READING METHODS

1. SQ3R
This strategy, developed by Francis Pleasant Robinson in 1946, comprises the following 5 steps:
a. Survey- The first step is survey or skim. This step requires you to become familiar with the
organization and general content of the passage you are about to read. This may include
skimming through the title, introduction, first sentence of each paragraph (also called topic
sentences), conclusion and questions given. This will enable you to get a quick sense of the
passage/chapter and help you read faster.
b. Question- Forming questions in your mind as you read the passage/chapter, gives a purpose to
the whole exercise, improves your concentration and highlights the main ideas.
c. Read- Read the passage section by section quickly. Following the first two steps will make the
reading easy and you will be able to comprehend the passage precisely.
An efficient reader is able to derive meaning from known vocabulary and known grammar, can
infer, interpret and anticipate, can think selectively during the process of reading, can retrieve the
main points. The fastest speed of reading silently is 150 words/minute. An average reader can
read at the speed of 60 words/minute.
d. Recite-After finishing reading each section, see if you can answer the questions for the
section.
e. Review-Though during CAT exam, you won't get much time to complete this process.
However, in the process of becoming a good reader, this step is crucial. Reviewing and
remembering the material that you read helps in retaining the main points for a long time.

2. S-RUN
This strategy, developed by Nancy Bailey in 1988, comprises the following 4 steps:
a. Survey-Survey the entire passage, as done for the previous strategy.
b. Read- You can divide the sections into paragraph. This will enable you to make connections
easily.
c. Underline-After reading each section, underline the main points, as a way of remembering
them when you begin to solve the questions.
d. Notes- This enables the person to capture and subordinate ideas.

3. ERRQ
This strategy, developed by Dorothy Watson in 1985, comprises the following 4 steps:
a. Estimate- This requires the reader to estimate how far they can read and still remember and
also estimate their knowledge.
b. Read- This essentially remains the same as in the previous two strategies.
c. Review- This remains the same as in SQ3R.
d. Question-This step ensures you keep the questions in your mind and search for the answers.
The aim of this strategy is to interact productively and actively and to get the reader to link what
he/ she knows with new information.
The aspirant might face the following probable types of questions in the exam:
i. Inference- An inference can be defined as a statement that is based on some situations,
observations, facts or specific details. These types of questions require you to grasp what is
implied in the passage but not directly stated. The answers to these questions are hard to find as
they are not as visible as the specific questions. Such questions are usually framed in the
following manner:
-"Which of the following cannot be inferred from the passage?"
-What does the author mean by _____?
-What can be inferred when the author states _____?
-The sentence, ______, implies that _____
-The passage suggests which of the following about _____"
The way to answer such questions is to link clues with prior knowledge. The correct answer to
such questions is usually an obvious logical consequence of a sentence in the passage. The
aspirant should search for the statement in the passage which acts as a premise for the conclusion
to be laid on.
ii. Central Idea-Such questions relate to the main idea highlighted in the passage. It may also
reflect the main aim of the author in writing the passage. Such questions may come in the
following form:
-"Which of the following most accurately states the main idea of the passage?"
-"The primary purpose of the passage is to ______"

-"The passage is primarily concerned with which of the following?"

-"The main point made by the passage is that ______"
The aspirant must identify the crux of the author's argument or the basic premise on which the
passage is built. Identifying the subordinate ideas can also help in identifying the main idea.
iii. Tone and style- Such questions asks you to identify the attitude or mood of the author or the
passage or a specific part of the passage. Such questions are usually formed in the following
manner:
- "The tone of the author is best described as______"
-"The attitude of the author toward _____ is best described as _____"
-"Which of the following views does the author most likely favour"
Certain specific words used in the passage can reveal the tone and style of the author. The author
may be sarcastic, prescriptive, preaching and so on.
iv. Logical Reasoning- Such questions require you to process a set of information and apply
logic to find the correct answer. Such questions can come in the following form:
-"Which of the following, if true, best support _____ (a statement from the passage)?"
-"Which of the following, if true, will weaken the argument made by the author in paragraph 2?"
Such questions require you to understand the link between different section of the passage and
also identify the main premise.
vi. Vocabulary- The comprehension may include questions to test the vocabulary of the aspirant.
Generally, such questions will be with reference to context and can be done by identifying the
context in which the word or phrase has been spoken. Usually, such questions are framed in the
following manner:
-"In the passage, the phrase _____ refers to _____"
-"In the statement _____, the word _____ means _____"
If the aspirant does not understand the meaning of the word or phrase in question, reading a
couple of lines before and after the line in which, the word has been used, can give a
considerable clue regarding the context of the word in most cases.
vii. Re-arrange- These questions require the aspirant to re-arrange the statements in a specified
sequence. These are not very difficult to attempt. A carefully reading of the passage should be
sufficient to answer such questions.