RBI Grade B Reading Comprehension Strategy

Preparing for RBI Grade B Reading Comprehension?

Reading Comprehension (RC) has been one of the few topics that are a regular feature in any competitive exam, testing candidates on English Language or Verbal Ability. In RBI Grade B 2022 also, there will be a section on English Language, wherein the candidate will be required to answer a certain number of questions in a given time. Please be informed that there is no sectional timing in this exam. Further, RC will be one of the many topics that the student will have to face in the exam, and going by the previous year trends one can expect about 8 to 10 questions on RC. Therefore, in this article, we have come up with RBI Grade B Reading Comprehension Strategy which will help you extract more marks from this topic.

It is generally seen that an aspirant considers RC question type to be tough, while at the same time it is also perceived as time-consuming. Though we do not refute the claim that RC question types can be time-consuming, we would definitely contradict the notion that they are difficult. Hence, in this article, we shall discuss why you should start preparing for RC early and how best you can tackle it so that you can reduce the time taken to answer the questions correctly.

As you would already be aware that RC passages are followed by several questions, which can either be fact-based or inference based, basically testing the candidate on their verbal ability. Further, RC also enables the examiner to test the vocabulary and grammar skills of the candidate. Even though the examiner can throw a passage on any topics under the sun, it is mostly found to revolve around topics such as Banking, Economy, Business and Social Issues. Perhaps, you can take RBI Grade B Free Mock on RC to see the topics that are generally found in the exam. 

Tackling RC can be a task if a proper strategy is not made. Hence, we would suggest that you prepare for RC by breaking it into a three-step process: 

Step 1: Effectively reading the comprehension passage:

The first and foremost thing you should do is to read the passage to understand it. Your focus should be to derive the message the passage is trying to communicate. Half the battle is already won if you are able to do that. Generally in any passage, the problem or the main idea is discussed in the first paragraph. Hence, you need to be extra careful while reading the first paragraph. The next few paragraphs will mostly revolve around the main idea that is present in the first para. Also, we would suggest you increase your reading speed once you have identified the problem/main idea. However, ensure that you don’t get lost in it. Remember that you are not required to master every bit of the information given. Having said that it does not mean that you do not pay attention to the subsequent information. 

Step 2: Understanding the comprehension passage:

A comprehension passage mostly has three components, namely, Problem Statement/Main Idea, Background Information (this may include facts, data, examples, etc.), and Results/Conclusion. The whole passage revolves around the main idea (generally there will be only one main idea) and so you should look at cracking this. The best way to figure out this is by questioning yourself whether the passage is trying to explain this point. If you feel that, it will be your main idea or the problem statement. The background information will generally set a context to the main idea, by citing some facts, data or examples. In the third component, the author will mostly try to prove the main idea and so might state some consequences. Although this may not be there in every passage if you find it in your passage then consider it to be important.

Step 3: Answering the question:

Now that you have read and understood the passage, it is time for you to answer the question that follows. It should not be a difficult task if you have really paid attention to the passage while reading it. You should understand that every question will usually refer you to a specific line in the passage, and so it is wise to go back to the passage and start reading it at least 3-4 lines above the line referred to. This will definitely help you in selecting the right choice.

Tips to prepare for RBI Grade B Reading Comprehension:

Now that we have discussed the strategy you may follow while tackling the RC question, we would also recommend you to go through the below-mentioned guidelines that might come in handy while preparing for this section:

• Get into the habit of reading and reading fast. This is of utmost importance as the time you spend on answering RC questions is directly proportional to how quickly you can read. To improve upon this, we would suggest you to do two things. First, start reading newspaper, magazines, journals, books or anything you like, as it will get you into the habit of reading. Second, start taking mock test on RC questions. This will help you to get to understand the type of topics that you may encounter in the exam. Understand that there is no shortcut to preparing RC and it can’t be done in a day or a week prior to exam. Hence, it is wise to start from today itself.
• When you encounter the RC questions, the first thing you should do is to read the passage quickly and try to find the problem statement/main idea the author is trying to communicate. Read the question only after you have read the passage completely at least once.
• As already mentioned, the questions will refer to a specific line. Hence, you should go to that line in the passage and start reading at least 3-4 lines above that. Doing this will only help you to answer the question correctly. You can start practicing this technique in your mock test. 
• You should also aim to build your vocabulary while preparing for RC. This will help you in understanding the passage well. Further, it will also come handy if there are questions on antonyms and synonyms.
• Make sure your mind is not diverted while you are reading the passage. Allowing your mind to divert will only lead to wasting time as you may have to go back to the passage several times to answer the questions.
• Practice reading comprehension questions in mock tests and take them every alternate day. This will really help you in your preparation as it will ensure that you get used to the RC questions and don’t feel the pressure while tackling this in the actual exam.
• Finally, keep in mind that RC is part of English Language section and that you need to solve 30 questions in 20 minutes, hence it is important to answer RC questions as quickly as possible.

Remember, the objective of the RC question type is to assess your ability to understand and analyze the given information in a limited time, and you can ace this only if you have prepared and practised well. So, we would suggest you get on with your RBI Grade B Reading Comprehension preparation from today itself. 

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