In CLAT Reading Comprehension Section, the questions can generally be categorised into three types: direct questions, author-based questions and indirect questions. These question types assess different aspects of your reading comprehension skills and require different approaches to answer effectively.
Direct Questions
Direct questions typically require you to locate specific information or details directly stated in the passage. These questions test your ability to understand and retrieve explicit information from the text. They may ask about facts, definitions, dates, names or other concrete details mentioned in the passage.
To answer direct questions, carefully read the question and scan the passage for the relevant information. Compare the options with the information in the passage and select the one that matches or closely aligns with the stated facts.
Example of a direct question:
According to the passage, when was the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted?
Author-Based Questions
Author-based questions focus on the author’s perspective, intention or attitude towards the subject matter. These questions require you to analyse the author’s tone, purpose or opinion as expressed in the passage. Author-based questions often test your ability to make inferences, understand the author’s argument or identify the main idea from the author’s viewpoint. To answer these questions, carefully analyse the tone, language and supporting evidence used by the author. Consider the overall message conveyed and select the option that aligns with the author’s perspective.
Example of an author-based question:
What is the author’s attitude towards the proposed legislation?
Indirect Questions
Indirect questions are broader and require a deeper understanding of the passage. These questions may ask you to infer, analyse or synthesise information from the passage. Indirect questions test your ability to critically evaluate the passage, make logical deductions, identify implicit meanings or draw connections between different parts of the text. To answer indirect questions, carefully analyse the question and refer back to the relevant sections of the passage. Use your comprehension of the passage as a whole to make educated guesses and select the most logical and supported answer choice.
Example of an indirect question: What can be inferred from the passage about the long-term effects of climate change on biodiversity?
It’s important to familiarise yourself with each question type and practice answering a variety of questions to develop effective strategies for each. Remember to closely analyse the question, refer back to the passage and use your comprehension skills to identify the most accurate and supported answer choice.
