4 Rules to Master Para Completion

232 Comments

1. 4.5

2. 0.5

3. 5

4. Hello sir,
   I need to know
   If such questions come in MBA exams, Like the one comes in Bank PO exam as i am giving BANK PO also.
   The type where all sentences are given & then each questions asks
   -what is third sentence ?
   -what is last(sixth) sentence ?
   -what is fifth sentence ?

   What must be APPROACH then ? i mean here we have to make a correct sequence of all the sentences first. How to go for it ? Should i need to read all sentences & understand them ? or directly try to solve, as time is very less. If not MBA exams, pls tell me for bank exams, i am facing difficulty there sometimes.

   • Vivek, you can forward your query to support@careerlauncher.com and our experts will revert back to it at earliest.

5. Hi,

   Based on last year’s pattern can we expect the same kind of questions in CAT this year…for eg..no vocab,FIB,more of Inferential reasoning and parajumbles

   • Shanky, one year is not sufficient to determine a trend, I would not ignore any question type that had appeared in CAT 2003-08.

     • Hi,

       Sir wanted to ask any trips or tricks or something extra that i could do which would help me in solving inferential question and critical reasoning…While I am practising I am able to solve 80% of the questions but during mocks the accuracy comes down to 50.Is there anything other i can do other than practise??

       • Shanky, you can check out the articles by Gejo on these topics, links to some of these are given below:
         1. The Secret to Solving Inferential Questions
         2. 4 ways to eliminate options in RC
         In addition to practice you need to do revision also, please refer to the post Things you must-do after every mock you take

6. Sir,
   i have a query that,
   in most of the questions i could easily eliminate 2 choices but at last i left with two options n got confused in that, this happens in pc & pj both.

   • Dear Kaustubh,

     If you are confused between two choices, then it could be useful to try to search for reasons to reject each of the options that confuse you (instead of trying to pick the right answer). Apply the rules discussed in the post to negate both the options that confuse you. This should lead to one option getting eliminated. Thus, you will be left with the right answer.

7. Sir,

   When in the options, a contradict option & a continous flow option of paragraph is present, then what to do sir? How to choose the correct one. please reply.

   • Dear Karn,

     Typically in such questions, the option which continues the flow of the paragraph will be preferred. A contradictory option will possibly imply a change of tone. Thus, a contradictory option may be the right answer only if there are proper linking words justifying the contradiction.

8. SIr I am a CL student
   Plz tell me if there is any use of filling CMAT if i want to get admission into a good B School?

   • Seema, in the current scenario CMAT may not be of much use. Except for a couple of good institutes like GIM, Somaiyya all others are the others are avoidable and these to are also possible at a score of over 90%ile in CAT & XAT. In case you are targeting JBIMS and other Mumbai institutes through DTE/CET then as a non-Maharashtra candidate you should go for MAT (Feb’15) or ATMA or CET as these are easier than CMAT ans will give you a higher percentile score.

9. Sir I am a CL student
   your post on “How to improve Vocab in last 60 days” is not available..KIndly repost it…
   And also by when Post on para jumbles be ready

   • Seema, will do so shortly.

10. Dear sir, i am a student of CL for scc comprehensive.Could you pls prepare a lesson for parajumbles of new type where they ask you to find out of context sentence ad arrange the rest into a logical sequence.
    thanks

    • Praveen, will do so shortly.

11. Sir, the post is great and very helpful. It has increased my efficiency a lot.
    There are limited number of question available for these types in Mocks and in previous years. In SIS also, there are no specific questions for this (though it is available with Para Jumbles, in which I am very bad). So it becomes difficult in practicing these types of ques.
    So, if you can suggest from where I can get questions for Para Jumbles. As I am planning of doing around 5 ques a day and release burden from RC part.

    P.S. – Request you to write a blog regarding Para Jumbles. 🙂

    • Dear Achal,

      Test Gym Adaptive provides you a good collection of Parajumble questions. This would be the best source for you. I would certainly consider a post on Parajumbles as well.

12. Sir, the post is great and very helpful. It has increased my efficiency a lot.
    There are limited number of question available for these types in Mocks and in previous years. In SIS also, there are no specific questions for this(though it is available with Para Jumbles. in which i am very bad). So it becomes difficult in practicing these types of ques.
    So, if you can suggest from where I can get questions for Para Jumbles. As I am planning of doing around 5 ques a day and release burden from RC part.

    P.S. – Request you to write a blog regarding Para Completion, 🙂

    • This post has been responded to.

13. Sir can you please post a similar article explaining how to solve parajumbles.I am realy not good at parajumbles and tend to get confused most of the times.Thanks in advance.

14. Hi GP,

    I have got a score of 90% in 10th 88% in 12th and 73 % in B.Tech.

    I have also got a work ex. of 25 months as of july in WIPRO.
    Can you tell me the required percentile to get into FMS, NITIIE , IIMs or IIT Delhi/Mumbai.

    Also if i can get a call from IIM A , B or C.

    //Shayantu

    • Shayantu, your target score should be:
      1. 99.5%ile for IIM A and C.
      2. 99%ile for IIMB, L, I, K, FMS and IIT Mumbai
      3. 97%ile for new IIMs, other IITs, MDI, NITIE, SP Jain, IIFT.
      IIT Delhi will need over 98%ile,

      • Hi,

        In the Mocks that I am giving I am getting a percentile of 98%(CAT percentile predictor) and 94%(CL percentile predictor) in VA. So should I consider the CAT percentile or the CL one to improve my performance??
        Also I attempt about 27 with an accuracy of 90-95% , Should I increase the number of attempts as in your video you said an attempt of 30 with good accuracy is more than enough for a 99%+.??

        • Dear Shayantu,

          The CL Percentile is your percentile among all the CL students who have taken the test. The CAT percentile predictor, on the other hand, aims to forecast the percentile you would have secured in CAT if you had performed equally well in the CAT actual exam. So, the CAT percentile predictor is the more important tool. You current attempts (and accuracy) are quite good. By the end of September, try to target 30 -32 attempts in this section regularly.

          • Hi,

            Also wanted to ask you another thing. With an attempt of 25 question in QADI with 80% accuracy is it good enough for a 99 %.

            The total questions I would be attempting would be then around 30 in VA and 25 in QA and a total of 55 questions.

            Or should it be more like in the range of 60-65.

15. sir I have 85.11% in std X, 72.57% in std XII and gpa 7.88. How much percentile in CAT 2014 can get me at IIM A,B,C or FMS?

    • Saikat, while 72.57% in XII is a bit low you can still get calls from the IIM A, B & C with a CAT core of over 99.6%ile. For FMS and other top IIMs you will need a score of over 99%ile.

16. Hi GP sir

    been following ur blog which has been of great use lately, my CL mock score has improved from 60 percentile to 98 percentile in the last but the change of pattern has made my situation dicey, i would like to know how many attempts u suggest in new mocks starting soon as earlier my attempts would range from 37-40. also i have missed the sqc session conducted in pune can i find a video or youtube link where such session video is available. looking forward for ur reply.

    • Siddhartha, in the new pattern also you will be able to do well, just ensure adequate time to each section. It is poor time management that is usually responsible for poor scores in this kind of paper. The default time split could 70-85 minutes for VALR and the rest to QADI. Since the total time has gone up by 25% your initial target could be about 25% more attempts in each section.
      Will be conducting an online SQC in Sept but most probably the session will be repeated in Pune and you could attend the same.

17. Very useful article, sir. Thanks a lot. Will you upload more articles on such strategies?

18. hi GP,
    I am currently working in an IT company since 11 months and i am preparing for CAT2014.
    I had obtained 86% in X ,84% in XII and 67% in BE.
    This is second time i am appearing for CAT and obtained 70 %ile in the first.
    will I get a call from top IIMS if i score above 90%ile with above academics?
    Right now I am searching for CAT new pattern Mock Test Series.
    If mock tests are available in career launcher ,for which i should enroll?
    Thanks for your reply in advance.

