Reading Comprehension for CAT: Tips to solve RCs
CAT (Common Admission Test) entrance exam for MBA is the gateway to the 20 IIMs and other B – schools in the country. The exam consists of three sections Quantitative Ability (QA), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DI/LR), and Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC). In this article, we will be discussing “Reading Comprehension for CAT: Tips to solve RCs”.
The VARC section in the CAT Exam consists of various questions of grammar, para jumbles, para completion, etc. It also consists of Reading Comprehension based questions. RCs hold almost three-fourth of the sectional weightage. Out of 34 questions in the VARC section in the CAT Exam, 24 questions are based on reading comprehension. This section of the CAT exam is considered to be the most difficult among all MBA entrance exams as they are conceptually challenging and are based on inference. Reading Comprehension passages can be time-consuming, exhausting, and very intensive with regard to information. All the options in a particular question are so closely related that they all seem to be correct to the candidate.
There are mainly three types of Reading Comprehension passages for CAT exam:
- Analytical
- Descriptive
- Data Driven
The topics on which CAT Reading Comprehension passages are based include business & economics, science, humanities, social sciences, and current affairs.
What is Reading comprehension?
Reading Comprehension is the ability to understand thoroughly whatever you are reading. When you try to comprehend what you are reading, (before, during or after), then you realize its true meaning and what the author is trying to convey through the passage.
Why are Reading Comprehension skills for CAT important?
Reading Comprehension can provide a number of benefits. It can improve your communication skills in your personal and professional life. It also aids in boosting knowledge in several areas and helps in gathering information faster.
Some other benefits of improving Reading Comprehension Skills for CAT exam are:
- Ability to analyze and respond to written documents, especially in the workplace.
- Improvement in ability to write clearly
- Ability to grasp current events that are in written form like newspapers.
- Increase in focus on reading for an extended period of time
Reading Comprehension for CAT- Tips to solve RCs:
1. Improve Vocabulary but not over-emphasize it:
The first Reading Comprehension for CAT 2021 Tip is “Knowing the meaning of the words in the passage”. It can help in understanding the meaning of the passage itself. To improve vocabulary:
– Read different types of materials to know the meaning of words and their different connotations.
– Make a habit of using new words in written and verbal communication.
– Note down new words while reading any material and remember to look up their meaning in the dictionary.
2. Ask questions about the content you are reading:
The second important Reading Comprehension for CAT tip is “Asking your own questions about the reading material”. It will make you invested in it. It would enable you to explore different themes, settings, etc. that you would not normally inquire about.
3. Avoid over-emphasis of trivial information:
The third Reading Comprehension tip is- Paying attention to details is important but the obsession with examples, illustrations is simply a wastage of time. Moreover, it would lead to the missing out of the main point in the passage and the overall flow and structure of the passage.
4. Avoid Over-Memorization:
Do not memorize each and every word in the Reading Comprehension passage. Comprehension of the flow, structure and the main points in the passage should be prioritized.
5. Use clues of the context:
If you are unfamiliar with certain words in the passage, look for the surrounding key ideas or phrases and infer the idea of any sentence or paragraph.
6. Comprehend the main idea of the passage:
It is imperative to identify the main idea of the passage to understand its importance. One needs to know why the author wrote it, what was his intention for writing it.
7. Summarize what you read:
Summarizing is a great way to increase knowledge. A summary of anything consists of all the main important points in the passage which helps in understanding it better.
8. Approach the passage in a certain way:
There are two approaches to attempt Reading Comprehension passage for CAT. The first is to read the passage and then answer the questions. Second is, one can go through the questions first and then read the passage accordingly. This will help in focussing the information required to answer those questions. Choose the approach which suits you best and you are comfortable going ahead with.
9. The correct option never comes “out” of the passage:
Reject any of the options that the passage does not deal with or is out of its scope. The answer is always based on the information given in the passage.
10. The first and last paragraphs of the passage:
This Reading Comprehension for CAT tip is for the ‘main idea of the passage’ types of question. The answer to this question is mostly given in the first or the last paragraph of the passage so pay attention to these paragraphs.
Start applying the above-descripted Reading Comprehension for CAT 2021 Tips and see the difference. These tips will definitely help you in solving the Reading Comprehension Questions in the CAT Exam and resolve your doubts regarding How to prepare for RCs for CAT.
How to Practice Reading Comprehension for CAT?
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