running columns in The Hindu and The Economic Times. The writing is grounded, sharp, and very very popular. These pieces help you follow policy debates and market shifts without getting lost in jargon.

2. Paul Krugman

Paul Krugman writes regular columns in The New York Times. The analyses are clear and evidence-based. Read these to practice distinguishing opinion from evidence and to improve your grasp of cause-and-effect chains in macroeconomics. They are equally fascinating and full of insights.

How to Integrate These CAT VARC Sources into Your Routine?

While knowing what to read for CAT VARC 2026, it is important to know how to integrate them to boost your prep. The goal is consistency. 

Short daily reading beats long weekly bursts. Start with one website or newspaper column each day, then add a magazine feature twice a week. Use a mix of topics to mimic CAT’s variety.

Suggested approach:

• Focus on opinions and editorials first, especially from The New York Times and BBC News.
• Add one Aeon or Atlantic essay every two to three days to build stamina.
• Read one Economist or Smithsonian feature each week for depth and range.
• Use Wired, TechCrunch, or Mind Hacks for quick weekday reading.
• Keep a simple log with source, topic, and a two-line summary.

Your goal is to deal with the VARC section of the CAT with calm and control. That comes from seeing similar material often and learning to read with intent.

Common Themes Across Recommendations

Across all the CAT VARC sources, a clear pattern appears. You get a steady flow of science, history, business, psychology, and culture. This mirrors the spread of CAT RC sets.

The shared traits matter. The articles are scholarly, dense, and idea-rich, yet they are readable with practice. Use that overlap. Rotate between topics to prevent fatigue. Keep a list of new words you meet more than once. Review it every Sunday.

Readings for Different CAT Question Types

Match your reading to the skills you want to improve. You do not need to read everything every day.

• For inference and tone: Mind Hacks, Psychology Today, and BBC opinion pieces.
• For dense sentence structure: The Atlantic and long Aeon essays.
• For data-backed arguments: The Economist and Paul Krugman’s columns.
• For historical context and causation: Smithsonian features, Crash Course summaries, and history blogs.
• For business and tech vocabulary: Wired and TechCrunch.
• For education and public policy: Harvard Magazine and BBC News features.

If long essays feel heavy, start with editorials or short columns. Then move to longer features once a week, and later twice a week. Build stamina with small, regular steps.

Potential Challenges and Quick Fixes

You may face dense prose, unknown terms, and time pressure. These are normal. The fixes are simple.

• If long sentences slow you down, spend a week on BBC features for cleaner syntax.
• If vocabulary is a hurdle, keep a mini word list from Wired and The Economist.
• If time is tight, read one editorial per day on weekdays, then one long essay on Sunday.
• If essays feel daunting, review a method for reading essays precisely and practice it on Aeon pieces.

Expanding Your Reading Beyond Basics

Once the habit sticks, push for depth. Read a case study in The Economist, then a related analysis on a blog. Pair a Smithsonian piece on a discovery with a BBC update on policy impact. Sample TED talk transcripts for a fresh take on a topic you just read about.

The mix keeps your mind engaged. It also prepares you for RC sets that switch tone and topic. Keep reading good stuff until the flow of thought hooks you, and the language feels natural. That is when scores begin to rise.

Conclusion

If you want to know what to read for VARC, the answer is clear. Read authentic sources that mirror CAT. Rotate topics. Summarise as you go. Keep it light, daily, and consistent. You will become comfortable and confident while dealing with VARC, and your accuracy will improve.

Start today. Pick one source from this list, read for 20 minutes, and write three lines on what the author argued. Repeat tomorrow with a new topic. CAT rewards readers who show up often and think while they read.