Mastering CAT Reading Comprehension with Shortcut Techniques | Expert Tips

In the CAT exam (Common Admission Test), Reading Comprehension (RC) is a crucial exam for admission into prestigious management institutes in India. With a limited sectional time limit and a plethora of questions to answer, mastering CAT Reading Comprehension with shortcut techniques can significantly improve your chances of success.

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This Story also Contains

1. Mastering CAT Reading Comprehension with Shortcut Techniques
2. Structure of RC Passages in the CAT Exam
3. CAT Exam: Shortcut Techniques for CAT Reading Comprehension:
4. More Tricks to Solve Reading Comprehension in CAT Exam:
5. CAT Reading Comprehension Sample Question
6. Conclusion:
7. Download Free Practice Questions with Detailed Solutions for CAT Verbal Ability And Reading Comprehension (VARC) - MCQ PDFs

The RC questions are designed to test your ability to understand and analyze written passages quickly and accurately. In this article, we'll explore various strategies and shortcuts to tackle CAT RC effectively as well as how to Improve Reading Speed for CAT Exam.

Mastering CAT Reading Comprehension with Shortcut Techniques

In this article, all the essential reading comprehension tips and tricks are explained in detail so that the candidate can master CAT Reading Comprehension with shortcut techniques. Some of them are:

• Skimming and scanning passages

• Understanding the types of RC questions

• Elimination techniques

• Predictive reading

• Building vocabulary

These CAT reading comprehension techniques written by experts would ensure that the candidates are able to bring the most out of their CAT examination preparation and thereby improve their results.

Structure of RC Passages in the CAT Exam

RCs in CAT exam can come from diverse areas so before diving into shortcut techniques, it's essential to understand the typical structure of RC passages. CAT RC passages can be categorized into several types and it will be a great help while figuring out CAT Shortcut Techniques: -

1. Narrative Passages: These passages usually tell a story or describe a sequence of events.

2. Descriptive Passages: Descriptive passages provide detailed information about a particular topic, object, or phenomenon.

3. Argumentative Passages: These passages present arguments or viewpoints on a given topic and often require critical analysis.

4. Analytical Passages: Analytical passages involve data interpretation, charts, graphs, or statistical information.

Each passage type requires a different approach, and recognizing the type of passage you're dealing with can help you strategize more effectively while working on shortcut techniques for reading comprehension.

So be careful while dealing with it by following the tips: -

• Categorizing Passage Types: To start, you should categorize passages into different types based on their characteristics. There are several common types, including narrative, descriptive, argumentative, and analytical passages. Each type has its own unique features and requires a different approach to comprehension. For example, narrative passages often follow a chronological order, while argumentative passages present various viewpoints on a topic.

• Analyzing Passage Components: Break down each passage into its components, including the introduction, main body, and conclusion. Identify the main idea or thesis statement, supporting arguments or evidence, and any concluding remarks. Understanding the purpose and organization of each section will help you navigate the passage more efficiently.

• Recognizing Transitional Elements: Pay attention to transitional elements such as topic sentences, subheadings, and transition words/phrases. These elements provide clues about the structure and flow of the passage. Topic sentences often introduce new ideas or paragraphs, while transition words signal shifts between ideas or sections.

• Identifying Key Information: Train yourself to identify key information within each passage, such as main arguments, examples, and counterarguments. Look for repetition of ideas, emphasis on certain points, or contrast between different viewpoints. This will help you grasp the central themes and messages conveyed by the passage.

• Understanding Paragraph Structure: Analyze the structure of individual paragraphs within the passage. Most paragraphs contain a topic sentence, followed by supporting details or examples and concluding remarks. By understanding the organization of paragraphs, you can extract relevant information more efficiently.

• Practice with Passage Mapping: Practice mapping out the structure of passages by creating outlines or diagrams that illustrate the relationships between different sections and ideas. This visual representation can help reinforce your understanding of passage structures and improve retention.

• Utilizing Textual Cues: Look for textual cues such as headings, subheadings, formatting styles (e.g., bold, italics), and visual aids (e.g., charts, graphs). These cues provide additional context and guide your interpretation of the passage. Pay attention to how these elements contribute to the overall structure and organization.

• Reviewing Sample Passages: Review sample passages from previous CAT exams or other sources to familiarize yourself with different structures and styles. Practice analyzing the structure of each passage and identifying key components. This hands-on approach will enhance your ability to recognize and understand passage structures during the actual exam.

CAT Exam: Shortcut Techniques for CAT Reading Comprehension:

1. Skimming and Scanning:

• Skimming involves quickly reading through the passage to grasp its main idea and structure.

• Scanning involves looking for specific keywords or phrases related to the questions.

