Reading skills are important to succeed in CAT. A considerable proportion of the marks in the English section is allotted to reading comprehension (RC). 80 out of the total 360 marks allotted to the section in the test amply highlight its importance. Successful handling of the section needs the ability to read and understand quickly and then, to interpret the same for specific questions. Good reading skills can go a long way in enhancing aspirants' performance in CAT. For all its importance, however, reading skill development is also often the most neglected part of CAT preparations. This stems either from a wrong notion that such skill is innate or from a feeling that we have always been reading as part of our education and hence, no need to improve it. However, many aspirants fail to understand that reading skill is important not just in the RC section, but in the entire paper. The test has in general had either a large number of questions or fewer but difficult-to-understand questions making it difficult for candidates with poor reading skills to go through the complete paper. Every year, many candidates fail to pass the exam because they miss out on a number of easy questions, as they are unable to read all the questions in the paper. The only way out of the problem is to improve one's reading skills. The reading skill consists of two parts- Reading speed and comprehension skill. In previous CAT papers, a reading speed of around 300-350 words per minute led to a good performance. Comprehension skill involves the ability to understand the idea, flow of thoughts and logic in the passage as well as being able to remember or quickly locate critical words, phrases and numbers. Reading skill development must therefore be handled at two levels - Improving speed and enhancing comprehension skills. Reading speed is a function of reading style. Aspects of reading style that reduce reading speed include vocalising and sub-vocalising (pronouncing words in the mind as we read them). Another factor that influences reading speed is the eye-span. The greater the eye-span, the fewer the number of eye-movements required to cover each line, resulting in faster reading. The speed is also dependent on familiarity with the subject of the article. The writer is FMS, Delhi alumnus and TIME Jaipur centre director Regards, Vishnu
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