Last Updated on March 20, 2014 by MBAUniverse.com News Desk
CAT 2011 VA: Dont cram words in your mind at this juncture
There are about 40 days left for CAT 2011 test phase to begin. It is the time for you to work hard on your weak areas. For some, the weak area is Quantitative Ability, and for some it can be the area of Verbal Ability.
There are about 40 days left for CAT 2011 test phase to begin. It is the time for you to work hard on your weak areas. For some, the weak area is Quantitative Ability, and for some it can be the area of Verbal Ability. This week, MBAUniverse.com will focus on these areas and share with you the expert tips on improving your weakness.
Todays article of MBAUniverse.com will talk about the Verbal Ability area. Components of Verbal Ability The Verbal Ability area of CAT basically consists of two areas, Reading Comprehension and English Usage. Even though the section is now merged with Logical Reasoning, it is expected that you will receive questions on English Usage and Reading Comprehension. Under the English Usage area, questions on grammar, vocabulary and verbal reasoning are asked. You should segregate among these areas, in which part does your weakness lie and hence prepare accordingly. Vinayak Kudva, Head - Products, IMS Learning mentions, It has not been assessed in the recent years, as CAT exam has moved towards testing more of usage and reasoning based questions in the Verbal Ability section. Reading Comprehension If you face most of the problems in the Reading Comprehension area then first you need to identify the problem. Is the problem in understanding the passage and questions, or whether it is in the accuracy and speed? If it is in understanding, you need to read more and practice along with that. Read all the passages of 300 to 600 word lengths, at least five to six passages every day. Verbal cannot improve without reading, says R Shiva Kumar, Director (R & D), Career Launcher. Arun Sharma, CAT expert and author says, In order to handle that you would need to learn to understand longer sentences on unfamiliar topics. That is the key to improving your ability to understand a passage. Kudva says that it is important to improve the accuracy while attempting the Reading Comprehension questions. If you are able to maintain a high level of accuracy while doing this, it is only a matter of regular practice that will improve your speed in RC, he says. Kudva mentions the following points for speed reading. 1. Focus on three to four main words in a sentence. 2. Time your reading speed and decrease the time you take to read gradually. 3. Identify main parts of the paragraph. 4. You can mark the important points/ words/sentences in the beginning but gradually you should be able to identify these without marking them. 5. While reading, move your eyes fast from left to right, focusing on main words. 6. After finishing an article, write the gist of that. This will help you know how much you remember of that passage. Improving Grammar You can still improve your grammar through practice. If you are facing problems of silly mistake, then note down the type of errors that are taking place. Focus on your repetitive errors - the kind of traps that you repeatedly fall into while solving questions, mentions Kudva. For general preparation, you should spend at least an hour with the Verbal Ability area. Take the material that you are already referring to. Solve every bit of it, Shiva Kumar suggests. Vocabulary Vocabulary or the word power is of immense use when it comes to the Verbal Ability section. There is no particular area or question set, but it will have its use in the Reading Comprehension as well as the Reading Comprehension questions. The more you read, more often you will come across new words and hence you will be accustomed to its meaning. Find out multiple applications of commonly used words and phrases, if any. While reading, note the context in which words and phrases are used. This helps in tackling a number of Verbal Ability questions, says Aziz Manva, Content head, TEST funda. At an overall level, you need to be prompt and accurate for Verbal Ability section. Now that there are just about 40 days left, dont strain yourself much on cramming yourself with words. Revise whatever you have done so far and apply them in sentences, and try to identify them in passages and questions. Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more on CAT 2011 preparation.