    • Rakesh, you can get calls from almost all IIMs despite a 67% in graduation due to work experience and very good marks in X & XII. However if you are a general category candidate then you should have over 99%ile and if an OBC candidate you would need over 95%ile.
      CL has launched the new pattern CAT test series, please click here for details.

19. Drinking 500ml of beetroot juice a day can significantly reduce blood pressure, research suggests . The key beneficial ingredient appears to be nitrate , also found in green, leafy vegetables. The researchesrs found that in healthy volunteers blood pressure was reduced within an hour of drinking the juice. The study , could suggest a low cost way to treat hypertension.
    a. Drinking beetroot juice , or consuming other nitrate-reich vegetables, might be a simple way to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system
    b.What we need now is research to see wether it has an effect on people with high blood pressure over a much longer period of time
    c. There is a growing body of work showing that a rich diet in fruit and vegetables had a beneficial effect on hypertension

    • Shayantu, I would go for Choice (b) in this question.
      Choice (a) incorrect since it is a repetition of the first line of the para.
      Choice (b) correct on account of continuity. The last line of the para talks about the benefits to healthy and this choice asks the next logical question of the impact on people suffering high blood pressure.
      Choice (c) incorrect as it is expanding the scope by referring to “growing body of work” and also talks about “fruit” which is not mentioned in the paragraph.

      • Hi Sir,

        Even I thought it was “b” with the same line of reasoning and also that “cardiovascular system” was also not mentioned in the para.

        But the answer is “a” and i was not able to understand why

20. It is a sad commentary that judicial pronouncements of late provide ample ground for criticism an debate .the police now feel stifled to perform their duty and assign tasks , as forces in armed combat cannot function with the prospect of a murder charge hovering over them thanks to impractical or unrealistic judicial pronouncement . the morale fr those facing bullets is hit. courtroom logic doesn’t cut ice for the underpaid ,overworked jawan risking life and livelihood for lofty ideals.he cannot perform if he is not guaranteed security from prosecution for genuine exchanges of fire. human rights are sacrosanct.

    a. no one advocates fake killings , be it of innocents or criminals.
    b. but the life and security of forces fighting the battle must be paramount.
    c. legal pundits are unanimous on several points.
    d. life and security of citizens is paramount

    kindly answer as what my logic dictates is not the answer also the explanation

    //br
    shayantu

    • Shayantu, none of the choices is very good but choice (a) is possibly the best among these.
      Choice a could be correct on account of continuity wrt the last statement.
      Choice b is against what is given in the passage.
      Choice c is incorrect on account of continuity.
      Choice d is incorrect as it is out of scope. The paragraph is about giving sufficient protection to security personnel in discharging their duties.

    • Actually I had thought it to be option ‘b’ as the passage is regarding the security person and their inability to work because “as forces in armed combat cannot function with the prospect of a murder charge hovering over them thanks to impractical or unrealistic judicial pronouncement ” written in the passage. So shouldn’t it be ‘b’ as we can say that though human life is sacrosant but still life of security forces should also be given due importance as they are fighting for us also mentioned in the passage is “It is a sad commentary that judicial pronouncements of late provide ample ground for criticism an debate .the police now feel stifled to perform their duty and assign tasks”. Doesnt all this indicate that security forces should be given paramaount importance while fighting as questions being raised against them hampers them in performing their duties ??

      • Shayantu, the focus of the passage is not on the physical safety of the security forces but on the lack of operational freedom due to legal issue where they could be charged with murder for performing their duties.

21. Para Completion..
    Trade protectionism, disguised as concern for the climate, is raising its head. Citing competitiveness concerns, powerful industrialized countries are holding out threats of a levy on imports of energy-intensive products from developing countries that refuse to accept their demands. The actual
    source of protectionist sentiment in the OECD countries is, of course, their current lacklustre economic performance, combined with the challenges posed by the rapid economic rise of China and India – in that order.
    (1) Climate change is evoked to bring trade protectionism through the back door.
    (2) OECD countries are taking refuge in climate change issues to erect trade barriers against these two countries.
    (3) Climate change concerns have come as a convenient stick to beat the rising trade power of China and India.
    (4) Defenders of the global economic status quo are posing as climate change champions.
    (5) Today’s climate change champions are the perpetrators of global economic inequity.

    please help

    • Devanshu, the paragraph talks about the OECD countries using climate concerns as a cover for trade protectionism and to safeguard their economic interests against the economic rise China and India. The correct answer choice should either carry forward the thought in the last sentence or conclude the idea.
      Choice 1. Incorrect on account of continuity, this is a repetition of the what has been mentioned in the first line of the paragraph.
      Choice 2. Incorrect on account of continuity, this to is a repetition of the what has been mentioned in the the paragraph.
      Choice 3. Incorrect as this too is a repetition.
      Choice 4. Could be correct as it is summarising the thought behind the paragraph.
      Choice 5. Incorrect as it is outside the scope. “Global economic inequity” is a new idea.

22. Sir, can you come out with a strategy on identify odd one out sentence.. Will be really helpful

    • Ayush, will do so shortly.

23. Sir,
    i will be giving cat 15. I had appeared for cat 13. Geometry was a weak area .can you please tell me how to start with it so that i can have a strong base before doing cat level questions.

    • Ayush, start with IX-X standard Maths book to clear the basics and then go through Geometry in your study material.

24. Sir, I am Not able to solve Geometry Questions and very weak in that. Sir What should I do to cover up this ?

    • Sidhanshu, focus on Algebra, Number System and DI. Geometry typically has around 6 questions in CAT out of which a couple are very easy and you should be able them too. Algebra and No. System typically contribute to about 10-11 questions in CAT and along with the 9 DI questions and 2-3 Arithmetic questions you have about 22 questions to work on.

      • Thanks alot Sir.

25. Sir ,
    Just wanted to know that is there any difference between the degree provided by TISS in HR is different from the normal regular MBA degree ? they say it as MA. and please put some light on the placements of the college.

    • Sudhansu, TISS gives an MA in HRM but in the industry it is considered at par with MBA.

26. Sir,
    I face problem in VA while attempting the question in which we are supposed to find out incorrect usage of word. Can you please help me in that? What should I do?

    • Ayush, this is the most difficult part of CAT and since you can be asked about the usage of any word it will require a huge effort to ensure that these 1-2 questions are answered correctly. An extensive reading habit would have helped but it cannot be cultivated in the short time available to us. Suggest that you focus on the words that are there in the material and Mocks and ignore the rest.

27. Dear Sir,

    I am general category student , B.Tech from IIIT with CPI 6.6, X 78.5 and XII 73.5 both from Rajasthan Board, and presently working with BHEL Govt. 28 Months work exp. How much should I score to get call from Old IIM’s and New IIM’s (considering normalization for academics) ? What should be strategy for IIFT/ NITIE?

    • Amit, IIMA is unlikely due to your not so good academic performance which will be compensated by your 28 month work experience in case of IIMB. Since IIMC does not consider graduation marks for interview shortlisting you have a chance here also. Your target score for IIMC should be over 99.7%ile, for IIMB, FMS, IIT Mumbai and other top IIMs it should be over 99%ile and the new IIMs, NITIE, other IITs and MDI it should be over 97%ile.

28. Hi Sir.
    Would you please explain the answer of following question?
    Thanking you in advance….

    A century and a half ago, Charles Darwin detailed his theory of evolution by natural selection in his book ‘On the Origin of Species’. How does this remarkably successful theory apply to life on our planet? How have the scientists of subsequent generations built on Darwin’s ideas?______________________.

    a.) Darwin’s general theory presumes the development of life from non-life and stresses a purely naturalistic (undirected) “descent with modification”.
    b.) And can Darwin’s theory of Evolution be aligned with the evolutionary worldview, which is as old as antiquity?
    c.) Natural selection is the preservation of a functional advantage that enables a species to compete better in the wild
    d.) And does revisiting the original theory shed new light on the remaining puzzles?

    Answer-> d)

    But sir, option d) changes the scope to other remaining puzzles which are nowhere mentioned in the para.?

