With a major chunk of the candidates appearing for the CAT entrance exam being engineers, while only 24.5% of them being accounting, commerce or economics students, it is believable that while they go busy trying to do well in their respective programs, a skillset that is most easily overlooked is English language and verbal communication skills.
To be able to do well in this section, many students need to take some proactive steps to improve their language skills, vocabulary and grammar. Here are a few things you need to know and learn when preparing for the English section –
English Reading and Comprehension
What else you can do inside qs leap ?
The best way to achieve this is to build a habit of reading. Read reputed newspapers on a daily basis such as The Hindu or the Economic Times. If possible read them out loud. It is recommended that you keep a good dictionary by your side at all times. Now, you could simply download a dictionary app to rely on. Watching good television such as BBC, Discovery Channel, National Geographic, etc., can also help you in improving your comprehension skills. Consider making it a habit of reading fiction and non-fiction books that are relaxing as well as friendly to your language learning goals.
Overcoming the Hesitation of Speaking in English
While you will primarily be tested on your reading, comprehension and writing skills in the English section, you want to make sure that you also focus on improving your spoken English. This will have a direct impact on your performance in this section. If you are currently studying for your under-graduation, this may be easier for you to do. Form a group of friends with whom you can organize mock group discussions, interviews, debates and more. This will provide you with a platform to confidently improve your spoken English, overcome your fear of speaking in public and use this as a key skill as you clear your CAT exam.
Relying on Technology to Learn
There are a number of fun and well-designed mobile applications, web applications, software and games that help you build your vocabulary, create word lists, do well in para jumbles, practice reading comprehensions and more. With applications offering real-time feedback and scoring on your performance, you will be able to find ways to improve your language skills, time management skills and more when practicing for the English section.
The point is to continue practicing and making the process as fun as possible to do well in the CAT exam.
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Prep for Dec. 4th 2016 with QS LEAP
