Most CAT aspirants assume that once they prepare for CAT VARC, they’re automatically ready for other MBA entrance tests (OMETs like XAT, IIFT, NMAT, SNAP, TISSNET, MICAT). But the truth is, Verbal Ability (VA) in OMETs is very different in terms of content, weightage, and style. Knowing these differences is the first step to adjusting your prep strategy.

CAT VARC in a Nutshell

• 24 questions approx 40 minutes.

• RC heavy: ~16 to 18 RC questions.

• Remaining ~6 to 8 are para-based (para-jumbles, para-summary, odd sentence).

• No grammar, no vocabulary.

How VA Differs in OMETs

🔹 XAT

• 26 questions.

• Mix of RCs + VA.

• Heavy focus on vocab, grammar, critical reasoning, analogies, sentence completion.

• RCs may include poems or abstract passages.

🔹 IIFT

• Approx 35 questions in VARC.

• RC + VA split is almost 50 50.

• Expect direct vocab, idioms, fill in the blanks, sentence correction, para-based questions.

• RCs are shorter but fact heavy.

🔹 NMAT

• 36 questions in 28 minutes (speed test!).

• Lots of short RCs, grammar, vocab, and usage questions.

• Emphasis on speed + accuracy, not deep inference.

🔹 SNAP

• 15 to 20 questions, very short section.

• Mostly grammar, vocabulary, idioms, and fill in the blanks.

• RC weightage is minimal compared to CAT.

🔹 MICAT

• Includes psychometric test + descriptive writing.

• Verbal involves RC, grammar, and vocab but also tests creative writing.

🔹 TISSNET (until it was merged recently with CUET PG)

• Approx 30 English questions.

• Heavily grammar and vocab based; RC is present but not dominant.

 Preparation Tips

1. Don’t just rely on CAT prep. Build vocab and grammar separately for OMETs.

2. Practice speed-reading for NMAT & SNAP, since time per question is very low.

3. Solve past year papers of XAT/IIFT to get used to non-RC heavy verbal.

4. Daily habit: 15 minutes of vocab + 15 minutes of grammar drills.

5. For MICAT, practice structured essay writing (250 to 300 words).

While CAT tests your reading comprehension and reasoning, OMETs test your language depth, speed, and breadth. If you adapt your prep by adding vocabulary, grammar, and speed drills, you can easily convert your CAT VARC skills into high OMET scores.