Verbal Ability has assumed a lot of significance in today’s world. Everywhere one goes, one needs a good command on the English language to succeed, especially in the corporate world. Therefore, in all MBA entrances, Verbal Ability has become an integral component to test a candidate’s hold on the language.
Usually, a candidate works hard on subjects like Mathematics and Logical Reasoning but takes VA for granted, but without a good score in VA, it is impossible to score well in the exam itself. There are ways of improving your score in Verbal Ability:
1. Improve Vocabulary
Without a good vocabulary, you cannot hope to do well in the VA section. Vocabulary comprises the meaning of different words and is of two types: Active and Passive Vocabulary. The words a person speaks in day to day life is a part of his Active Vocabulary whereas words, whose meanings a person may know but does not use frequently become his Passive Vocabulary.
A person with a good vocabulary will keep adding to his repertoire of words and at the same time move words from Passive to Active vocabulary. Essentially, a good vocabulary is almost a guarantee of doing well in this section.
2. Read extensively
Good language skills cannot be inculcated overnight, one needs to work consistently hard for it. One of the best ways of acquiring language is through reading literature in that language. This includes novels, newspapers, editorials, magazines and so on.
While reading, one comes across millions of words, both known and unknown, and unwittingly absorbs them all. The more one reads, the more you become aware of the various ways in which sentences can be structured, the different kinds of idioms and phrases that enrich a language and it provides a chance to you to enrich your vocabulary.
3. Target weak areas
Candidates should identify their weak areas in language. This will vary from individual to individual. Some may be weak in different aspects of grammar, some may have weak vocabulary, some may be slow readers while some may face problems in specific type of questions. A candidate can identify weak areas by attempting a few mock tests and practicing language-related questions on a regular basis.
4. Save time
Verbal Ability Section, which includes Reading Comprehension, can be time-consuming for candidates. Reading up the passages and solving the questions that require some amount of analytical and critical thinking is not an easy task.
While saving time, a candidate also has to think about getting a majority of the questions accurately because there is very little room for error. Continued practice and eliminating weaknesses can save time for the candidates.
5. Learn the skill of elimination
While writing the VA section, it will serve you well to learn the art of eliminating the wrong choices. In most of these questions, especially Reading Comprehension, you will have to eliminate the choices that are extreme and irrelevant to the question. This may also involve a certain amount of guesswork sometimes, but you need to learn how to make informed guesses.
The scope of questions in the Verbal Ability section is limitless. The candidates should practice all the patterns and possible type of questions and eliminate their weak areas to stand a good chance in this section.
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