VARC

Odd Sentence Out

Find the sentence that does not belong in the paragraph. The other four form a coherent sequence.

Overview

Odd Sentence Out (OSO) questions give 4–5 sentences and ask you to identify the one that does NOT belong in the paragraph. CAT has 2–3 OSO questions per exam. It is the inverse of Para Jumble: instead of ordering all sentences, you find the outlier. On GMAT, this skill appears in Critical Reasoning (identifying what does not strengthen or weaken an argument).

What Makes a Sentence "Odd"?

It introduces a topic or concept that is not connected to the central theme of the other sentences
It shifts the perspective (e.g., 4 sentences are about benefits of X; 1 is about drawbacks of Y — not even X)
It makes a factual claim that contradicts or is unrelated to the others
It uses different terminology for the same concept (possible sign of mismatch)

Approach

Quickly read all sentences and identify the common theme of the majority
The odd sentence will feel like it "doesn't belong" — it introduces something new or changes direction
Verify: can you construct a coherent paragraph from the remaining 3–4 sentences?

Common Traps

A sentence that uses the same keywords as the others but discusses a different aspect — it might seem to fit but shifts the argument
A sentence that elaborates a minor point while the others are all about the major point

Exam Tip

In CAT OSO, the odd sentence is always unambiguously odd — the answer should feel clear once you identify the central theme. If two sentences seem equally odd, re-read the others to confirm the main theme and re-evaluate.

CAT PYQ Spotlight

Actual CAT questions on this topic

CAT 2021 · Slot 1

TITA

Five sentences are given below. Four of them can be arranged into a coherent paragraph; one does not fit. Identify the odd sentence. 1. The placebo effect demonstrates that belief itself has measurable physiological consequences. 2. In clinical trials, patients who receive sugar pills often show genuine improvement in symptoms. 3. Pharmaceutical companies have been criticised for suppressing data from failed drug trials. 4. The brain, it seems, can trigger real biochemical changes simply in response to expectation. 5. This has led researchers to study the neural mechanisms by which expectation influences healing.

Your answer

CAT 2021 · Slot 1

TITA

Five sentences are given below. Four of them can be arranged into a coherent paragraph; one does not fit. Identify the odd sentence. 1. Migration has always been central to human history, driving the spread of languages, technologies and genes. 2. The DNA of ancient humans retrieved from fossil sites has revealed surprising patterns of prehistoric movement. 3. Modern genomics allows researchers to track ancestral populations across millennia with unprecedented precision. 4. Climate change is currently the most important driver of both internal and international migration worldwide. 5. Populations once thought to be isolated were in fact in regular contact with distant groups.

Your answer

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