How to Increase Reading Speed for CAT (Explained!)

The easiest ways to improve your reading speed for CAT are by skipping passages completely, using the Poriborton Method, tracing the text with a pen or your finger, and training your eyes to increase eye span.

Listen up, CAT aspirants! You probably know that a significant portion of the Verbal Ability section in the CAT exam is devoted to “Reading Comprehension,” one of the scoring sections. For this reason, it is important that you have a good reading speed during the exam to save time.

Your reading speed is the secret to answering RC questions quickly on the exam.

So what is the best approach? 

Here are some quick tips to speed up your reading process so you can do better on your test. 

But let’s first examine why reading fast is crucial.

Why is reading at a fast speed necessary for reading comprehension?

There are two reading comprehension passages in the CAT examinations and at least one calls for a higher degree of intelligence and good reading speed. That’s because reading the sections alone could take a lot of time for someone who does not enjoy reading. 

If you are not used to reading outside of your comfort zone, this can cause panic on D-day.

Can you afford to waste time when you know that the CAT exam is about time, speed, and precision?

If you said “no,” here are some speed-reading techniques for CAT. 

These pointers make it simple for you to increase your reading speed and respond efficiently and effectively to the Reading Comprehension questions in CAT.

Skip the passage completely

This has long been a standard strategy for CAT exams. Scanning the paragraph for the key phrase and providing the answers if the questions are from a data-based model is simple. This saves time you can use to answer questions in quantitative and analytical thinking. 

The secret is to just scan the passages and jump right to the questions. 

Read less to save time

Less reading is another key to increasing reading speed for CAT. 

Are you surprised? 

Some people advise reading more, but you should read less. So how can one speed up reading by doing less reading?

I’ll explain.

Most of us tend to read every word of the passage, analyze it, and then foresee any questions that might arise. This is only a result of what our early education years taught us, which is to memorize everything presented to us when it comes to studying. 

We read much more slowly when we try to take in all the words and their meaning. So reading every passage word by word while also trying to memorize it will significantly increase the time it takes to go through the text.

Cut back on your reading for CAT. Be careful to read only the ideas that help you answer the CAT questions and avoid unnecessary details. To achieve this, scan the last few sentences of each paragraph as soon as you understand the main point.

In traditional reading, we concentrate heavily on each paragraph, which causes us to overlook all the ideas and instead go into the minutiae (which are unnecessary for this type of exam).

Train your eyes to increase eye span

Eye span is the maximum number of words one can read without any change in the position of the eyes.

The typical college student has an average reading speed of 280 words each minute. However, this must be at least 450–500 words per minute for CAT. 

To achieve this reading speed, you should train your eyes to expand your field of vision. You can do this by focusing on one spot on the page and trying to pick up words on both sides of that spot. 

Avoid reading single words. Instead, try reading them in groups of 2, 3, or 4 to expand your peripheral vision. A wider eye san will help you read by phrases or thought units instead of words, thus increasing reading speed. 

Trace the text using a pen or your finger

Control your speed by using a pointer. A pointer is often anything you can use to scroll across the text you’re reading, such as your finger, a pen, or a pencil. 

By doing this, you can train your eyes to follow the pointer. Once you’ve trained your eyes to follow the pointer, controlling the pointer’s pace makes it simple to control how quickly you read.

Speed reading isn’t just about reading quickly; it’s about managing your reading pace and understanding when to read quickly and when to take it slower. 

While certain texts require slow, attentive reading, you can read others more quickly. You can control your reading speed by being able to change it based on the type of content you’re reading. 

Use the Poriborton Method

Bengali word Poriborton means ‘change.’ The Poriborton method recommends looking for words like consequently, while, even so, but, unlike, etc., throughout the passage. These show a change in the way thoughts or information flow. 

This is an excellent method to comprehend opposing ideas in a piece of text and frequently provides you with enough details to complete the answer choices in CAT exams. 

Using this technique will help improve your reading comprehension skills.

Avoid sub-vocalization to improve reading speed

Reading slowly is a common trick to prevent sub-vocalization, which is pronouncing words as you read them.

Most people practice reading by mentally speaking every word out. Since the average speaking rate is barely 150 words per minute, it is a disadvantage if you read almost at the same pace as you speak.

Reading while listening to music can help you avoid sub-vocalization. You can enhance your concentration with relaxing background music that won’t demand your full focus. 

Enroll in programs that will teach you how to read quickly

You can learn how to read more quickly by taking a speed reading course. The key to learning speed reading is practice, and being able to speed read will allow you to read more text in the same amount of time.

Subvocalization is the most hazardous aspect of speed reading because it slows you down while reading. So refrain from saying the words aloud if you want to learn how to read quickly.

Recognizing words visually without speaking them is a prerequisite for effective speed reading courses.

But note that reading 500–600 words per minute might affect your comprehension. Your ability to comprehend decreases as you read more words per minute.

Enroll in additional online courses like maximizing memory to hone your retention skills and develop fast reading abilities. You can schedule your day wisely and devote the appropriate amount of time to studying speed reading with the aid of these courses.

Make a habit of reading extensively

A well-read person is admired and recognized worldwide, not just by MBA aspirants. 

As shown in past CAT exam patterns, readings for RC are chosen from the following categories: literature, the arts, history, science and technology, and philosophy. 

Reading different genres will help you become acquainted with the terms used in the CAT exam, greatly enhancing your reading comprehension.

 

For example, when reading fiction, our brain tends to focus on the plot, the characters, and the book’s theme. But if you’re reading a non-fiction book, you’ll concentrate on real-life facts and understanding ideas and concepts. 

Read in a comfortable setting

Decide where you feel most at ease when reading. A noisy, disorganized, or sloppy reading environment will distract you from what you are reading. To improve focus and attention, pick a location with few distractions. 

Your choice of reading location also depends on the type of content you are reading. 

Sitting upright at a desk where you can actively read is recommended if you’re reading something important. 

If you’re reading something leisurely, that doesn’t need much concentration. Pick a comfortable spot where you can recline and read. You will improve your concentration even during CAT exams by doing this.

Track your reading speed

Put yourself to the test each time you read, and focus on accelerating your reading rate. Try to read more quickly as the minute on the stopwatch ticks away. Find out how many pages you’ve read. This will also tell you how much information you can retain during the CAT exams.

Try to finish reading your material within the time limit. Do this exercise every day and try reading something different every time. Push yourself to new limits and practice as often as possible. Which brings us to the next point.

Practice as much as you can

Improving reading speed requires patience and practice, as it is a progressive process. Exercise patience and consistency to achieve your reading speed goals. With a consistent approach, increasing reading speed is made easier for the CAT exams.

A speed reading tool can also help you improve your reading abilities. AccelaReader is one popular tool that you can use to read up to 1000 words per minute. 

Thanks to it, you may achieve your objectives more rapidly and with greater focus and discipline.

Takeaway: Iris Reading can help you speed up your CAT reading

There are some things you need to practice to improve your reading speed for CAT.

Consider the broader picture when reading the passage for a Reading Comprehensions assignment. 

Look at the keywords, understand the main idea of the paragraph and passage, then continue reading while remembering just these few things and skipping over any minute details the first time around. 

At this point, you should be ready to see your reading speedometer show an exponential increase in both the reading speed and the amount of time needed to understand the passage fully.

If you feel like you can’t do it alone and find it difficult to implement these tips, enroll in a speed reading course from Iris Reading.