IMS Learning on MBAUniverse.com Aspirant Zone: Success mantras to crack CAT 08 – Part 3

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Updated on July 24, 2016
To help CAT takers, MBAUniverse.com Aspirant Zone is publishing a series on expert guidance by India's leading test prep companies.

In this article, MBAUniverse.com Aspirant zone brings expert advice by IMS Learning Resources, Mumbai on How to tackle the all important Verbal Abilities section.

Strategies for the Verbal Section

Article by Mr. Vinayak Kudva, Product Head at IMS.

The last two CATs have seen the Verbal Section get much tougher than in the years before; the passages were denser, answer options were closer and reasoning levels higher. So, what can test-takers do to maximize their chances of clearing the verbal cut-offs? Well, the Verbal Section has questions that can broadly be classified into the following three types: Verbal Ability (VA), Verbal Reasoning (VR) and Reading Comprehension (RC).The best strategy to maximize your Verbal scores and pace yourself better is to attempt the questions in the following order:

I. Verbal Ability: The questions that fall in the Verbal Ability or VA category are based on vocabulary, grammar and usage. These are the lowest-hanging fruit and take the least time to solve since you either know the meaning/usage or do not. Looking for these questions first and polishing them off straightaway will leave you with more time to answer the rest of the questions. The wordlist would be of use, but the CAT tends to focus more on the contextual meaning of words than pure dictionary meanings. Therefore, it is better to work on your basic verbal skills and master this section.

II. Verbal Reasoning: These questions test your logical reasoning skills more than your comprehension or vocabulary, through question types such as Jumbled Paragraphs, Fact/Inference/Judgment, etc. The time taken to solve these questions is more than the time taken for VA but less than that consumed for RC. Since they focus more on reasoning, you should ideally finish them so that you only have the passages left to concentrate on.

III. Reading Comprehension: The most important thing is to choose the right passages. You can choose passages either on the basis of your familiarity with the subject material (it might turn out that you are not familiar with the subjects discussed in any of the passages) or read the first paragraph or the first few lines of the passages and gauge whether you find the language digestible. Even those who are very good in the Verbal Section need not attempt all the Reading Comprehension passages; leaving one passage gives you the flexibility to pace yourself better over the whole test.

Remember that the moment you spend more than two minutes on a question, without getting anywhere near the answer, you are should be headed for the next question. Also, what is described above is an overall strategy for attempting questions in the Verbal Section, there are some question-type specific tips and strategies that you an apply.

Strategy to succeed in Jumbled Paragraphs
Step I: Look at the answer options to see which sentences have been given as beginning options. For example, if the options are: (A) CDAB (B) DCBA (C) DCAB (D)CDBA

Step II: Check whether D or C makes a good starting statement by reading the sequence CD and DC. Choose one starting statement and eliminate the rest of the answer options. So, if you choose C as the starting statement, options (B) and (C) are eliminated

Step III: Establish links between the rest of the sentences by identifying the continuity of ideas and key words like 'so', 'hence', 'moreover', 'nevertheless', which provide clues to the links between sentences

Example:
A. Even today, to those who understand it, Indian classical music is a deeply spiritual experience, touching an inner chord that is far more subtle than common auditory sensation.

B. Unlike Western classical music it is essentially individualistic, and continuously improvised by the soloist.

C. The basic elements are rhythm and melody that flow together but are never harmonious.

D. This conspicuous lack of harmony is difficult to comprehend at first - especially if you were brought up on Western composers - and repeated hearings are necessary before you tune in to the melody.

E. Rhythm is measured by the taal or beat; complex taals have as many as 36 stressed and unstressed beats to a cycle.

1]EACBD                   2] ABCDE      3] AEBCD      4] BACDE

Ans: The sequence begins with A, which is the only one that mentions the subject, Indian Classical music. B follows A as it draws a comparison between Western Classical and Indian Classical referred to in A. Only [2] has this AB link. Therefore, the correct sequence is ABCDE. Hence, [2].

Strategies for Fill in the Blanks
Step I: First, read the complete sentence, with the blanks, and try to understand what the sentence is conveying
Step II: Try to guess what type of word would fit in the context, i.e., whether a word with a positive or a negative connotation would be required
Step III: For paired blanks, identify a relationship, if any, between the words in the blanks
Step IV: Eliminate the incorrect options on the basis of the type of word(s) you have identified to fit the blank. For example if a positive word is required in the sentence, eliminate options having negative or neutral connotations
Step V: Use your vocabulary to choose the more appropriate word from among the options that are left
 
Example: The Civil War hardly ________ the frantic boom in the oil regions; on the contrary, it actually gave a major ________ to the development of the business.
1] touched; downturn
2] reorganized; fillip
3] disrupted; stimulus
4] restored; encouragement
Ans: The context shows that the words should have contrary ideas. Only [3] fulfils this requirement. Hence [3].
Reading a passage: Concentration and Active Reading
Remember that a good reader reads the entire passage only once. Ensure that you concentrate enough, during your first reading of the passage, to be able to
  • understand the main idea of the passage
  • identify the main purpose behind writing the passage
  • judge the style and tone of the passage
  • locate information immediately in order to answer a question
You should return to the passage only to recheck information or for finer understanding of certain aspects of the passage in order to answer specific questions.

The strategies outlined above are just ways to maximize your Verbal score; they will not improve your verbal aptitude. Also, solving more papers and passages will not automatically improve your Verbal score unless you already have the requisite verbal aptitude. There is no alternative to improving your Vocabulary, Reading Speed and Comprehension Skills by reading as many magazines and books as your schedule permits you and scan the dictionary for meanings of unfamiliar words.

Happy reading & all the best!

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