• Use skimming to get an overview of the passage and scanning to locate relevant information quickly.

2. Identify Key Information:

• Focus on understanding the main idea, key arguments, and supporting details of the passage.

• Look for topic sentences, thesis statements, and concluding remarks to identify crucial information.

3. Annotate the Passage:

• Underline or highlight important sentences, phrases, or keywords as you read.

• Annotating helps in retaining information and quickly locating relevant parts of the passage during question-solving.

4. Predictive Reading:

• Anticipate the author's arguments, conclusions, or the direction of the passage based on the title, introductory paragraph, and topic sentences.

• Predictive reading can save time by guiding your focus on essential points while reading the passage.

5. Understand the Question Types:

• Recognize different types of CAT RC questions, such as factual, inference-based, vocabulary-based, and tone-based questions.

• Tailor your approach based on the question type, focusing on extracting relevant information from the passage.

6. Elimination Technique:

• Use the process of elimination to narrow down answer choices by eliminating options that are clearly incorrect.

• Focus on identifying key words or phrases in the passage that contradict or support specific answer choices.

7. Time Management:

• Allocate a specific amount of time for each passage and question, keeping in mind the overall time limit for the RC section.

• Prioritize questions based on difficulty level and marks allotted to maximize your score.

8. Practice with CAT Mock Tests:

• Regularly practice CAT RC passages under timed conditions to improve speed and accuracy.

• Analyze your performance, identify weaknesses, and work on improving them through targeted practice.

9. Building Vocabulary:

• Enhance your vocabulary by regularly reading newspapers, magazines, and online articles.

• A strong vocabulary not only helps in understanding passages but also in answering vocabulary-based questions more confidently.

10. Staying Calm and Focused:

• Maintain a calm and focused mindset during the CAT exam to avoid unnecessary stress and anxiety.

• Take short breaks if needed to relax and refocus your attention.

More Tricks to Solve Reading Comprehension in CAT Exam:

1. Don't focus too much on trivial details. It's important to understand the main points and structure of the passage in order to analyze and answer the questions effectively.

2. Avoid memorizing the passage. Instead, prioritize understanding the flow and main points. For factual or specific point questions, you can always refer back to the passage.

3. Start by reading the questions first and then move on to the passage. This will help you focus on the information you need to look for in the passage. Don't get distracted by answer options. A quick overview of the questions is enough.

4. Don't stress too much about your vocabulary skills. While it's great to have a strong vocabulary, you don't need to have a Shakespearean-level vocabulary to understand the passage. Focus on understanding the main points of the passage instead of getting caught up on individual words.

5. If you come across a passage that you can't comprehend, don't spend too much time on it. Instead, focus on the passages that you can manage easily. You can always go back to the difficult passages later if needed.

6. The correct answer is always based on the information given within the passage. Don't get distracted by options that are out of scope.

7. Don't rely solely on "trigger words" to understand the passage. Pay attention to the entire context of the passage to avoid being misled by these words.

8. Take notes while reading, especially for obscure or abstract text. Write down the general flow, structure, paragraph-wise flow, and important points. Keep your notes brief and to the point.

9. Try to anticipate the questions that may be asked while reading the passage. This is a challenging skill, but if you can master it, you'll be able to answer questions more effectively.

10. Give extra attention to the opening and closing paragraphs of the passage. These paragraphs often contain important information that can help you answer questions about the main idea of the passage.

11. Constantly ask yourself questions while reading the passage to maintain your concentration. For example, ask yourself, "What is the author's main point?" or "Why is the author writing this?" This will help you stay focused and engaged while reading.

CAT Reading Comprehension Sample Question

Direction:
The passage below is accompanied by a set of questions. Choose the best answer to each question.

As software improves, the people using it become less likely to sharpen their own know-how. Applications that offer lots of prompts and tips are often to blame; simpler, less solicitous programs push people harder to think, act and learn.

Ten years ago, information scientists at Utrecht University in the Netherlands had a group of people carry out complicated analytical and planning tasks using either rudimentary software that provided no assistance or sophisticated software that offered a great deal of aid. The researchers found that the people using the simple software developed better strategies, made fewer mistakes and developed a deeper aptitude for the work. The people using the more advanced software, meanwhile, would often “aimlessly click around” when confronted with a tricky problem. The supposedly helpful software actually short-circuited their thinking and learning.

[According to] philosopher Hubert Dreyfus . . . . our skills get sharper only through practice, when we use them regularly to overcome different sorts of difficult challenges. The goal of modern software, by contrast, is to ease our way through such challenges. Arduous, painstaking work is exactly what programmers are most eager to automate—after all, that is where the immediate efficiency gains tend to lie. In other words, a fundamental tension ripples between the interests of the people doing the automation and the interests of the people doing the work.

