NTA UGC NET Exam: How to solve Reading Comprehension Questions?

By Mohit Choudhary|Updated : October 26th, 2022

Reading Comprehension is a very important topic asked in NTA UGC NET exam. So, in order to score better in the English section, it is crucial to have a proper understanding of the correct approach to solve Reading Comprehension questions in a NET exam.

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How to solve Reading Comprehension Questions in UGC NET Exam?

  • Reading comprehension comprises two words i.e. ‘Reading’ which means to study and ‘Comprehension’ which means the ability to understand something.
  • So, as the name denotes it completely means the study of a passage or a paragraph and to understand what the author or the writer is trying to convey.
  • This section is included in the UGC NET exam in order to test the reading skills of an individual in the given time period and to check whether the aspirants are able to comprehend it efficiently and accurately or not.

Some important Tips to follow

  • Develop the habit of reading newspapers, especially the editorial column. Continuous reading will improve your comprehension skills and at the same time, it will help you summarize what is given in the article quickly which will help you save time during exams and can attempt maximum questions in minimum time.
  • Always, before reading the passage scroll the paper and go through the questions and keep in mind the questions asked. 
  • Just keep in mind that all the questions are not difficult. Some are direct and some are inference based questions. If there are 4 questions in a set then 2 will direct, 1 will be moderate and 1 will be inference based. Look for such sets and go on solving the direct one first. This will regain your confidence level and will save your time for solving the inference based.
  • Answer from what is given in the passage. Don’t use any outside information or what you know is true. Consider true as what is given and answer accordingly. Don’t assume anything what you know to be true. Any option that cannot be proved with given information in the passage should be omitted.
  • Read the given instructions carefully. Select your option accordingly as some options may sound too close. Answer in the context of the passage. Don’t always go with the literal meaning of the words as sometimes figurative meanings are being used. So, see how the words are used in the passage and then answer.
  • Don’t just spend time on a single question. If you are unable to find the correct option then try solving by eliminating option or move to the next set of questions.
  • Now let us look through an example:

Sample Passage

Since I had nothing better to do, I decided to go to the market to buy a few handkerchiefs, the old ones had done vanishing trick. On the way, I met an old friend of mine and I took him to a nearby restaurant for tea and snacks. Afterward, I went to the shop and selected a dozen handkerchiefs. I pulled out my purse to make the payment, and discovered that it was empty; I then realized that it was not my purse, it was a different purse altogether. How that happened is still a source of wonder to me and I refuse to believe that it was the work of my good old friend, for it was his purse that I held in my hand.

Solution: The passage is basically about the narrator who is narrating about his routines. How he went to the shop and selected stuff and later discovered that he was not carrying the purse. So, the type of questions that can be asked are:

1. The man could not buy the handkerchiefs because

  1. he did not like the handkerchiefs
  2. his friend did not allow him to buy them
  3. the shop did not have any handkerchiefs
  4. he had no money in the purse 

Ans: (D)
Solution:
From the lines in the passage, ‘I pulled out my purse to make the payment, and discovered that it was empty’. Thus, the man could not buy the handkerchiefs because he had no money in the purse.

2. When he tried to take out the purse, he discovered that

  1. it was not there
  2. it was lost
  3. it was a new purse
  4. it was his friend’s purse

Ans: (D)

Solution:
From the last three lines of the passage, ‘I then realized that it was not my purse, it was a different purse altogether. How that happened is still a source of wonder to me and I refuse to believe that it was the work of my good old friend, for it was his purse that I held in my hand’. Thus, it can be concluded that it was his friend’s purse. 

Remember, practice makes a man perfect, so to get a command on this section, practice as many passages of different subjects as you can, so as to get an in-hand experience of how to approach questions from a variety of areas like science, religions, cultural, story-based, etc. that are commonly asked in the exam.

Check out the study notes:

All the best for your exams,

Score Better. Go BYJU'S Exam Prep.

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