Introduction
Reading Comprehension (RC) gives a passage followed by 8-10 questions and carries the single largest weightage
in the banking English section. Since RC always outweighs any individual grammar topic, developing a consistent
reading strategy matters more than memorising rules here.
Common RC Question Types
| Question Type | What It Tests |
|---|
| Main idea / Title | Overall theme or purpose of the passage |
| Detail-based | A specific fact explicitly stated in the passage |
| Inference | What the passage implies without stating directly |
| Vocabulary-in-context | Meaning of a word as used in the passage (not its dictionary default) |
| Tone/Author's attitude | Whether the author is critical, neutral, supportive, etc. |
Recommended Reading Strategy
- Read the passage once at a steady pace to grasp the overall structure — don't stop at every unfamiliar word.
- Note the main idea of each paragraph in a few words as you go; this builds a mental map for detail questions.
- For detail-based questions, go back to the relevant paragraph and verify — don't rely on memory.
- For vocabulary-in-context questions, re-read the sentence the word appears in; the surrounding context often overrides the word's most common dictionary meaning.
Q. Passage excerpt: "The bank's new policy, while well-intentioned, proved cumbersome for small businesses navigating multiple compliance layers." What does "cumbersome" mean as used here?
In context, "cumbersome" describes the policy as awkward, burdensome, or difficult to manage — consistent with
"multiple compliance layers." Answer: burdensome / difficult to handle.
⚠️ Key Insight: Inference questions ask what the passage implies, not what you personally
believe or know from outside knowledge — an inference must be a reasonable, direct extension of the passage's
own content.
💡 Exam Tip: If the passage is long, attempt vocabulary and detail-based questions first — they
require minimal re-reading — and save main-idea and inference questions for after you've built a full picture of
the passage.
✅ Practice Focus: Paragraph-wise main idea tracking · Distinguishing stated facts from
inferences · Context-based vocabulary meaning · Identifying author's tone.