Introduction
The Common Admission Test, or CAT, is one of the most popular exams for admission into top business schools in India for MBA programs. The CAT exam tests verbal ability, quantitative ability, data interpretation & logical reasoning, and reading comprehension – all skills needed to succeed in an MBA program.
The reading comprehension section in particular is very important, as it tests critical thinking skills and the ability to understand complex concepts and analyze written material – key skills for management professionals. Performance on the reading comprehension section can significantly impact one’s overall CAT score. Understanding the format, question types, difficulty level, and number of questions in this section is crucial for scoring well on test day.
Reading Comprehension Section Overview
The Reading Comprehension section on the CAT comprises 24-28 questions spread across three passages (source). The passages are typically between 400-600 words in length and cover diverse topics from the humanities, social sciences, sciences, and other areas. The types of passages include expository writing, narratives, fictional excerpts and more. There are usually three passage sets, with 6-8 questions following each passage.
The questions test comprehension skills such as locating details in the passage, understanding logical arguments, inference skills, vocabulary knowledge, and the ability to distinguish between main ideas and supporting details. Questions may ask you to summarize key points, identify assumptions or implications, understand relationships between ideas, interpret figurative language and more.
Number of Passages
The CAT exam typically contains 3 reading comprehension passages (Source). Each year, the exam has included either 2 or 3 reading comprehension passages. While the exact number varies, test takers can generally expect to see 3 passages on the CAT reading comprehension section.
Having 3 reading comprehension passages allows the CAT to test a broad range of topics and passage types. With only 2 passages, the variety would be more limited. At the same time, more than 3 passages would reduce the time available per passage. By including 3 passages, the CAT strikes a balance between topic variety and time management.
When preparing for the CAT, it’s important to practice with at least 3 reading comprehension passages in your mock tests. This will help you get comfortable with the typical format and pacing required on the actual exam day. In some cases, mock tests may include up to 4 passages, which further helps build reading stamina. But generally, aiming to handle 3 strong passages is an optimal target.
Passage Lengths
The length of reading comprehension passages on the CAT exam can vary, but recently the passages have become shorter. According to this Quora answer, CAT reading comprehension passages used to be quite long in the past, sometimes up to 850 words. However, in recent years, CAT reading comprehension passages tend to be much shorter, typically between 450-600 words.
As mentioned in this CollegeDekho article, the CAT exam has reduced the length and size of reading comprehension passages in recent years. Most passages now contain between 450-550 words. The shorter passage length allows test takers to comprehend the passages more easily within the time constraints.
In summary, CAT reading comprehension passages have become noticeably shorter in recent years, with most passages containing 450-600 words on average. The shorter passage length benefits test takers by making the content more manageable to read and comprehend within the time limits.
Question Types
The CAT Reading Comprehension section tests your understanding of passages through different types of questions. According to experts, the main question types are:
- Main Idea – These questions assess your ability to identify the primary theme or central topic of the passage.
- Summary – You need to summarize the passage or section of the passage in 1-2 sentences.
- Inference – These questions test how well you can make logical inferences based on the passage.
- Tone – You have to identify the tone or attitude of the author based on contextual clues.
- Facts – Questions that check how well you can recall factual details from the passage.
- Vocabulary – These assess whether you understand the meaning of difficult or uncommon words in context.
Understanding the nuances between these question types is key to effectively answering the Reading Comprehension section. You need to analyze not just what is stated, but what can be inferred based on the passage. Pay close attention to tone, and focus on separating main ideas from details. Learn strategies to quickly locate key information in the passage so you can answer factual questions efficiently.
Number of Questions
The CAT exam contains a total of 26 reading comprehension questions according to MBA Universe. This number has fluctuated over the years. In 2018, there were 34 reading comprehension questions on the CAT exam. However, in 2021 the number was reduced to 26 questions according to Shiksha.
So in summary, as of 2021 candidates can expect around 26 reading comprehension questions on the current CAT exam. This section comprises a significant portion of the overall Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section.
Question Difficulty
Reading Comprehension questions on the CAT exam vary in difficulty level. Generally, detail questions that ask about specific information stated explicitly in the passage tend to be easier. Inference questions that require drawing conclusions based on implicit information in the passage are more challenging. According to Powerscore (https://dokumen.pub/powerscore-gmat-reading-comprehension-bible-0984658386-9780984658381.html), CAT Reading Comprehension questions can be quite difficult compared to other standardized tests.
The difficulty level also depends on the complexity of the passage topic and writing style. Passages on abstract, philosophical topics or with dense academic writing tend to have harder questions. Simpler passages on concrete topics and conversational writing usually have more straightforward questions. Timing can also impact difficulty, as harder questions take longer to comprehend and answer correctly.
Overall, CAT Reading Comprehension sections aim to have a mix of easy, medium, and difficult questions. Doing well requires being prepared for all levels of complexity. Focus on understanding passage logic and learning types of questions to handle both simple and complex comprehension tests.
Scoring
The reading comprehension section of the CAT exam consists of 24 questions spread across 6 passages. Each question carries 3 marks, so the maximum score for reading comprehension is 72 marks.
There is no negative marking in the reading comprehension section. You simply get 3 marks for every correct answer. If you answer a question incorrectly or leave it blank, you get 0 marks for that question.
Your reading comprehension score is calculated by adding up the marks for all the correct answers. For example, if you answer 20 questions correctly, your score would be 20 x 3 = 60 marks.
According to research from CATKing, a score of around 60% in reading comprehension, which equals about 43-45 marks, is considered a good score for this section [1].
The reading comprehension section accounts for around 16% of your overall CAT exam score. So scoring well in this section can significantly boost your chances of getting into the IIMs and other top MBA colleges.
Strategies
There are several key strategies that can help you effectively answer CAT reading comprehension questions:
Skim through the passage quickly first to understand the overall structure and flow before diving into the details. Pay attention to the opening and closing sentences of paragraphs. According to https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/cat-exam-10-strategies-to-solve-reading-comprehension-effectively-and-easily/articleshow/105066666.cms, this helps you grasp the main idea.
For detail-oriented questions, make sure to re-read relevant portions of the passage carefully. Underline or highlight key points.
Eliminate answer choices that contradict information in the passage. According to https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/8-easy-tips-to-ace-cat-reading-comprehension/amp_etphotostory/105188653.cms, this increases your odds of selecting the right option.
Pay close attention to transition and key words that indicate contrasts, additions, examples, etc. This signals the logical flow.
Note the tone and style of the passage. Answers that do not match this can often be eliminated.
Stay focused and engaged when reading dense, complex passages. Don’t lose momentum or get distracted.
Manage your time wisely. Don’t get bogged down on any single difficult question. Move on swiftly and come back if time permits.
Take a few seconds to read and digest the question stem carefully before scanning for the answer. Underline key directives or clues in the question.
Answer questions in the order that makes most sense to you. You can work sequentially or start with easy wins.
Conclusion
To summarize, the CAT Reading Comprehension section consists of 3-4 passages followed by 5-6 questions each. The passages typically range from 450-600 words and cover diverse topics such as science, humanities, social sciences, and more. The section comprises a total of 24 questions. The types of questions asked include inference-based questions, main idea questions, detail-based questions, vocabulary-based questions, tone/attitude questions, and logical conclusion questions among others. The Reading Comprehension section tests a candidate’s ability to understand complex language, grasp context, make inferences, evaluate arguments, and identify key details. By preparing strategies such as reading actively, taking structured notes, managing time efficiently, and practicing a range of passage types and question formats, test takers can aim to maximize their score on this section which comprises 34 marks out of the total 100 marks on the CAT exam.