Aspirants must be aware of the fact that English is one of the major sections in the CDS exam. Therefore, all topics in the English section must be thoroughly covered. One such crucial and easy scoring section is error spotting. One can score full marks if the right preparation approach is followed.
In this article, let’s understand the tips and strategies to score full marks in the spotting errors section of the CDS exam.
General Rules for Spotting errors questions
1. Carefully read the sentence. This is the most important step in the error-spotting process. You should read it as many times as you can.
2. There are usually spelling errors throughout the sentences. Be observant of those errors.
3. Examine the right use of assisting verbs in relation to the subject in a phrase.
4. Always verify whether the statement is written in active or passive voice or in direct or indirect speech.
5. Examine the right use of all tenses in a sentence, such as indefinite, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous.
6. Check for proper article usage in a sentence.
7. Remove the most implausible response as soon as possible. This method will allow you to answer the questions more quickly.
Error Spotting Tips & Strategies for CDS Exam
Improve your Grammar skills
Strengthen your vocabulary and parts of speech sections. This will help you identify errors faster. Regular practice of questions on tenses, articles, verbs, and prepositions will help you score well in the English section overall and spot errors section specifically.
Keep an eye on the words with similar spelling but different meanings – The contextual meaning changes for some words in a sentence. Aspirants must be well-versed in such common terms and their meanings. This will help you understand the theme of the passage, and you can identify what fits well in the sentence and where the error lies.
Build your vocabulary
Learn 5 to 10 new words every day and note their meaning. Aspirants can study magazines and newspapers, or books to collect those words. This will help you understand the meanings of rarely used words in the sentence.
Be careful of spelling mistakes
Spelling mistakes are the most common type of spotting error questions asked in the exam. However, many individuals fail this section. There is no quick way to learn to spell. Furthermore, most individuals overlook spelling problems in a question and instead focus on grammar or vocabulary. As a result, it is critical to keep an eye out for any misspelt terms in the question, as this would be a probable mistake.
Attempt mock tests
Aspirants can ace their spotting errors skills only with practice. Therefore, it is recommended to practice as many mock tests as possible. Mock test helps you work on your time management, speed and accuracy levels. This way, you can improve your score in the English section of the CDS exam.
These tips will help you ace your skills of spotting errors faster and with maximum accuracy. But, it’s best to practice from recommended books and not all books that lie within your reach. The concepts would be the same, but sometimes the approach might confuse you. Therefore, choose a few good resources and practice questions.
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