    • Anshul, the first line introduces theory and the subsequent lines ask questions on the applicability of the theory. So, for continuity, the correct answer choice should either answer the questions that have been raised or ask another question. If question is asked then it would obviously not be the same as the earlier two and would expand the scope of the passage. Hence Choice (d) is acceptable on account of continuity.

29. Sir, my academic profile is as follows-
    x-78%
    xii-80.5%
    B.tech-8.3(upto 5th sem)

    what percentile should i target to get calls from the newer iims or from the other top rank colleges in this years cat?

    • poushali, with a good academic record you can get calls from all IIMs. A general category candidate needs a CAT score of over 99.5%ile for top IIMs, over 99%ile for other old IIMs, FMS and IIT Mumbai and around 97.5%ile for new IIMs, other IITs, MDI, NITIE etc.

30. Dear GP Sir,
    I am Vishal having acad (X-78, XII- 58, Grad-66) & work exp- 38 months. NC OBC. I am Appearing for CAT-14 & Other major MBA entrance this year. Please tell how much i need to score for old IIM’s & new IIM’s? How many correct question do i need to solve in each section? Looking to my current profile if i managed to get more than 95% can i have chance to get call from A,B,C?
    Thanks inn Advance

    • sir, i have a same query work ex 24 months now left job preparing for cat. will this be a hindrance in admission or during interview

      • Harman, will come out with an article on PJ soon.

    • Vishal, a NC-OBC candidate with a good academic record and a 3 year work experience can get calls from all IIMs at 95%ile but with low marks in XII and graduation you should target around 98%ile for the top IIMs (A,B & C).

      • Thanks GP Sir. Can you please tell me according to CAT-13 how many correct question (considering 2-3 wrong) were fetched 98%

        • Vishal, in CAT’13 one needed about 9-11 net correct answers in a section to get a score of 97.5%ile in each section which would result in an overall score of 98.5-99%ile.

31. Thanks a lot, sir, for the wonderful article on para-completions

32. Hi Sir ,

    I completed all the CL booklets ( booklets of year 2010-2011) in 2012 and completed all the SIS in 2013 ( test gym + mocks). This year I am revising my CL books and also solving CL hand outs ( as I haven’t done those before this) . Which other books should I refer for :-

    1. CAT QA
    2. CAT DI ( tell for calc based and logic based separately)
    3. CAT RC
    4. CAT EU
    5. CAT LR .

    CAT 2012 QA= 77 VA=91 OA = 90.98
    CAT 2013 QA=69 VA=77 OA = 77

    Based on my scores , please tell me a personalized strategy . I am targeting more than 99.6 percentile overall.
    will be eagerly waiting for your reply .

    Thanks and Regards,
    Rahul

    • Rahul, call me at 9811155160 in the evening to discuss.

33. SIR though this is a different topic but want to know what will be approximate cut off for IIFT for sc candidate? I din’t find it anywhere…plaese guide.

    • cat aspirant, the SC cut off for IIFT last year was 40 marks.

34. Sir
    I recently practised RCs,hoping that I will do better but I flunked the mocks…doing worse than before…..Please give some tips to attempt the RCs in a better way….

    • Ankita, Gejo will be uploading blogs on RC shortly.

      • Ok Sir… thnks 🙂

35. Sir,
    i have been attempting 2 RCs a day with 6-7questions in each RC. it takes me 5 mins to read and another 8-9 mins to answer the question. Therefore,it takes me around 13-15 mins to do an RC completely with 85-90% accuracy. Having said that, could you please tell me whether my speed is fine, or do I need to be quicker?

    • Ayush, while you could increase your speed but 6-7 RC questions and reading the passage in 13-15 minutes is acceptable. With CAT about 3 months away you should try reducing the time by 2-3 minutes.

36. Sir, I have 80%+ scores in 10 and 12. But my B.Com score has ended with 49%. What are my best options for pursuing MBA? Which entrance exams are possible for me? Thanking you in advance 🙂

    • Siddhartha, unfortunately with less than 50% in graduation most of the B schools are not possible for you. A few B schools like XLRI do not ask for 50% in graduation and are possible for you. An alternate option is to work for a few years and then go for an executive MBA from IIMs or ISB since their eligibility requirement is graduation only.

      • What will be the %ile I will need to score in XAT, for admission in XLRI?

        • Siddhartha, a XAT score of 95%ile with over 90%ile in each section can get you calls from both the programs of XLRI – BM and HRM. However your target score should be over 97%ile

          • Thank you Sir, thanx a lot. 🙂

37. sir,i would be appearing CAT 2014,please provide me with tips and strategies so that i score well in the two sections.7 months is still left.how can i improve my vocabs and rc within this time?

    • Jayanti, you should read a daily news paper and a couple of magazines to improve your reading and comprehension skills. For basic vocabulary “Word Power Made Easy” by Norman Lewis can be extremely helpful.

38. Thank you sir for providing us with this effective method of solving para completion.
    Sir i am having problem in solving sentence elimination questions in verbal ability section. can you provide me with a solution for solving those questions as you have provided for para completion?

    • Deepak, will post a blog on this in a day or two.

      • i am really thankful to you sir, for considering my request and providing with those 10 practice question.

39. Hi Sir,
    For question 3 can’t we select C option on the basis of continuity?? In the penultimate sentence we talk about the companies and then in the 3rd option too we are talking about companies..? Plz help
    Thanks,
    Ravi

    • Ravi, it is out of scope so continuity will not matter. The passage is about “digital storytelling” and not companies.

40. Sir
    How to solve questions of following type:

    given are 4 statements of which 3, when placed in proper order would form a contextually complete paragraph. Pick the statement that is not part of that context??????????

    • Vinit, the same way as you do a Para Jumble – identify mandatory pair/combinations.

41. Sir i have a doubt in question 2 i have select my option 3 but answer is something else

    • Vikas, the original passage has choice (c) as the last line but we do not have the luxury of the original passage while answering the question and can only logically deduce the answer and between choice (c) and (e) my preference is for (e).

42. and Sir if u can include the special type of para jumbles questions, that would be great..

43. thank you sir for these rules..it really helped me in solving para completion questions fast and with good accuracy.. Sir, im facing problems with para jumbles. it consumes a lot of time and i end up choosing the incorrect option most of the time. so Sir, plz shed some light on how to solve para jumbles questions also.

44. THANK U SIR .FOR YOUR VALUABLE TIPS.THIS REALLY WORKS IN MY PROCS AND OTHER EXAMS…

45. But sir in many para completion questions the given correct ans is a new idea(though not out of context). The explanation usually given is that it takes the idea/ argument forward.

    • Samapika, it is a function of the choices. Our task is to pick up the best among the choices. Something that takes the idea forward is okay in terms of Continuity.

46. Thank you sir.
    Can you also share an article on tips to crack ‘Out of Context’ kind of questions.

47. Can the last sentence in a para completion introduce a new idea? Is there any generalised rule for this??

    • Samapika, the last statement is a culmination of the idea/thought in the para and should not be introducing a new idea.

48. ” Typically, the question creator will take a short paragraph from a book or an article and remove the last sentence and your Para Completion question and the correct answer choice are ready. The only thing missing are the three incorrect choices.”
    EPIC!
    And thank you so much for the articles. I found them today and am so glad i did!

    • Thanks Ipsita

49. Mr GP would you please apply you rules on this question

    Many people certainly do have a sense that, if you do physics, you can’t avoid philosophy. But different conclusions are drawn from this. Some dismiss the philosophers, saying it’s the physicists who are the ones really doing the philosophy; while others complain that the problem with physicists is that they’re doing philosophy,___
    a) and they are doing it well.
    b)but they’re not equipped to do it.
    c)and paying less attention towards their main domain i.e. Physics.
    d)but with vested interests like fame that outlives their otherwise mundane life.

    • Priya, my answer is Choice (b). Explanation is given below:
      Choice a. Incorrect on account of continuity and tone.
      Choice b. Correct on account of continuity and tone.
      Choice c. Incorrect on account of scope.
      Choice d. Incorrect on account of scope.

