CAT 2011: The Fundamentals of English

The common admission test (CAT) for admission to IIMs and several other top business schools will have two sections this year of 70 minutes duration each. The second section, Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning is expected to have 30 questions – 20 on verbal ability and 10 on logical reasoning. Good command over English can help you crack the exam.

Verbal ability & reading comprehension
The vastness of any language makes it difficult to exact the scope of questions. But the right approach can definitely help you get a clear picture of what could be expected in the exam. Verbal Ability usually consists of questions on the following: reading comprehension, verbal reasoning, analogies, antonyms, fill in the blanks, word usage, foreign language, jumbled paragraphs, sentence correction, idioms, one word substitution, different usages of same word, incorrect verbs, punctuation, proverbs etc. The kind of questions that will appear is difficult to say but what is sure is that practicing and perfecting reading comprehension, para-jumbling, para completion, sentence correction as well as sentence structuring and fill in the blanks can help you secure the cut off marks.

Three to four passages can be expected for reading comprehension with about 8 questions. Remaining questions could be from other parts of the syllabus. Fill in the blanks usually test your knowledge of homonyms. As all the questions are objective type, it is important to keep track of the time spent on each question.

The right approach for reading comprehension
Reading comprehension does not come easy to anyone who does not practice reading paragraphs and write ups laden with meaning. Start reading English national dailies, especially the edit pages. While solving this section first read the passage carefully, underline important points and then apply reference and contact method. This section requires high level of concentration as even the wrong options are designed in a way so as to confuse the aspirant. Paragraphs are usually based on philosophy, social issues as well as national and international business developments.

How to achieve perfection
High percentile in English requires a fascination for the language as well as hard work. The trick is to read as much as possible. Read business newspapers that will help you develop language skills in English and your knowledge of the markets and economy. Also, you can tune in to English television news channels for mastering the language.

Points to remember

•        The more you practice, better the results.

•        Time management is crucial for questions on English.

•        Solve the previous year question papers at home.

•        35-40 minutes must be enough to solve English questions.

•        Reading e-papers will help evolve speed.