Nevertheless, automation’s scope continues to widen. With the rise of electronic health records, physicians increasingly rely on software templates to guide them through patient exams. The programs incorporate valuable checklists and alerts, but they also make medicine more routinized and formulaic—and distance doctors from their patients. . . . Harvard Medical School professor Beth Lown, in a 2012 journal article . . . warned that when doctors become“screen-driven,” following a computer’s prompts rather than “the patient’s narrative thread,” their thinking can become constricted. In the worst cases, they may miss important diagnostic signals. . . . In a recent paper published in the journal Diagnosis, three medical researchers . . . examined the misdiagnosis of Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person to die of Ebola in the U.S., at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. They argue that the digital templates used by the hospital’s clinicians to record patient information probably helped to induce a kind of tunnel vision. “These highly constrained tools,” the researchers write, “are optimized for data capture but at the expense of sacrificing their utility for appropriate triage and diagnosis, leading users to miss the forest for the trees.” Medical software, they write, is no “replacement for basic history-taking, examination skills, and critical thinking.” . . .

There is an alternative. In “human-centred automation,” the talents of people take precedence. . . . In this model, software plays an essential but secondary role. It takes over routine functions that a human operator has already mastered, issues alerts when unexpected situations arise, provides fresh information that expands the operator’s perspective and counters the biases that often distort human thinking. The technology becomes the expert's partner, not the expert’s replacement.
Question:
It can be inferred that in the Utrecht University experiment, one group of people was“aimlessly clicking around” because:

1. they did not have the skill-set to address complicated tasks.

2. they were hoping that the software would help carry out the tasks.

3. the other group was carrying out the tasks more efficiently.

4. they wanted to avoid making mistakes.

Answer:

The passage presents findings from an experiment conducted at Utrecht University, which explored the impact of different types of software on human problem-solving behavior. The experiment compared two groups of people: one group used simple software, while the other utilized more advanced, sophisticated software. The results showed that those using simpler software were more effective in strategizing and made fewer mistakes. On the other hand, those who used the more advanced software seemed to disengage from strategic thinking and would often "aimlessly click around" when presented with challenging problems. This suggests that the more advanced software, rather than aiding the users, may actually hinder their ability to think critically and solve problems effectively.

Option A: The passage does not raise questions about the competency levels of the users in either group. Rather, it focuses on how the type of software being used affects problem-solving behavior. Consequently, Option A is not a valid inference based on the given information.

Option B: The passage clearly indicates that those using more sophisticated software tended to "aimlessly click around" when faced with challenging scenarios. This suggests a level of dependency on the software for problem-solving, which supports Option B as the correct choice.

Option C: While the phrase "aimlessly click around" does describe the behavior of the group using advanced software, it is not specifically used to compare or contrast the strategies adopted by the two different groups. Therefore, Option C is not an accurate representation of the passage's content.

Option D: There is nothing in the passage that implies this inference, so Option D is not the correct choice.

In summary, Option B accurately reflects the key point made by the passage, namely that dependency on more advanced software can potentially undermine the ability to think critically and solve problems. Therefore, the correct answer is Option B.

2. From the passage, we can infer that the author is apprehensive about the use of sophisticated automation for all of the following reasons EXCEPT that:

1. it stunts the development of its users.

2. it could mislead people.

3. computers could replace humans.

4. it stops users from exercising their minds.

Answer:

The passage delves into the limitations of advanced software tools, especially their impact on human cognition and decision-making. Specifically, it mentions research from information scientists at Utrecht University and a paper published in the journal "Diagnosis" to illustrate these points.

Option A: The research conducted by information scientists at Utrecht University, referenced in the second paragraph, suggests that the excessive use of sophisticated software tools can have a detrimental effect on human cognitive capabilities. It argues that such tools may, in fact, impede thinking and learning. Given that this observation aligns with the passage's critique of advanced software, Option A cannot be the correct answer.

Option B: The passage's penultimate paragraph argues that "highly constrained tools," primarily designed for data capture, can mislead users by causing them to overemphasize less relevant data. This could lead them away from achieving their intended objectives. Similar to Option A, this point complements the passage's overarching argument, thereby disqualifying Option B as the correct answer.

Option C: The passage makes no claim that advanced software can fully replace human capabilities. In fact, it argues quite the opposite. The example cited from the journal "Diagnosis" serves to underline the limitations of using such software, especially in critical areas like medical diagnosis. Therefore, Option C is the correct choice as it correctly identifies that the software is not a replacement for human skills and judgment, a point implicitly made by the passage.