      • Thanks a lot …..boss

        Now I really believe that your fundas work….BUT..(It’s a long but)…..I have encountered some problem when answer options are the first line of next paragraph , since next paragraph can start with a new idea.(I have came across many such questions). Can you please help me with this one.

        After six years in economic doldrums —and despite the US economy’s rally —many business leaders across the globe still seem paralysed when it comes to growth strategies.

        a)We’re in the midst of the longest and most perplexing recessionary period ever

        b)Despite all this, two factors are fairly clear: one, business leaders have always lived with uncertainty. Two, if money is not invested to spur real growth, expansion and innovation, it’s certain that none of these will occur.

        c)For example, mergers and acquisitions are down 14% globally since 2008 and have plummeted 35% in Europe.

        d)Business leaders can anticipate change by understanding that a lot of what seems like uncertainty is actually unfamiliarity

        • Reply Please.?

        • Priya, apologise for the delay, I was travelling and could not respond earlier.
          The paragraph ends with introducing the paralysis of business leaders and the correct my answer choice should take the thought forwards.
          Choice a. Incorrect on account of continuity. Also goes against the initial thought of the paragraph.
          Choice b. Incorrect on account of continuity and scope (introduces new idea)
          Choice c. Could be correct on account of continuity – example of paralysis of business leaders.
          Choice d. Incorrect on account of tone and continuity.

          Correct answer: Choice c.

50. Great tips sir! Thank you for the guidance.

51. Sir your insightful article on parajumbles is much awaited by me

52. Hello Sir,

    Great article. Please give some guidelines for paragraph sequencing questions.

    • Vishal, will come out with an article on PJ soon.

53. Sir,i am facing a serious problem.Whenever i give a mock(quant section),i don’t know what happens to me that time and i don’t attempt and even not able to identify the questions which i can do very easily.And when the mock gets over,once again i try to do all the questions in 70 minutes only without having a look at the solutions.Then everytime i notice that my score always get double from what i am able to score in mock.I am able to solve most of the questions very easily which i could have solved in that 70 minutes time too but i don’t know what happens to me that time.In proc mock-7 too,my score in quant was 29,but when i solved again(without solution),i was able to score 49 marks.What should i do so that i can get out from this disater.

    • Prashant, please call me at 9811155160 to discuss the issue.

54. Sir,i have a problem in this question of quant(from Proc Mock-5).

    Q)If (a*b)^(c*d)=(e*f),
    (c*d)^(e*f)=(a*b)
    (e*f)^(a*b)=(c*d)
    where a,b,c,d,e,f are all non zero integers,then the sum of all possible values of (a+b+c+d+e+f) will be

    a).8
    b).6
    c).0
    d).16

    the solution provided marks the answer as 0,but i am not getting that why the answer is only 0,why it isn’t 6 because at the very first look on the question,most of us will mark the answer as 6 only,so why the answer is 0 only???

    • Ashish, please check the video analysis of the question. It has been explained there.

55. Sir,i have finished the vocabulary book which is provided to us in the first packet(done with all the words in the book and exercises at the back).I would like to know if is that sufficient or i need to go for some other material?

    • Saurabh, please refer to my blogpost “Crack Vocab & Sentence Correction in 60 days” for guidance on Vocabulary.

56. sir, how close is the difficulty level of the questions of test gym (L2 and L3) to the real CAT questions ???

    • Ankita, similar to or more difficult than CAT.

      • okay 🙂
        sir ,I have completed my fundabooks n m practising test gym these days where I get decent score but m not able to improve my score in mock cat …. I m not able to find my fault that where m lagging….

        • Ankita, along with practice you need to focus on revision also. Please refer to my blogpost “Things you must-do after every mock you take” for details.

57. Thank You Sir!!!

58. Sir
    Can u plz help in this question

    1. Making people laugh is tricky.
    A. At times, the intended humour may simply not come off.
    B. Making people laugh while trying to sell them something is a tougher challenge, since the commercial can fall flat on two grounds.
    C. There are many advertisements which do amuse but do not even begin to set the cash registers ringing.
    D. Again, it is rarely sufficient for an advertiser simply to amuse the target audience in order to reap the sales benefit.
    6. There are indications that in substituting the hardsell for a more entertaining approach, some agencies have rather thrown out the baby with the bath-water.

    a.CDBA
    b.ABCD
    c.BADC
    d.DCBA
    e.CADB

    Answer is BADC but I think A goes perfectly with starting sentence. Continuity of B with first sentence looks inconsistent.

    • Chirag, Both Statement A & B can come after 1 but B is a better choice.
      Statement B: “…..commercials can fall flat on two grounds”. Hence the next two statements should give these two ground and they are given in Statement A and D. Hence BAD is a combination.

59. Sir,i have finished all the funda books in quant(except P&C which i m nvr able to understand)and i have also given all the section and topic tests on sis,but still,i am only scoring between 35-40 marks in quant in the mocks,even i am analyzing the mocks regularly,still though i am not getting where the problem lies and there is not enough time left..can u please help

    • Mohit, are you revising the important questions from all the Mocks, section tests and Fundabook MCQs at least once a week? Revision will usually lead to better scores.

60. Sir, I’m a non-engineer. I have almost completed funda books exercises. Now, should I consult book by Arun Sharma or re-do all the exercises of cl material. I’m still not confident in many areas of Quant. And sir, please upload funda book videos of algebra, number system, geometry. Request!!

    and sir your pedagogy helps non-engineers a lot!!

    • Akash, you should redo the important MCQs from the CL exercises and the funda-books, practice questions from Test Gym and also attempt the section tests in the Take Offs (Verbal Ability and QADI).

61. Hi Sir, please explain Q51 of unproc mock 5.
    I am not satisfied with the solution given in Unproc 5 solution . My approach to the wrong answer choice ” C ” is given below:
    CB looks a mandatory pair to me. “this approach” in C refers to the ” secular, rationalist education ” in B
    DA also seems to be a mandatory pair as D tells beforehand why He inspired emulators in several countries and aroused the enmity of the church.

    • Rahul, CB is not possible. If these have to be together and “this approach” in C refers to ”secular, rationalist education” in B even then it should be BC.
      Emulators in A refers to the emulators of his School and hence it should be C A and not DA.

62. Hi Sir ,

    Please put a blog post on ” Rules to Master Para Jumbles ” . It would be of great help. Thanks in advance

    • Rahul, sure will try to write one.

63. Sir, Is 2 months time sufficient to crack the CAT 2013 ? PLEASE DO REPLY.

    • Hitesh, it is sufficient if you can put in about 8 hours per day.
      If you are enrolled with CL for a classroom program then focus on Mock CATs, Tet Gym Adaptive, MCQs at the end of Fundabooks and past CAT papers.
      If you are not enrolled with CL then consider the option of enrolling for Smart CAT Cracker + Test Gym + Smart Test Cracker (Test Series). You can enroll at your nearesrt CL center or online at http://www.careerlauncher.com/ecenter/EProduct.jsp

64. Proc mock 3 ques 52

    The solution says “option B can be ruled out because it logically goes against the last sentence which states that Arthur seems to have woken up to the harsh reality.”

    why cant option B be correct ??? option B takes into account the opening test match in chennai and the fact that he didnt do his bit then but after the defeat in the two matches he has woken up .

    How is this logic wrong.

    • Vishwaas, Option (b) is incorrect on account of continuity. It would make sense after Choice (a)

65. This question is from CL proc mock 2

    My lapse from faith occurred as is usual among people on our level of education. In most cases, I think, it happens thus: a man lives like everybody else, on the basis of principles not merely having nothing in common with religious doctrine, but generally opposed to it; religious doctrine does not play a part in life, in interaction with others it is never encountered, and in a man’s own life he never has to reckon with it. Religious doctrine is professed far away from life and independently of it.________________

    a)It will often happen, perhaps from the nature of things, that it is impossible to master and express a religious idea.
    b)In the view of doctrinal developments in general, it cannot be denied that those which relate to the objects of faith have a character of their own, and must be considered separately.
    c)If it is encountered, it is only as an external phenomenon disconnected from life.
    d)It is the most difficult thing to contemplate upon.

