The CAT examination is knocking on the door and it is natural for aspirants to feel anxious about their level of preparation. EduGorilla brings you the strategy for tackling non-Reading Comprehension questions in Verbal Section of CAT.
First of all, let us categorize the questions asked in Verbal Section of non-Reading Comprehension portion. Broadly, there are three kinds of questions:
- Para jumbles
- Misfit Sentences
- Paragraph Summary
Each category of question demands a different yet concerted strategy to tackle them. Let us discuss how to tackle each one of them.
Para jumbles for CAT
This is indeed the most unpredictable section of the examination as these do not carry options. A four sentence question may have 24 possible answers; a five sentence question may have 120 possible answers! Another issue is that every possible arrangement of sentences appears to make sense according to one’s own perception. This effectively means that the accuracy of answers to these questions is doubtable. Hence these questions offer the low return on investment.
Strategy
The best strategy to tackle these questions is to avoid them in first go. Yes, it may sound strange to you. But since these questions offer the low return on investment, the first step is advisable. But do attempt them (in the balance time you have for verbal ability questions) as these questions do not carry any negative marking. Do not spend too much time on these questions.
Misfit Sentences
Misfit sentences are closely related to para-jumbles. They require you to choose one sentence that does not fit with the context. In the first attempt, solve these questions as para jumbles and try to come up with the correct sequence of sentences. Identify the odd one out. While attempting these questions, keep the following points in mind:
- Identify the common subject in sentences and spot one that does not fit in place with the others.
- Identify the common thread of thought and identify the option that talks about a different subject.
- Try to come up with the order/sequence of sentences and identify one that does not fit.
Strategy
These questions are text input questions yet behave as multiple choice questions. You need to identify one question that does not fit in the context. Attempt these questions in the first 50 minutes of the examination. Do not leave them for the end. They offer the good return on investment as they do not carry any negative marking.
Paragraph summary Questions
Paragraph summary questions test you to identify the accurate and succinct summary of the paragraph. They can be compared to the main idea questions on the paragraphs and test you how well you have grasped the central idea of the passage. While attempting these questions, keep these four points in mind;
- You identify the correct subject of the paragraph and make sure the option you select is about the same subject.
- Be careful of extreme options that subtly change what the passage implies.
- Stick close to the theme of the paragraph and do not let personal sentiment cloud your analysis.
- Make sure you do not focus on a single point in the paragraph
Strategy
Going by the structure of these questions, they are like multiple choice questions. You have four choices and you need to select the right answer. You should solve these questions within the first 50 minutes of the exam. These questions are simpler (as compared to RC) and require less time (which makes them a viable pick).
Overall strategy for CAT non-RC questions
Keep in mind that questions do not carry any negative marking. But do not get tempted to spend a lot of time on these questions. As far as misfit sentence and para-summary questions are concerned, you should spend time on them and solve them within the first 40-50 minutes of the exam.
An ideal approach is to solve two to three Reading Comprehension passages first and then solve these two question types. Solve the remaining passages and leave the para-jumbles for the end.
In case you are not comfortable with Reading Comprehension then you can solve paragraph summary and misfit sentence questions at the start. But make sure you keep para-jumbles for the end, as there is simply not sufficient return on the amount of time you spend on these questions.
This article aims to resolve queries of students who are appearing for CAT this year. Did I miss out anything? Let me know in the comments below. Best of Luck!
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