Struggling With CAT RC? These Tips & Strategies Will Help You Succeed

Have you ever found yourself wondering, “How do I choose the right answer when all the options seem so similar?” It’s a question that nearly every CAT aspirant grapples with, especially when tackling reading comprehension sections.

Here’s a little secret that rarely people talk about:
When it comes to CAT reading comprehension, your main focus shouldn’t be on finding the right answer right away. Instead, you should concentrate on eliminating the wrong choices. By shifting your approach from “picking the correct option” to “eliminating the incorrect ones,” you’ll see a significant boost in your accuracy. This is because CAT RCs are crafted to confuse you with closely related options.
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Different CAT RC Question Types

Before we dive in, let’s take a look at the different types of RC Questions you might encounter. Understanding these question types will help you tackle each one with a unique approach:

1. General Questions
These questions focus on the main idea, summary, or the author’s tone. To answer them effectively, you’ll need to understand the passage as a whole — considering its structure, tone, and overall flow. Keep in mind that the answers may not always be found in a single line.

2. Specific Questions
These target a specific paragraph, line, or word. For these, you’ll want to go back, read carefully, and pinpoint what the author is conveying in that particular section. Instead of trying to memorize everything, make sure to refer back to the passage.

3. Interpretation Questions
These can be the most challenging, involving tasks like strengthening or weakening arguments, making inferences, or supporting/opposing ideas. Here, it’s crucial to have a clear understanding of the main idea of the passage. From there, you can eliminate options that contradict it, are overly extreme, or introduce outside reasoning.

Now, let’s talk about how to eliminate the wrong options like a pro:

1. Avoid extreme words : Watch out for options that throw around words like always, never, all, every, or impossible. These are often traps.
2. Aim for Majority pointers : The right choice will typically align with the majority of what’s being asked. If only a tiny part fits, it’s best to eliminate it.
3. Match the Tone: The correct option should match the author’s and overall tone of the passage.
4. Don't Infer : Don’t bring in outside knowledge. Stick to what’s written in the passage.
5. Avoid Incorrect Connections : Sometimes two ideas (A and B) are in the passage but not logically connected. Be careful because the paper setters use this to trap you.
6. Compare and Justify : If you're confused between two options, take your time. Break down each one word by word and check if every part can be clearly supported by the passage.

RC is not about speed reading or guessing. It’s about methodical reading and smart elimination. Practice this strategy consistently, and you’ll notice your accuracy, confidence, and VARC score rise together.

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