How To Approach Reading Comprehension Questions In CUET English 2025

Overview: Do you know that in the CUET English paper in 2024, around 24 questions were based on Reading Comprehension, which is almost 50% of the total questions? Looking at the numbers, If you want to know how to approach reading comprehension questions in CUET English exam 2025, this blog is for you! 

One of the most important sections of the CUET English paper is Reading Comprehension (RC). This section evaluates how well you can read, understand, and interpret passages of text. While the answers are right in front of you, the passages may still seem tricky and challenging. 

Get insights into how to approach reading comprehension questions in CUET English exam 2025 to perform well in this section. 

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3 Best CUET English Reading Comprehension Techniques for 2025 

The CUET exam includes 3 sections and English is an important test paper in section 1. Being a common and most mapped language with courses at top-tier universities like DU, JNU, BHU etc, it is very important to perform well in this exam. 

As you may want to learn How To Approach Reading Comprehension Questions In CUET English exam, here are some techniques that will help you: 

1. TEE (Topic, Evidence, Explanation) Technique

The TEE technique is one of the most important reading techniques for CUET for reading and answering RC questions. It helps break down the passage and allows you to focus on the key parts when answering questions.

• T (Topic): Identify the main idea or the topic of the passage. What is the author talking about? This will help you understand what the passage aims to convey.
• E (Evidence): As you read, find specific evidence (facts, examples, quotes, etc.) that supports the topic or main argument. These pieces of evidence are essential for answering factual questions or inference-based questions.
• E (Explanation): Finally, explain the topic and evidence in your own words to ensure you understand it deeply. This will help you answer questions about the author’s tone, purpose, and opinion.

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2. SQ3R Method

The SQ3R method is one of the most popular CUET English Reading Comprehension Techniques for effectively reading and understanding passages in the CUET English question paper. It stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review. This method helps break down the reading process and ensures you retain and understand the passage.

• S (Survey): Go through the passage, paying attention to the title, headings, subheadings, and any highlighted text. 
• Q (Question): Before reading in detail, turn the title or the passage’s key points into questions. 
• R (Read): Read the passage carefully. As you read, focus on finding answers to the questions.
• R (Recite): After reading each section, stop and try to recall or summarize what you’ve learned. 
• R (Review): Once you’ve read the passage, review the main ideas and the answers to your questions. 

3. The 5 W's and H Technique

As you learn how to approach reading comprehension questions in CUET English exam, you can't miss the 5 W's and H technique (Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How). This technique helps you analyze the passage systematically.

• Who: Who are the main characters or people discussed in the passage?
• What: What is the main topic or event? What are the key points?
• When: When do the events or issues discussed take place? Are there specific timeframes mentioned?
• Where: Where do the events or issues occur? Location-based details can be important.
• Why: Why is this topic important? What is the author’s argument or purpose?
• How: How are things happening? How does the passage explain or solve the issue?

How To Approach Reading Comprehension Questions In CUET English Language? 

Here's a step-by-step approach to help you answer Reading Comprehension questions in CUET English during your CUET preparation and the actual exam day: 

1- Understand the Structure of the Reading Comprehension

Before jumping into the questions, you must understand what kind of questions you’ll face. After reading a passage, you’ll be asked a few questions that test different skills. These include:

• Literal Understanding: These questions ask about information directly mentioned in the passage.
• Inferences: These questions test your ability to understand the implied meaning or deeper message behind the passage.
• Vocabulary: These questions focus on the meaning of certain words used in the passage.
• Tone and Mood: These questions ask about the author’s feelings or attitude in the passage.
• Theme and Purpose: These questions test your understanding of the main idea or message the author wants to convey.

2- Read the Questions First

• Always read the passage after answering the questions.
• This will have you ready to concentrate on the passage's essential elements.
• Don't concentrate on any one question; just pay attention to what information is being asked. 

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3- Use the CUET English Reading Comprehension Techniques

Continuing with how to approach reading comprehension questions in CUET English exam, once you go through the questions, follow any of the techniques mentioned: 

• TEE (Topic, Evidence, Explanation) Technique
• SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review) Method
• 5 W's and H technique (Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How)

4- Eliminate Incorrect Answer Choices

• Sometimes, you’ll come across multiple-choice questions where one or two options are clearly wrong.
• Use the process of elimination to narrow down the choices.
• As you learn how to solve CUET reading comprehension questions, you can master them by solving CUET mock tests weekly. 

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5- Don’t Get Stuck on One Question

• If a question is difficult or confusing, don’t waste too much time on it.
• Move on to the next question, and come back to the tricky one later.
• Spending too much time on one question can hurt your overall performance.

6. Practice Regularly

• Try to read different types of texts—articles, essays, and stories and answer questions about them. This will help you improve your speed and understanding.
• Practice with passages from newspapers, magazines, or novels.

Key Takeaways 

The article has complete details regarding 'how to approach reading comprehension questions in CUET English exam'. The key takeaways are: 

• Start by reading the questions, then move to the passage to read carefully for the main idea and important details. 
• Use techniques like TEE, SQ3R, and 5 W’s and H to answer questions quickly and correctly. 
• Use the process of elimination to narrow down your choices, and don’t hesitate to move on if a question is too tough.
• Join CUET online coaching by SuperGrads for balanced preparation.