Language Section: Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary
The CUET Language Section (Section I) is available in 13 languages including English, Hindi, and 11 regional languages. Students must choose one language. The section contains 50 questions in 45 minutes, of which 40 must be attempted. The same +5/−1/0 marking applies. The section tests: Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Grammar (tenses, articles, prepositions, sentence correction for English), and literary/verbal skills.
Reading Comprehension (RC) strategy: passages are 300-500 words long, followed by 5-8 MCQ questions. The most efficient approach is Question-First: read all questions for the passage first, then read the passage actively looking for answers. This is faster than reading the passage in full first because you scan purposefully. For factual questions ('According to the passage…'), the answer is directly stated — find the relevant sentence, match it to an option. For inference questions ('The author implies…'), eliminate options that go beyond the passage or contradict it.
Vocabulary questions test: synonyms, antonyms, fill-in-the-blank (choosing the word that fits context most naturally), idioms and phrases, and one-word substitutions. High-frequency CUET vocabulary: ameliorate (improve), alacrity (eagerness), perfidious (treacherous), ephemeral (short-lived), laconic (brief/concise), sanguine (optimistic), inveterate (habitual), propitious (favourable), recalcitrant (uncooperative), esoteric (intended for a small audience). Building a 200-300 word vocabulary list from CUET past papers and practising with flashcards (front: word, back: definition + example sentence) is effective within 3-4 weeks.
For Hindi and regional language sections: RC passages are prose or poetry extracts from recognised literary works. Hindi CUET questions often include comprehension of passages from Hindi literature (Premchand, Mahadevi Varma, Kabir dohas) and test formal grammar (sandhi, samas, alankar). Regional language preparation should prioritise the language's Class 11-12 textbook content.