CareerPrep.

Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension questions test your ability to read and understand passages of various kinds – narratives, literature, essay etc.

An unseen passage is given followed by a few questions, which you have to answer, based on the information given in the passage.

The questions may focus on :

1. The central thought of the passage
2. Specific, directly stated details.
3. Conclusions that can be formed based upon information furnished in the passage.
4. Meanings of words in the passage.
5. Applications of information given in the passage.

Some points to keep in mind:

Read the entire passage carefully.
1. Answer the questions based on the information given in the passage only.
2. Do not unnecessarily presume anything while answering.
3. Regular practice increases your reading speed and helps in answering the questions correctly.

In this type, a sentence is given, which is divided in four parts and marked as 1, 2, 3 and 4. 5 refers to No error.

You are required to find out the part which has an error.

The error may be relating to the usage of Article, Preposition, Tense, Verb, Noun, Pronoun, Adverb, Conjunction, Subject-Verb agreement etc.

Sometimes, the error may also be that of Spelling or wrong use of words.

Some points to keep in mind:

1. There is no short cut to solve questions on spotting the error.
2. Good command over grammatical rules is necessary to answer these questions.
3. Read the full sentence and then try to find the error.
4. Regular habit of solving these types of questions will improve your confidence.
5. Solve at least 20 questions daily.

One word substitution is a single precise word which is used to convey a long sentence in a short manner.

Knowing Synonyms and Antonyms of words will improve and enhance your vocabulary.

Synonyms are words which are similar to each other in meaning.

Antonyms are words which are opposite to each other in meaning.

Points to keep in mind:

1. Synonyms and Antonyms questions are usually based on the given comprehension. So, your answer should be appropriate to the context of the given passage.
2. Choose your answer very carefully.
3. Good vocabulary is very essential.
4. Improve your vocabulary by reading English newspapers, magazines etc.
5. Learn at least 10 difficult words daily.
6. Try to use the appropriate new words you have learnt, in your speech.

In this type, a sentence is given from which one or two words have been deleted.

You must choose the appropriate option which makes the sentence meaningful and grammatically correct.

Some strategies to answer sentence-completion questions:

1. Read the incomplete sentence carefully, noting any key words that show relationship. For example: but, although, however, another indicate contrasting ideas, the same as indicates similarity, therefore, as a result, consequently, because indicate cause and effect.
2. Try each of the given options in the sentence and eliminate those that are unsuitable or grammatically incorrect.
3. In sentences with two deleted words, make sure that both words in the given options fit into the sentence logically.
4. Grammar may provide clues. Decide what part of speech the answer should be. For example: if a verb is required, what tense should it be?

Cloze test

A cloze test basically tests a candidate’s knowledge of comprehension with regard to grammar usage and vocabulary.

A cloze test consists of a passage with some blanks and each blank is numbered. Against each number, five choices are given below the passage. A candidate has to select the most appropriate word for each of the blanks to complete the passage correctly and meaningfully. Cloze test.

Some points to keep in mind:

1. Read the whole passage carefully first.
2. Grammatical knowledge, vocabulary and common sense are a must to solve these questions.
3. Tick the right answer from the given options. Read the entire passage again after solving it.

Idioms and Phrases

Questions based on Idioms and Phrases test a candidate’s understanding of idiomatic expressions and Phrasal verbs of English Language.

An Idiom is a group of words whose meaning is different from the meaning of the individual words.

A Phrase is a group of two or more words that express a single idea but do not usually form a complete sentence. Idioms and Phrases

Some points to keep in mind:

1. There are no hard and fast rules to solve these types of questions.
2. Read the questions and try to eliminate the wrong options.
3. Improve your vocabulary.
4. There are hundreds of idioms and Phrases. Learn at least 15 daily.

In this type of test, a candidate's skill of making an unified paragraph is tested.

A paragraph has three important parts:

1. A topic sentence which expresses the main point of the paragraph.
2. Supporting sentences which provide detailed information about the topic of the paragraph.
3. The concluding sentences end the paragraph.

Some points to keep in mind:

1. Read the given sentences to understand the theme.
2. Find out the links between the sentences.
3. Apply logical thinking and choose the correct option carefully.
4. After solving, read the entire paragraph.

In this type of test, a candidate's skill of making an unified paragraph is tested.

Sentence Improvement questions test the candidate’s ability to identify error in a part of a sentence.

One part of a sentence is italicized. Five options follow the question. You have to select the option that produces the most effective and grammatically correct sentence.

1. Read the entire sentence, but pay special attention to the italicized portion because this is the portion you have to evaluate.
2. From the given options, select the best option. If you have trouble deciding on the correct option, replace the italicized portion with each of the given option and read the full sentence. This will give you a better perspective.

Some points to keep in mind:

1. Read the words given in bold in the sentences carefully.
2. Be thorough with the Spelling rules.
3. Read a wide range of topics to learn new words.
4. Learn spellings of new words. The habit of writing down the spelling of words imprints the spelling in your mind.

Each sentence below has two blanks, each blank indicates that something has been omitted. Choose the words that best fit the meaning of the sentence as a whole.