VERBAL ABILITY FOR CAT
Posted by girish seshamani on July 6, 2010
The stage has been set for the CAT November 2010 exams. With the CAT going online from last year, and the format also undergoing a change, it is essential to ensure that we get the basics right.
One major factor, which I notice, is students complaining about CAT going online. There was this fear of the unknown which haunted nearly everyone.
The only difference is, instead of a paper and pencil test, the test will be online. Everything remains the same. Students are given sheets to make their rough calculations. The right answer has to be clicked using the mouse. Candidates can scroll the entire paper and start from wherever they want. Likewise they can also change their answers.
If we look at GMAT, it is a computer adaptive test. A computer adaptive test will throw up questions according to your level. Just to cite an example, if you have clicked on the right option of a question which is difficult, the next question will be more difficult than the previous one. If you get this question wrong, the system will again start throwing questions, depending on your level. The marking will also happen according to the level of difficulty. If a candidate has got lot of difficult questions right, he will obviously get a higher grading than a student who has answered all simple questions correctly.
Coming to CAT, we have three sections, Quantitative Aptitude and Data Sufficiency, Analytical and Logical Reasoning and the English Language which includes Comprehension also.
As individuals we have our strength and weakness. Go to the section, where you are very confident and finish it off first. Ensure that you crack it fully. Once you are over with this, come to the other questions, where you will need some time. Taking the new format into consideration, you are required to answer 60 questions in 90 minutes. Ensure that you manage your time well.
I would like to focus on the Verbal Ability Section. The English Language happens to be the section, where I have seen students take a huge beating. Let’s have a look at all the possible question formats:
- Synonyms
- Antonyms
- One Word Substitutes
- Idiomatic Phrases and Phrasal Verbs
- Foreign words
- Jumbled Sentences
- Fill in the blanks with the right word
- Error Correction
- Cloze Test
- Sentence Improvement
- Reading Comprehension
If we look at the all the above exercises, the bottom line is vocabulary. If we do not have an excellent vocabulary, we are bound to take a beating. If you do not understand the meaning of one word, you will find it extremely difficult to pick the right option. This applies to all the sections in Verbal Ability. Unfortunately vocabulary is the most neglected part during the CAT preparation. I have seen all the so called reputed coaching classes giving a book full of words in alphabetical order from A till Z with their meanings and asking students to mug up all the words. Rote learning will never work for you. It is virtually impossible to recall the meaning and more importantly by doing this you are in a way, blocking your career also.
A committed vocabulary building exercise involves two major activities. The first is adding new words to your arsenal. The second is to keep in mind the vocabulary you already know. The English Language has over one million words and the average speaker is well versed with only 30000 words. You can see the huge gap. A good vocabulary is a prerequisite for professional growth.
There is only one proven method to increase your vocabulary and also ensure that you do not forget the usage of the words, which you know. Make it a habit to read a newspaper or magazine. You are bound to come across words whose meaning you do not know. First try to guess the meaning of the word with respect to the whole sentence. Only then look up the dictionary and understand the precise meaning. Once you comprehend the meaning, make a sentence using that word in a sentence and have it corrected by a person who is excellent at the language.
Another excellent technique is to use the word in any area of your liking, as in your hobbies or extra curricular activities. Since you already like that line, you will find it motivating to use the word and the learning process becomes interesting and quick. Once you do this you will never forget the meaning and application of that word. Vocabulary Building is a long term process. There are no short cuts.
Having an excellent vocabulary has got lot of advantages. A better vocabulary will help you to enjoy reading more. Likewise having an excellent vocabulary will also give you the confidence to interact with professionals at the highest level. It will undoubtedly be a huge boost for your self esteem.
Another effective method is to understand the meanings of root, prefix and suffix. A root is the basic building block or a key which will help you to understand the meanings of many words.
To understand the importance of a root, let us take the word ‘ali’ which means another. From this, we can easily get to know the meaning of the word, alias, which means an assumed name. Another example is the root ‘am’ which means love. From this, we can understand the meaning of the word, amiable, meaning friendly.
Coming to prefix, it is a word which comes at the beginning. For example, the prefix ‘bi’ means two. We can easily understand the meaning of the words; bisect, bimonthly, bigamy and so on.
A suffix is a word which comes at the end of the word. For example, if we take the suffix ‘cide’ it means killing. We can easily get to know the meaning of the words, homicide, patricide, matricide, regicide, etc. If we take the suffix ‘mania’ which means madness, we get the meaning of the words, megalomania, kleptomania, and so on.
Another area I would like to touch on is Synonym and Antonym. Synonym means words which are similar in meaning. But this does not mean it can be used interchangeably. The right synonym needs to be used taking into consideration the message, we want to communicate. For example, if we take the word active, we have lot of synonyms like, agile, alert, efficient, energetic, quick, prompt, assiduous, indefatigable, etc
Let us take three examples to understand the usage of synonyms:
Mahesh is an efficient worker
A prompt reply is always appreciated
The guard was quite alert and this helped to catch the thief
The same logic applies to antonyms also.
Lastly, coming to Reading Comprehension, lot of books mention words like speed reading, skimming, etc. Let me tell you that all these skills can be acquired only through practice. Start practicing with small comprehension passages and gradually go to bigger ones. Read the questions first and understand what is required. Then go through the passage. While going through the passage, try to get the answers and mark the respective option.
The same technique applies to Cloze Tests also. Go through the whole passage. You will get an idea of what the passage is about, as in, the central idea. After this, filling up the blank with the right option becomes easy.
With this, I conclude my write up and wish you all the best. Ensure that you
BELL THE CAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