Option D: This option can be traced back to the ideas presented in the second and third paragraphs of the passage, but these sections don't establish it as the answer to the central question posed. Therefore, Option D is not the correct answer.

In summary, the correct answer is Option C. This option accurately reflects the passage's stance that while software may serve as a valuable tool, it cannot serve as a complete substitute for human judgment and expertise.

3. In the context of the passage, all of the following can be considered examples of human-centered automation EXCEPT:

1. medical software that provides optional feedback on the doctor’s analysis of the medical situation.

2. a smart-home system that changes the temperature as instructed by the resident.

3. software that auto-completes text when the user writes an email.

4. software that offers interpretations when requested by the human operator.

Answer:

The passage describes an alternative paradigm called "human-centered automation," wherein the unique capabilities of humans take precedence over technology. In this framework, software serves a crucial but supportive role. It is designed to handle routine tasks that human operators have already mastered, provide alerts during unforeseen situations, supply new information that enhances the operator's understanding, and counteract biases that can skew human judgment. In this manner, technology acts as a complement to human expertise rather than replacing it.

Option A: In this particular instance, the software's function is limited to providing feedback on the doctor's diagnostic process. This closely aligns with the human-centered approach as outlined in the passage, where the software takes a backseat and serves only to aid the human practitioner. Therefore, Option A is not the correct choice since it exemplifies the human-centered model rather than contradicting it.

Option B: Here again, the technology operates based on the directives issued by the human resident. It remains a tool to facilitate the resident's actions, thereby following the human-centered automation model. As such, Option B is also not the correct answer.

Option C: Contrarily, in this option, the software operates autonomously through its auto-completion feature, without specific human input or oversight. This approach doesn't align with the human-centered model which prioritizes human skills and decision-making. Therefore, Option C is the correct choice as it stands in contrast to the principles of human-centered automation articulated in the passage.

Option D: In this scenario, the software springs into action only upon the user's request. This model adheres to the human-centered approach where the software serves only when explicitly asked to, emphasizing human control and decision-making. Therefore, Option D is not the correct answer.

In summary, Option C is the correct choice as it presents a situation where the software acts independently of human interaction or supervision, thereby deviating from the human-centered automation model described in the passage.

4. In the Ebola misdiagnosis case, we can infer that doctors probably missed the forest for the trees because:

1. they were led by the data processed by digital templates

2. the data collected were not sufficient for appropriate triage.

3. the digital templates forced them to acquire tunnel vision.

4. they used the wrong type of digital templates for the case.

Answer:

In the article featured in the journal Diagnosis, a trio of medical researchers scrutinized the unfortunate case of Thomas Eric Duncan, who holds the grim distinction of being the first person to succumb to Ebola in the United States. This occurred at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. The researchers propose that the digital templates employed by the medical staff at this hospital for logging patient information likely contributed to a form of tunnel vision, thereby impairing accurate diagnosis.

The researchers further elaborate that these digital tools are designed primarily for efficient data collection. However, this comes at a significant cost: the tools are not optimized for effective patient triage or accurate diagnosis. This has the effect of causing medical professionals to overlook the broader context or 'the forest for the trees,' as the researchers metaphorically put it. Essentially, while these digital systems efficiently store data, they inadvertently steer healthcare providers away from the vital skill sets of taking comprehensive patient histories, conducting thorough examinations, and applying critical thinking.

Based on this detailed examination, it is evident that the primary issue leading to the misdiagnosis is the limited and perhaps misleading data collected through the digital templates, which guides medical practitioners in the wrong direction. Option A, which attributes the misdiagnosis to the tunnel vision induced by the data recorded in the digital templates, is therefore the correct choice.

Options B, C, and D do not align with this particular analysis and are thus not supported by the information presented in the journal article. For these reasons, they are not the correct options to choose in this context.

Upon an in-depth evaluation, it becomes apparent that Option A most accurately reflects the conclusions drawn by the medical researchers in the Diagnosis journal article, making it the correct selection.

Conclusion:

Mastering Shortcut Techniques for Reading Comprehension in the CAT is crucial for achieving success in the CAT exam. By employing strategies such as skimming, scanning, predictive reading, and effective time management, you can efficiently tackle RC passages and maximize your score, and opt for one of the best choices for CAT Shortcut Techniques. It is essential to practice consistently and stay updated with current affairs to further enhance your comprehension skills. So without bothering much about how to solve Reading Comprehension in CAT exam just with dedication and strategic preparation, you can conquer the RC section of the CAT exam and pave the way for a successful management career.

Download Free Practice Questions with Detailed Solutions for CAT Verbal Ability And Reading Comprehension (VARC) - MCQ PDFs