Common Pitfalls to avoid in CAT Verbal Ability questions

When preparing for the CAT Verbal Ability (VA) section, students often make common mistakes that can hinder their performance. Understanding and avoiding these pitfalls is crucial, especially as the VA section makes up a significant part of the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section. Here's a detailed breakdown of the most frequent mistakes and how to steer clear of them.

1. Overlooking Verbal Ability Questions

Many CAT aspirants focus heavily on Reading Comprehension (RC) because it dominates the VARC section. While RC is indeed important, neglecting Verbal Ability can be a costly mistake. VA questions make up about 30-35% of the VARC section, so mastering this part can be the difference between a good and a great score. This includes questions on para-jumbles, odd one out, and summary-type questions

How to Avoid It:

Ensure that your preparation schedule includes dedicated time for Verbal Ability. Focus on honing your skills in para-jumbles, summaries, and sentence corrections. Practice these types of questions consistently and review your mistakes to understand where you're going wrong.

2. Misinterpreting Para-Jumbles

Para-jumbles are a favorite in the CAT exam. Many candidates falter here because they assume it's a guessing game. They tend to overlook the logical flow required in arranging the sentences, often leading to incorrect answers.

How to Avoid It:

Understand the structure of a well-organized paragraph. Look for connectors between sentences like pronouns, transitional phrases, and logical links. Practice arranging jumbled paragraphs by identifying opening sentences, conclusions, and how ideas flow between them. Consider testing strategies like identifying pairs of sentences that must be together to help narrow down the options​

3. Falling for Distractors in Summary Questions

Summary-type questions require condensing a paragraph into its key points. One common mistake is getting distracted by minor details or examples, which results in incorrect summaries. Many candidates also tend to misinterpret the tone or main argument of the paragraph.

How to Avoid It:

Focus on understanding the central idea of the paragraph. Practice summarizing articles, blog posts, or news stories by identifying the key message in one or two sentences. Avoid including trivial details and make sure to retain the author’s original intent.

4. Mismanaging Time

Verbal Ability questions can sometimes seem deceptively simple, which leads students to either rush through them or spend too much time on tricky ones. Poor time management can be a significant pitfall in this section.

How to Avoid It:

During practice, time yourself on each question. Get comfortable with spending a limited amount of time on a question and know when to move on if you're stuck. Prioritize accuracy, but don't spend more than necessary on any one question. This is particularly important when balancing VA and RC questions within the VARC section

5. Guessing Blindly

Many students tend to take wild guesses in Verbal Ability, especially in para-jumbles, thinking that they might get lucky. However, with no options provided, the probability of getting these questions correct with random guesses is low, leading to negative marking.

How to Avoid It:

Instead of guessing blindly, attempt educated guesses. When you're unsure, eliminate clearly wrong options and work with the remaining ones. It’s better to leave a question unanswered if you're completely unsure than to guess recklessly.

6. Ignoring Grammar Basics

While CAT doesn't have dedicated grammar questions, grammar is crucial for many VA questions. Misunderstanding basic grammar rules can lead to errors in summary and para-jumble questions, where the proper arrangement of ideas is key.

How to Avoid It:

Regularly review basic grammar rules, such as subject-verb agreement, tense usage, and sentence structure. By mastering these, you'll have a better grasp of sentence flows in para-jumbles and the logical correctness required in summaries.

7. Not Practicing Enough

Verbal Ability requires a specific skill set that can't be developed overnight. One of the biggest pitfalls is not practicing enough VA questions, which leads to unfamiliarity with the question patterns and common traps.

How to Avoid It:

Make VA practice a routine part of your CAT preparation. Use online practice tests and mock exams to simulate the test environment. Analyze your mistakes, especially in para-jumbles and summary questions, to identify patterns in your errors

8. Relying Too Much on Gut Feeling

VA questions sometimes give the illusion that they can be answered based on intuition, especially for native speakers of English. However, over-reliance on intuition can often lead to errors, as these questions require a logical approach rather than a purely instinctive one.

How to Avoid It:

Adopt a methodical approach to VA questions. Break down para-jumbles logically, identify the central theme in summary questions, and analyze sentence structures in odd-one-out questions. Avoid answering based solely on what "feels right."

9. Neglecting Mock Tests

Mock tests are critical for CAT preparation, and neglecting them can lead to poor performance on the actual test. Many students avoid mocks because they find them demotivating, but they are essential for time management and understanding question patterns.

How to Avoid It:

Take regular mock tests under timed conditions. This will help you understand the actual pressure of the exam and improve your ability to handle different types of questions. Review your mistakes after each mock and focus on improving your weak areas, especially in VA​

Conclusion

Avoiding these common pitfalls can significantly improve your performance in the Verbal Ability section of CAT. The key to success lies in consistent practice, logical analysis of questions, and efficient time management. By incorporating these strategies, you can enhance your accuracy and speed in this section.

At Career Launcher Borivali, our experts can help you fine-tune your preparation strategy. With a tailored approach, you can strengthen your Verbal Ability skills, avoid common mistakes, and maximize your CAT score. Join us for personalized guidance and expert tips designed to help you excel in all aspects of the CAT exam.