Read one editorial-length passage every day, summarise each paragraph in a few words, and practise separating fact questions from inference questions. In the exam, give one passage about 6-7 minutes.
RC is usually the biggest single block in Prelims English, commonly 7-10 questions on one or two passages. Its topics are often banking, economy, environment, technology or social issues.
How to read a passage in the exam
- Glance at the questions (30 seconds). Do not read the options, just note what is asked: a fact, a word meaning, the tone, the title.
- Read the passage once, actively. After each paragraph, think of a 3-5 word summary ("why banks lend less").
- Answer fact questions first, by going back to the paragraph you know they come from.
- Then inference and title questions, which depend on the whole passage.
Question types and traps
| Type | Trap | How to handle |
|---|---|---|
| Fact / detail | Option uses passage words but changes the meaning | Match meaning, not words |
| Inference | Option is true in real life but not supported by the passage | Only the passage counts |
| Vocabulary in context | The common meaning of the word | Replace the word in the sentence and read it |
| Main idea / title | Option covers only one paragraph | Pick what covers all paragraphs |
Extreme words
Options with "always", "never", "only" or "all" are wrong more often than not, unless the passage says the same thing.
Practice plan
- Daily: one passage with a 7-minute timer.
- Weekly: note which question type you get wrong most and practise that type.
- Build reading stamina with editorials on banking and economy; these also help Mains GA.
Time per passage
A passage with five questions should take about 6-7 minutes in Prelims: around 3 minutes to read and 3-4 minutes to answer. If you regularly need more than 9 minutes, read faster on the first pass and rely more on going back to the right paragraph for each question.
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