    A doctrine’s definition includes ideas, right?
    Now the answer choice a) has been eliminated on grounds that the author is talking about doctrine, not an idea.
    c) is the OA. However, don’t you think that it is a repetition of what has been said. It is implied from the last line of the para.
    Why should c) not be eliminated? Why would one eliminate a)? Had the choice been “impossible to master a religious idea” rather than “impossible to master and express a religious idea”, would you go for a)?

    Kindly explain this query. I am anticipating that the amount of time that goes in typing would not be snubbed. I don’t intend to be insolent here, by any means. It’s just that I am itching to use my vocab wherever I can 😀

    • Kaku, In future do not type the question, just mention the Q.No and the Paper, in this case Proc Mock 2 Q 31 would have been sufficient. Coming to the question, the paragraph states that religion does not play any role in day to day life of men and there is hardly any interaction with religion. Now on to the choices:
      Choice a: Incorrect on account of scope, this choice is discussing mastering and expressing a religious idea.
      Choice b: Incorrect on account of scope and continuity.
      Choice c: Can be correct on account of scope and continuity. This is taking the last sentence to completion and also consistent with the fact that interaction with religion is accidental.
      Choice d: Incorrect on account of continuity as it is not taking the last sentence forward.
      Correct answer: Choice c.

66. Sir, solving these PCs by your approach I think I missed out on something. Kindly let me know what is it?

    Q1. Dozens of muscles are exercised when one laughs heartily. Endorphins get activated in the brain promoting a sense of joy and well-being. Also, many scientific studies have pointed to the healing effect of laughing. And when one is able to laugh at oneself, there is an added psychological benefit too.

    a)For we will be able to laugh at our mistakes and handle criticism better.
    b)For this signals to others and one’s own ‘self’ that one is emotionally secure and comfortable under one’s skin.

    B) “others” is used, so it is a violation on account of scale.
    A) seems correct but intuitively not the best option…
    OA is b)
    Why B despite violation of scale, or am I wrong in eliminating this? No violation?

    Q2. AFTER the binge of the holidays, many stumble into January with a hangover, some fragile resolutions and a desire to shed a few pounds.Alas, few will benefit from rigid calorie-counting or cabbage-soup slurping. In a recent study of 31 long-term diet plans, the American Psychological Association found that up to two-thirds of participants ended up heavier than before they started. Some diets are more sensible than others, but any regimen that promises swift and dramatic results will doom most followers to failure. Weight-loss pills and surgery are similarly ineffective—and sometimes dangerous—over time.

    a)Besides, there have been other gurus, plans, drugs and devices, but most offer short-lived results and long-term angst.
    b)Lasting changes need slow but steady modifications to lifestyle.
    c)Yet girth-management is big business, full of charismatic hucksters and fake science (fat-burning lip balm?), earning $40 billion a year in America alone.

    a) Repetition because weight loss pills has already been talked about. So, no question of drugs or the use of the word “other” with drugs allows this and doesn’t make this redundant?
    b) Too generalized, could be a choice.
    c) girth management business is a new idea.
    Where am I wrong?
    OA is C. Was this an easy/ moderate set?
    I remember a similar set came in CAT ’12 where the next idea could have continued the para but it was a new idea just like in this example and I eliminated that option.

    • Q1. There is no violation of scale in B it is infact giving the reason for the last sentence in the passage. “Others” is in context with “oneself”.
      Statement A on the other hand is repeating the last sentence and not giving a reason for it, hence A is incorrect on account of continuity.

      Q2. You are on target with Statement A .
      Statement B: incorrect on account of continuity. Would have made sense after “…..doom most followers to failure.” or just before the last sentence.
      Statement C: Okay on continuity, takes the last point forward.
      Weight loss pills are ineffective…..yet it is good business.

      • but sir, according to passage they r talking about diets first then they stated about experiment in which they says dieting results in failure and option A yet it repeats summarizes they para but option C shift d focus from to its market

        • Rajeev, the “Yet..” in option C tells us that despite the ineffectivness of the remedies, this is good business and hence on account of continuity it is correct.

67. Choose the odd one out (the one that does not fit the context) in this para jumble set:-

    1.There is no doubt that hedge-fund managers have been good at making money for themselves.
    2.With keen eyes and sharp brains, they spot and exploit inefficiencies in the markets.
    3.HEDGE-fund managers are the smartest investors around.
    4.Or at least that is what the industry tells its clients.

    My take is 2 follows 3 for sure. So, 1/4 is to be checked. 4 looks out of context because “industry” is used. Hedge fund industry is not being talked about. It is the managers who are being talked about.

    OA: 4

    GP sir: Kindly help me with this…

    • Kaku, you are right that 3 and 2 are connected. Additionally 3,2 and 4 form a coherent chain. 4 says that 3 & 2 are what the industry (hedge fund) tells the clients.

68. Existentialism is the view of life which focuses on a man and in so doing denies that any man is to be measured or equated against any class called man in any sense of experience. Since man traditionally is classified in terms of his mind, body and will against the framework of an external world, the existential position denies, utterly, the certainty of any external world, as object, and denies, utterly, the assertion that any rule physical, emotive, or intellectual – is valid in relation to the single individual. __________________ .

    (1) The exponent of existentialism considers the traditional world to be one of illusion.
    (2) Man is not an accidental expression of colliding atoms which continuously move in a random
    fashion.
    (3) It is quite interesting to analyze organized religion with this background.
    (4) It is the consciousness of a man that he is existing in terms of his own flowing of experience, a flow which is governed by natural laws.
    (5) Therefore, the existentialist is free to choose because there are no objective standards to inhibit or constrain his choice.

    1) Could be correct: deductible from the passage: Is it a repetition of an idea already mentioned? Isn’t it continuing what has been said about traditional world. i.e. the author doesn’t approve of the classifications done by the traditional world.

    2) Scope: atoms-new idea
    3) “religion”: out of scope
    4) How to rule out this one?
    5) Scope: where does the question about his choice comes from? All we are talking about is that man is independent of the external world, contradictory to traditional classifications.
    OA:5
    Was this an easy/moderate set?

    • This is not an easy question. The passage states that Existentialism means that man is defined only by his own experiences and should not be classified against any preconceived class or experience. Option (4) sums up this definition by saying that it is only the consciousness of existence that defines a man ( according to existentialism ) and he should be governed only by natural laws ( and not according to the predefined classes ).In this option ‘it’ refers to Existentialism. Option (a) is not correct as the passage only states the position of existentialists that man should not be measured in terms of the external world. This does not mean that they consider the world illusionary.The other options , as you correctly pointed out, are out of scope.

    • Difficult question.
      You have correctly eliminated Choice 2, 3 and 5.
      Choice 1 is also out of scope – illusion
      Hence the only remaining choice – choice (4) is the answer

      • What does OA: 4 mean? Does it mean that option 4 is the correct choice? But according to GP, the correct option is 1. Sir, please clarify this.

        • Pulkit, the correct answer is Choice (1). Statements 3, 2 and 4 form a coherent paragraph.

69. People may be attracted to those who have similar attitudes, values, and beliefs and even marry them at least in part on the basis of this similarity because attitudes are highly visible and salient characteristics and they are fundamental to the way people lead their lives. Personality-related characteristics, on the other hand, take much longer to be known. However, once people are in a committed relationship, it is primarily personality similarity that influences marital happiness because being in a committed relationship entails regular interaction and requires extensive coordination in dealing with tasks, issues and problems of daily living. ____.

    1)But Nature doesnt really care whether they get along or not, as long as the two procreate.

    2)That is why we try to choose someone with the same interests as we, someone from a similar background, with the same values, and with whom we have a lot in common.

    3)Hence couples with similar temperaments tend to get along better, and that similar attitudes and beliefs are not an important factor.

    4)Where personality similarity is likely to facilitate this process, personality differences may result in more friction and conflict in daily life.

    5)Exceptions generally do not arise when some external factors, like interference of in-laws, is playing a role in the couples unhappiness, not their personalities.

