What are Reading Comprehension Specific Questions

Reading Comprehension (RC) passages have always been an important part of the CAT’s Verbal Ability (VA) section. Since 2015, their importance has increased even more as the CAT has added more RC questions to the VA section. Currently, approximately 70% of the Verbal Ability section consists of RC questions.

Mastering RC questions is crucial because they make up a significant portion of the VA section and carry negative marks for wrong attempts. The ability to quickly read and comprehend passages is essential to excel in these questions. However, the CAT presents passages with diverse themes and writing styles, making it necessary to have a wide reading habit and practice extensively. It is also important to tackle passages from different subjects, even if they are unfamiliar or uninteresting.

Reading Comprehension Specific Questions refer to a type of RC question where the answers are contained in specific parts of the passage. These questions require the test taker to locate and comprehend the relevant information. Examples of Specific Questions include identifying the meaning of certain phrases or inferring from the passage. It is crucial to read the entire passage and practice eliminating incorrect answer options.

To effectively tackle Specific RC questions, it is recommended to follow these steps:

The Warming Up Stage – Skimming: 

Read the entire passage quickly to get a gist of what it is about. Remember the main idea of each paragraph.

Scanning: 

Read each question and refer back to the relevant parts of the passage to locate the answer. Take note of the sentences before and after the answer.

In the Zone – Intensive Reading: 

Read the sentences containing the answer intensively for confirmation. If vocabulary is a challenge, try to infer the meaning from the surrounding sentences. If unable to determine the meaning, leave the question unattempted.

Some important tips for answering Reading Comprehension questions effectively include practicing a wide reading habit, especially on diverse topics, and improving speed reading skills. It is also recommended to solve mock CAT tests for practice.