Comprehension in IFSCA Grade A 2025 – Step-by-Step Solving Strategy

Introduction

The IFSCA Grade A 2025 Descriptive English Paper carries 100 marks and is divided into three parts: Precis Writing (35 marks), Essay Writing (30 marks), and Comprehension (35 marks). Among these, comprehension often appears simple but is one of the most time-consuming and tricky sections if not handled strategically.

Comprehension tests a candidate’s reading ability, interpretation skills, vocabulary strength, and clarity in answering. Since financial or regulatory-themed passages are often included, this section also indirectly assesses your awareness of contemporary issues.

In this article, we’ll break down a step-by-step strategy to solve comprehension passages efficiently, highlight common mistakes, and share practice techniques to help you score 25+ out of 35 marks.

1. Why Comprehension Matters in IFSCA

  • High Weightage (35 Marks): One-third of descriptive English score.
  • Scoring Potential: Questions are direct if approached correctly.
  • Professional Relevance: Officers must analyze long reports, guidelines, and extract actionable points.

A strong comprehension performance ensures that you save time for essay/precis while also securing solid marks.

2. Nature of Passages in IFSCA

Passages are generally:

  • 400–500 words long.
  • Based on finance, economy, global trade, sustainability, or regulation.
  • Contain both factual details and abstract arguments.
  • Followed by 4–6 questions testing:
    • Direct information retrieval.
    • Inference and interpretation.
    • Vocabulary (synonyms/antonyms).
    • Opinion-based (but with textual support).

3. Step-by-Step Solving Strategy

Step 1: Read Questions First (1–2 minutes)

  • Skim all the questions before reading the passage.
  • This primes your brain to look for specific information instead of passively reading.

Step 2: Read Passage Actively (5–6 minutes)

  • Read once for general theme.
  • Underline/mark keywords, numbers, contrasting words (however, but, although).
  • Focus on topic sentences (first line of each paragraph).

Step 3: Answer Direct Questions First (5 minutes)

  • Some questions are factual (dates, numbers, definitions).
  • Answer them straight away—saves time and builds confidence.

Step 4: Tackle Inference Questions (5–7 minutes)

  • These require logical deduction, not word-for-word copying.
  • Example: “What does the author imply by …?”
  • Strategy: Re-read the surrounding lines and paraphrase.

Step 5: Handle Vocabulary Questions (3–4 minutes)

  • Guess meaning from context clues.
  • Replace word with synonym in sentence → check fit.

Step 6: Write Concise Answers (5–6 minutes)

  • 3–5 line answers are ideal.
  • Avoid long explanations unless explicitly asked.
  • Use your own words—copy-pasting sentences often fetches fewer marks.

4. Time Allocation

Since the entire paper is 60 minutes, suggested breakdown is:

  • Essay – 20 minutes
  • Precis – 15 minutes
  • Comprehension – 25 minutes

👉 Within comprehension (35 marks, ~25 minutes):

  • Reading passage: 6–7 mins
  • Answering factual Qs: 5 mins
  • Inference/vocabulary Qs: 8–10 mins
  • Revision: 2–3 mins

5. Types of Questions Asked

  1. Direct Questions: “What is the main reason behind…?”
    • Strategy: Quote/rephrase directly from passage.
  2. Inference Questions: “What can be inferred about…?”
    • Strategy: Read between the lines, no personal opinion.
  3. Vocabulary Questions: “Find synonym/antonym of ….”
    • Strategy: Use context, not memory.
  4. Theme Questions: “What is the central idea of the passage?”
    • Strategy: Write 2–3 lines summarizing the entire passage.
  5. Critical Questions: “What solution does the author suggest?”
    • Strategy: Locate suggestions within text.

6. Common Mistakes to Avoid

  1. Copy-Pasting Answers: Examiners prefer paraphrasing.
  2. Overlong Answers: Wastes time, may lose clarity.
  3. Skipping Vocabulary: Easy marks lost due to neglect.
  4. Guessing Theme Without Reading Properly: Leads to wrong conclusions.
  5. Poor Time Management: Spending 35 minutes only on comprehension.

7. Practice Techniques

Daily Routine

  • Read one editorial (Economic Times, Business Standard, Mint).
  • Write a 3–5 line summary of it.
  • Attempt 4–5 comprehension questions based on it.

Weekly Routine

  • Solve 2 full-length comprehension passages under exam conditions.
  • Focus on timing + accuracy.

Monthly Routine

  • Review mistakes.
  • Build vocabulary list of 100+ financial terms.

8. Vocabulary Building for Comprehension

Regulatory passages often include financial and economic terms. Build familiarity with:

  • Monetary policy, derivatives, inflation, liquidity, offshore, ESG, fintech, CBDC, compliance, globalisation, sustainability, regulation, fiscal deficit.

👉 Maintaining a notebook of such terms will help you decode passages faster.

9. Sample Comprehension Question

Passage (excerpt):
India’s GIFT City is positioned as a competitive international financial hub, offering regulatory flexibility, tax incentives, and global market access….

Q1: What are the main features of GIFT City?
Ans: GIFT City offers tax benefits, simplified regulations, and global connectivity, making it attractive for cross-border financial services.

Q2: Why is regulatory flexibility important?
Ans: It allows innovation in financial services while ensuring compliance with international standards.

Q3: What is the central idea of the passage?
Ans: India is developing GIFT City as a global hub to attract international finance through incentives and strong regulation.

👉 Notice: Short, clear, paraphrased answers.

10. Examiner’s Evaluation Criteria (35 Marks)

  • Accuracy of answers (15 marks)
  • Clarity & conciseness (10 marks)
  • Vocabulary & expression (5 marks)
  • Overall comprehension of passage (5 marks)

👉 Even if you know the answer, poor language or long-winded replies will reduce marks.

11. How to Ensure 25+ Marks

  • Attempt all questions (no negative marking).
  • Keep answers short but meaningful.
  • Double-check vocabulary responses.
  • Don’t skip central theme/summary question—it carries weight.

12. Conclusion

The Comprehension section in IFSCA Grade A 2025 is a blend of reading speed, analytical thinking, and writing clarity. Though it looks easy, many candidates lose marks due to over-explaining, copying sentences, or poor time management.

To excel, practice reading financial passages daily, answer in your own words, and manage time effectively. If you can master this section, scoring 25+ out of 35 is very realistic, giving you a clear edge in the overall descriptive paper.