    1) out of scope- Nature
    2) similar background rules out this choice
    5) out of scope- external factors.
    Though this option should be out of scope, they have mentioned “Exceptions” like…
    Does this change the definition of our scope, as in, if there is a set where we have a passage and something which is out of scope is mentioned with “exception”. Should we evaluate that choice on other grounds. i.e flow, tone too?
    4) should be out of scope. Personality difference is a new idea.

    3) could be correct. How to decide between 3 and 4?
    Official Answer- 4.

    • The passage , in the last lines , explains why personality similarities are important. Option (4) takes this forward by explaining what happens if the personalities do not match. Option (3) is a reiteration of what has already been stated, and can be eliminated.

    • Choice 1, 2 and 5 have been correctly eliminated.
      Choice 3 is incorrect on account of continuity (here repetition of an idea) – it is the same as “…..it is primarily personality similarity that influences marital happiness…”

70. I am sometimes attacked for imposing ‘rules’. Nothing could be further from the truth. I hate rules. All I do is report on how consumers react to different stimuli. I may say to a copywriter, “Research shows that commercials with celebrities are below average in persuading people to buy products. Are you sure you want to use a celebrity?” Call that a rule? Or I may say to an art director, “Research suggests that if you set the copy in black type on a white background, more people will read it than if you set it in white type on a black background.”
    1)Guidance based on applied research can hardly qualify as ‘rules’.
    2)Thus, all my so called ‘rules’ are rooted in applied research.
    3)A suggestion perhaps,but scarcely a rule.
    4)Such principles are unavoidable if one wants to be systematic about consumer behavior.
    5)Fundamentally it is about consumer behavior – not about celebrities or type settings.

    Dear Sir

    Kindly let me know if my logic is correct. More than getting the correct answer, I believe we must know as to why others were a bad choice.
    4) out of scope- “principle”??
    5) scope- focus is on “rules” actually being rules here, not consumer behavior.
    1, 2, 3 are close.
    but the author says he “reports”.
    1 and 3 talk about guidance and suggestions. When you give a report, you just present a scenario, you don’t give suggestions/ guidance. So, 1 & 3 should be ruled out.
    I cannot think how to rule out 2, though my gut feeling says that this options doesn’t gel with the paragraph. I do not know the explanation for that. Kindly provide one.
    Official Answer is 3.
    How to rule out 1 & 2. Why 3 over 1?
    Should such a set be attempted?

    • This is a fairly tough question. Options 1 , 2 and 3 are quite close and it is very difficult to eliminate 1 and 2. The author is trying to make light of the fact that he quotes data and uses “rules”. The use of word ‘ scarcely ‘ has been done for that purpose. He tries to give this tendency of his the name of ” suggestion” rather than “rule”. The tone of the author suggests that option (3) should follow.

    • You have rightly eliminated Choice 4 and 5.
      Choice 2 is incorrect as it is against the tone. It says “…all my so called ‘rules’…”, the author will not use the word “rules” for what he does. Guidance or suggestion are okay.
      Choice 1 and 3 are very close and it is difficult to eliminate either of them. If you assume the paragraph to be a bit serious then you will go for Choice 1 but if you think that it is a bit light hearted then you will go for Choice 3

      • Sir

        Thank you for replying back to all the queries. I really appreciate your help here.

        The author has mentioned the use of “rules” in “so called rules”. Isn’t that the reason he used “so called”? i.e. he doesn’t wish to use the word rules for what he does, that’s why he says “so called rules”, or am I wrong?

71. Q. There was a time when the Indian Army was placed on a high pedestal- the soldier was considered the most honorable of men and his wife, the noblest of them all. Though the wife lived in the dread of a midnight call that brought the dreadful news, she was the epitome of equanimity and grace. She took everything in her stride. She knew the importance of community living and her duties towards the families of the troops, while the husband led the men into the battle field.

    a) Discipline and duties were bywords for not just the men, even the women were married to men.
    b) Equally well, she could throw a dinner for 20 people at an hour’s notice.

    Which is a more appropriate choice to complete the para wrt scope, size, tone, flow?

    Both look equally good. Why should I rule one of them out? Also how to figure that out in the exam? or should we leave such questions?
    Please explain this. Also a lot of other posts by me are awaiting moderation. Kindly see if they can be brought up on this forum.

    • The passage is not about the qualities of a wife, or the ability of a woman to manage multiple things. We can therefore eliminate option (2). The passage is about how a soldier’s wife contributed. The passage suggests that it was not only that the husband was committed to the army, it was also his wife who made the commitment. Option (a) takes this forward by explaining that both the partners in a marriage lived by the words of discipline and duty.

    • Choice (a) correct on account of continuity, it sums up the paragraph.
      Choice (b) incorrect on account of scope and continuity (equally well)

72. Sir

    How to solve this quesn by your approach?

    Fashion firms have their clothes made in China. This is cheap but managing a long supply chain is hard. Inditex, by contrast sources its products from Spain, Portugal and Morco. This costs more but the supply chain is short, it can react quickly to new trends. Instead of betting on tomorrow’s look, Inditex can wait to see what customers are actually buying and make that.

    a) While others are stuck with unwanted stock, Inditex sells at full price.
    b) Yesterday’s catch must be discounted and may not sell.
    c) Will its fast-fashion model be copied, or bettered, by others?
    d) Europe is stagnant and ageing- Inditex needs new markets.

    Also how to identify what this passage is focusing on, as in, is it focusing on Inditex in particular or Fashion firms or the supply chain model?

    • The passage focuses on the strength of Inditex with regards to its shorter supply chain. The passage talks about the positive effects of such a system. It should continue in the same line of thought. The contrast shown with the competitors should also follow. Option (a) continues with this idea by contrasting the results of such an operation model for Inditex and its competitors.

      • Sir

        Why not option B or C?

    • Choice a) okay in terms of continuity – comparison of Inditex vs others. Take the though forward.
      Choice b) okay in terms of continuity but is actually extending the argument contained in Choice (a)
      Choice c) Incorrect, Change of track so continuity is an issue.
      Choice d) Incorrect, on account of scale (market size) and scope (new markets or new strategy) and continuity.

      Between (a) and (b) Choice (a) is preferred because it is extending the thought while Choice (b) could be the next statement after Choice (a)

      • Sir, How is there a change of track in (c)?

        • We can say that the contrast idea is being taken forward, or no?

73. GP Sir

    I love you for this article. This has saved me from attempting additional RC questions just to increase my of attempts. Thanks a lot!
    Do you have similar articles on “Parajumbles”, “Choose out of context idea from a coherent paragraph”, “RCs” ?

    Thanks a zillion!

    • Kaku, apologies for the inordinate delay in responding to your queries. I’ll be finishing the queries of CAT 12 students, who have to take decisions, on institutes by tomorrow morning and will respond to all your questions tomorrow.
      Will be writing on Parajumbles and other topics also for CAT 13. For RC you can refer to the articles written by Gejo in this blog itself.

74. Sir pl answer this pc
    The popularity of science fiction in the visual
    media had a profound effect on the genre.
    Science fiction authors who had been content
    with an elite circle of readers now wanted
    the recognition and money that went with
    mass appeal. Escapism reigned supreme. The
    literary excellence of the 1960s was replaced
    by a return to the simpler storytelling of the
    1940s.
    1) This has helped these writers to reach
    a wider audience leading to many more
    people reading this stuff.
    2) Even this failed to bring in more readers,
    and this genre soon started declining
    giving way to other genres in literature.
    3) Rather than developing in new areas,
    writers turned to the easy money found
    in producing sequels to great works of
    the past.
    4) This period coincided with the American
    counterculture movement, which es
    poused a return to simpler past rather
    than the scientific future.

    • The given paragraph talks about how science fiction authors opted for the easy way out in their pursuit of wealth and recognition. Option 3 continues with this main idea of the paragraph and is the correct answer. Options 1 and 2 are in-congruent with the paragraph. Option 4, though it seems relevant at first glance, talks about the counterculture movement whose motives for reverting to the ways of the past were different from those of the science fiction writers.

