IPMAT Indore 2022 · Verbal Ability · Question 14

Step 1 — note what the sentence after the blank requires.

“There are several causes for this situation…”

The pronoun this situation must point back to a situation described in the blank — and the causes given are exams and stress. So the blank must name a problem that heavy study creates.

Step 2 — test option (c).

“For this reason, there is often little time left for hobbies or socializing.”

This follows directly from “spend most of their time studying” (the cause) and is itself a situation whose causes can then be discussed. ✔

Step 3 — eliminate.

(a) “Studying while exhausted is unproductive” — a piece of advice about how to study. It is not a situation, so “There are several causes for this situation” would have nothing to attach to.

(b) “Better to learn how to apply the knowledge” — a recommendation, and off-topic; the paragraph is about time pressure, not pedagogy.

(d) “The education system has to change” — a conclusion, and much too strong for this position. It also pre-empts the paragraph: you cannot call for reform before the causes have been set out.

Answer: Option 3

Shortcut. “This situation” is the anchor. A situation is a state of affairs, not advice and not a demand for reform — so (a), (b) and (d) are all the wrong kind of sentence, regardless of content.

Then check the causal direction. The blank follows a cause (spending most of their time studying) and precedes an explanation of causes — so it must state the effect. Little time for hobbies is exactly that.

A reliable rule: match the type of sentence the slot needs — fact, cause, effect, recommendation — before you judge the content. Here the type test alone answers it.