      • how is option 2 in congruent with the paragraph??
        It hasnt been mentioned earlier…in fact the idea in option 3 has already been stated in the paragraph(easy money..) so option 3 does not take the idea forward.

        whereas option 2 not only taks the idea forward but is in sync with the tone.

        pls elaborate further.

        • Vishwaas, Option 3 is not a repetition of what has been mentioned in the passage. The last sentence of the passage gives one way of “easy money” (simpler storytelling) option 3 gives another way – sequels so it is in continuity with the passage.

75. awwwwwwwwww dat worked sir…..

    • Great, All the best.

76. Choose sentence that completes the para –
    Mattancherry is Indian Jewry’s most famous settlement. Its pretty streets of pastel coloured houses,
    connected by first-floor passages and home to the last twelve saree-and-sarong-wearing, whiteskinned
    Indian Jews are visited by thousands of tourists each year. Its synagogue, built in 1568,
    with a floor of blue-and-white Chinese tiles, a carpet given by Haile Selassie and the frosty Yaheh
    selling tickets at the door, stands as an image of religious tolerance.
    (1) Mattancherry represents, therefore, the perfect picture of peaceful co-existence.
    (2) India’s Jews have almost never suffered discrimination, except for European colonizers and
    each other.
    (3) Jews in India were always tolerant.
    (4) Religious tolerance has always been only a façade and nothing more.
    (5) The pretty pastel streets are, thus, very popular with the tourists.

    Sir, I find solution of this question confusing. The passage predominantly deals with Mattancherry settlement. So I feel the ideal conclusion should be (a). But the correct choice according to CL is (b). Please share your thoughts on this.

    • The paragraph does not describe a ‘co-existence ‘. It describes a confluence of cultures, where it is difficult to define the end of one and the beginning of the other . It is not that two groups are peacefully living together; there are no Indians and no Jews . Despite being ‘white-skinned’ these people are Indian Jews who are as much a part of Indian fabric as of Jewish race. And hence, the only discrimination that has come their way is from Europeans ( outsiders ).

      • It is mentioned in the para that ” Its pretty streets of pastel coloured houses,
        connected by first-floor passages.. ” Many houses connected by first floor passages – doesn’t this imply the Jews are living in peaceful co-existence. Option (2) takes a diversion. Last sentence of para – “Its synagogue, built in 1568,with a floor of blue-and-white Chinese tiles, a carpet given by Haile Selassie and the frosty Yaheh
        selling tickets at the door, stands as an image of religious tolerance.” It is also a description. So the sentence that follows this sentence should be in sync with this sentence. Option (2) I feel is not in sync with the rest of the para. The para is not about Jews but about Jews settlement.

      • GP Sir

        Isn’t peaceful co-existence out of scope?
        Where does peace comes in? Also, how can we imply the situation is peaceful? Diversity doesn’t guarantee peace, or am I missing something?

        • Yes, Peace is not implied by the passage. the passage is more about how these people are a part of both the Indian as well as the Jewish community.

77. @GP sir , plz give some more examples !! it will be of great help 🙂

78. thanx sir…..

79. sir in q-2 we can also say for e) part that capacity hasn’t been talked about so out of scope

    • No, limitless capacity flows out from the fact that all kinds of legislations were being pushed under the 9th schedule.

80. Hi Sir,
    Mock :8 Section :2 Question no 14 paracompletion , I am not satisfied with CL Answer:
    even googled and find the actual article here the given option is starting a fresh para not closing the para.

    Please let me know where i am
    moneyland.time.com/2011/11/14/…

81. @vaani

    http://apircenter.org/usa/togetheru-s-indiaandjapancan-checkchina/

82. Hi Sir, could u plz answer the below question?

    Choose the option which can continue the paragraph most logically and consistently:
    The launch of trilateral strategic consultations among the United States, India, and Japan, and their decision to hold joint naval exercises signals efforts to form an entente among the Asia-Pacific region’s three leading democracies. At a time when Asia is in transition and troubled by growing security challenges, the US, India, and Japan are seeking to build a broader strategic understanding to advance their shared interests. Their effort calls to mind the pre-World War 1 Franco-British-Russian “Triple Entente” to meet the threat posed by the rapid rise of an increasingly assertive Germany. ______________

    1) This entente could serve as an important strategic instrument to deter China’s rising power from sliding into arrogance.
    2) Indeed, the intention of the three democratic powers is to create an entente cordiale without transforming it into a formal military alliance.
    3) The new strategy supports India as a regional economic anchor and provider of security in the broader Indian Ocean region.
    4) This time, the impetus has been provided by China’s increasingly muscular foreign policy.

83. Thanks a lot for your reply 🙂

84. Sir your guidelines on sentence completion is amazing…Please give guidelines for para jumbles… Inspite of practicing a lot , I am still making mistakes ….Please help

85. Sir,
    Please give us some tips on Para Jumbles, SC and fill in the blanks.
    Eagerly waiting for your the posts on requested.
    Regards,
    Krishna

86. Sunny, the focus of the paragraph is on digital story telling & its growth not on betterment of companies, hence scope is digital storyelling and not companies.

87. sir,
    why option no. 3 is incorrect in q no. 3 as it is in continuity with the passage and not completely out of scope as the last lines of para were dealing with knowledge sharing through digital story telling by companies and the option goes with it.??

    pl give ur valuable insights.

88. Hello Sir

    I tried same method with the below given question, but failed in attempting it correctly. Kindly throw light on the same:

    Adaptation, the process by which one thing develops into another thing, by which one shape or form changes into a different form, is a commonplace artistic activity. Books are turned into plays and films all the time, plays are turned into movies and also sometimes into musicals, movies are turned into Broadway shows and even, by the ugly method known as “novelisation”, into books as well. We live in a world of such transformations and metamorphoses. ________________________

    a Ricky Gervais turns into Steve Carell, just as, long ago, the British working-class racist Alf Garnett in ‘Till Death Us Do Part’ turned into the American blue-collar bigot Archie Bunker in ‘All In the Family’.
    b British TV comedy series are turned into American TV comedy series, so that ‘The Office’ becomes a different ‘The Office’.
    c British reality programmes are adapted to suit American audiences as well; ‘Pop Idol’ becomes ‘American Idol’ when it crosses the Atlantic.
    d Good movies – ‘Lolita’, ‘The Pink Panther’ – are remade as bad movies; bad movies – ‘The Incredible Hulk’, ‘Deep Throat’ – are remade as even worse movies.

    What my doubt is; Neither of the options shows exact TRANSFORMATION…. TV series remain series even if the audiences to which it caters change…Similarly with other as well…

    • Pooja, this is a very poorly framed question. all four can be correct.

      The paragraph gives us the generic concept hence it should be followed by an example. all the four choices are equally good examples and can fit in. I would leave this question unattempted.

    • Pooja, I had asked Gejo for his opinion on the question, his response is given below:

      GP,

      This is picked from http://redroom.com/member/salman-rushdie/writing/a-fine-pickle-slumdog-millionaire-and-film-adaptation

      You see all the four options one after another.

      It is a bad question since all four are examples of transformation and there is no reason as to why one of them should be a better last sentence.

      As you rightly pointed out everything is a transformation.

      Gejo

      • GP Sir

        I wont lie to you but I chose option D, thinking what will I choose if I had to choose one.
        Here’s my logic:
        The first three talk about British and American blah blah blah…They are an example where no personal view as “the ugly method known as “novelisation” ” is hinted. However, we see that in the last option the author of this article tries to continue the passage by saying good becomes bad and bad becomes worse. Hence, the immediate choice should be D. What do you have to say about my logic? Kindly correct me, if I am wrong in my thinking.

        • You are correct . The correct answer is (d). The author shows slight contempt for this process of converting one form of art into another. This is evident by the choice of words like ‘ ugly’.However , as discussed earlier, all the given options can follow the text in quick succession .

89. sir,
    as rohit gave a link to the article, it says that answer is c, but the option we selected was the line picked up by the question setter two lines below, seems question setter is smart(just kidding.. :p)……but the question is how to crack these kind of questions/how to judge this cleverness of question setter?

    • Karan, there is no specific way of handling such questions.

90. Hi Sir. very often i mark the last line as the one which sumarizes the given 3 or 4 lines..n to my disappoint thts nevr the answer ..am i going wrong somewhere in choosing the summary choice as the answer ??

91. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2007-01-22/edit-page/27888158_1_dustbin-ninth-schedule-immunity

    sir plz chk dis link for question no 2 it says answer as c

    • Rohit, you are right that the original passage has choice (c) as the last line but we do not have the luxury of the original passage while answering the question and can only logically deduce the answer.

      Unfortunately there is no way of avoiding this problem because in the end there is some amount of subjectivity involved in creation of a paragraph.

92. please give some tips on parajumbles….

    • Will do so shortly.

93. Amazing sir , i guess its the years of experience ..
    Thanks a lot for sharing such useful rules.I attended your Quant session today in Siri Fort Auditorium n m looking forward to attend a few more.Kindly plan to take some more sessions on other sections also.

94. Sir,

    In some questions, the option which I find in scope and continuity comes out to be the wrong answer with the stated reason as “the choice A is mere repetition of what is stated in the paragraph”. These usually happens when i am left confused between two options. What should be the approach in such cases?

    • Hridesh, repetition of what has been mentioned in the paragraph will fit in wrt the scope but would be incorrect wrt continuity. The answer choice should be taking the thought/idea forward and not repeating what has been said earlier.

95. sir,
    thanks a lot for enlightening us with the intricacies involved in para-completion

    Regards
    Vikram

96. Most students arrive at [college] using, “discrete, concrete and absolute categories to understand people, knowledge and values.” These students live with a dualistic view, seeing “the world in polar terms of we-right-good vs. other-wrong-bad.” These students cannot acknowledge the existence of more than one point of view toward any issue. And because these absolutes are assumed by or imposed on the individual from external authority, they cannot be personally substantiated or authenticated by experience. (…………….)

    a) They gather personal experience into a coherent frame work, abstract principles to guide actions and use these principles to discipline and govern their thoughts and actions.

    b) They appreciate authority for its expertise, using it to defend their own generalizations. In addition, they accept or reject ostensible authority after systematically evaluating its validity.

    c) These students strive for the generalizations of their authorities. An eye for an eye! Capital punishment is apt justice for murder. The Bible says so.

    d) However, most students break through the dualistic stage to another equally frustrating stage – multiplicity, where the student sees variety of ways to deal with any problem.

    I tried this one on similar thoughts but got it wrong..can you please throw some light on this

    • This is a difficult question, however the rules can be applied:

      a) Incorrect, Against the flow, “…absolutes are assumed by or imposed on the individual from external authority…” while the choice use of principles …
      b) Incorrect, Against the flow, “…absolutes are assumed by or imposed on the individual from external authority…” while the choice talks about systematically evaluating the validity.
      c) Incorrect, Out of scope, Bible?
      d) Correct, Continuity, bringing out the next stage

      Conventional method:
      The passage indicates that the guiding principle in acceptance of moral absolutes is external. The inability to think for self and acceptance of rules over reason is indicated. Option (a) and (b) go against this idea as they both argue in favour of the individual being able to create his own ‘frame-work’ or ‘generalization’.

      • Talking about Multiplicity should also be out of scope sir? A new idea is introduced here!

        • Options (a) and (b) can be eliminated as they have pronoun-antecedent error. ‘They’ in these options should refer to students, but, if we take any of these as the correct answer choice, then ‘they would start referring to ‘absolutes’. Hence we can eliminate (a) and (b). The passage discusses not just the nature of the students but also their journey. It starts with ….most students arrive ….This shows that the author is trying to explain how the students are when they come and takes the narrative from there. Option (d) takes the passage from there and explains that eventually a transformation happens and the students move into another state. Option (c) is incorrect as viewing the world in black and white may not translate into ‘an eye for an eye’ … as described by the example of generalization of authority in option (c). This makes option (c) out of scope.

        • Options (a) and (b) can be eliminated as they have pronoun-antecedent error. ‘They’ in these options should refer to students, but, if we take any of these as the correct answer choice, then ‘they would start referring to ‘absolutes’. Hence we can eliminate (a) and (b). The passage discusses not just the nature of the students but also their journey. It starts with ….most students arrive ….This shows that the author is trying to explain how the students are when they come and takes the narrative from there. Option (d) takes the passage from there and explains that eventually a transformation happens and the students move into another state. Option (c) is incorrect as viewing the world in black and white may not translate into ‘an eye for an eye’ … as described by the example of generalization of authority in option (c). This makes option (c) out of scope.

97. Hats off sir..:)
    This is the first article I have read and now i will go through rest of em as well..
    I always have had difficulties in VA(para completion and inference based questions in RC) but the way you have solved these questions makes me feel that things can be done easily with common sense and basic rules..:)
    Thanx a lot

98. sir,
    In question-3 , “half of the people signed up represented corporations” and “companies are just starting to catch on to all that this can mean” so can we say that the para is disussing on about the companies and the intrest they are showing in digital storytelling suggest that “digital storytelling will help companies to know more than what they knew earlier”

    • this is the same confusion that i have faced to solve this question

    • Even I had the same doubt.

99. sir i dont knw wt to say abt u..when i do questions by myself only,they looks like real trouble fr me to solve them…but whenever i see ur post on any topic..it looks like u r fooling around the examiner…n making a big joke on these examiner…somewhere it looks like tht u r challenging them with ur knowledge… n the way u solve ny question it’s look like a fun game to play… no more boring or troubling….
    thnx a lot sir…it is really helpfull

100. Hi Sir,

     Also, Can you take 2-3 more examples focussing on the role of “tone” and “continuity” while solving para completion questions ?

101. Thanks a lot Sir for your insight.

     One doubt in Q2)

     How did you find the tone as that of disapproval in the passage ?
     And, how option 4 carries reflects this tone ?

     • Mohit, the use of the word dustbin for the 9th schedule, indicates that the author is not in agreement with how Indira Gandhi’s and subsequent Government’s used this provision.

       “Nehru’s vessel became a constitutional dustbin for Indira ……”

102. Outstanding article. Thanks a lot SIR

103. Sir, I’ve come across some questions where the last line(the correct choise) is supposed to bring out the contrast in the idea suggested by the para. In such cases,it becomes very difficult to know if we should contradict the idea or not. Case in point, Mock-5,ques based on poetry…..The solution says that the option brings out the contrast perfectly..but how are we supposed to know that??

     • Prateek, these are the most difficult Para Completion questions. Usually in these questions the para itself will give some kind of hint. It might be evaluating all aspects of an issue or it might be critical and hence will try to provide a contrast to the idea. The methods that I have shared with you will work in 9 out of 10 questions that come in CAT or XAT and we will have to live with these odd question tht we will get wrong.

104. Sir one doubt on the last Example.
     Why the Scope cant be structures? The passage does imply that the Sctructures represented Immortality
     (” All people apparently willingly participated in the pageant of immortality-made-real.”)
     (“king, their earthly representative, would live on for them in perpetuity”)

     • What i mean is Cant two scopes share a passage?

       • Subir, typically a paragraph will deal with one issue/idea while a passage will deal with multiple aspects of the same issue/idea.
         In Q4 the focus is on workers and their motivation for willing participation in building the structure. So the Scope has to be workers and not structure.
         Another indicator is that workers/people or their condition are mentioned number of times while building/tomb are mentioned just a couple of times.

105. Sir!
     This is a brilliant read.It would make the medium difficulty questions so much easier.
     You actually unveiled the mentality of the Question setter!!!
     U Rock! 🙂

106. A very helpful article sir. Loved it. Will keep the rules in mind 🙂

107. Thanks a lot !

     It works even if I don’t understand the para completely !! Please suggest some tricks for paragraph jumble . I usually(90% time) miss them by just one wrong misplacement .

108. really helpful sir ..thank you !!!

109. Thank you sir for providing the rules and methods for eliminating the incorrect choices. I will try to use this technique for solving.

     Again thanks a ton!!