Reading Section Flashcards
How much time do you get to complete the Reading Section?
35 minutes
How many reading passages are there?
2 passages
How many questions are there?
Total # of Questions: 20
(10 for each passage)
What are the reading passages about?
academic topics such as:
* natural sciences
* social sciences
* business
* arts
Do I need to study various academic subjects to get a good score on the Reading Section?
No. It helps if you have a broad vocabulary, but all the answers to the questions can be found in the passages.
Are the meanings of any words given?
Yes. You can click on any words underlined/highlighted in blue to see a definition.
Do you have to answer the questions in order?
No. You can skip questions and come back to them.
Should you draw on your personal opinions and/or your background knowledge of the topic when answering the questions?
No. Doing so could lead you to the wrong answers. Focus only on what’s given in the passage.
Should you read the entire passage before answering the questions?
No. Unless you’re a very fast reader, you’ll run out of time. Read the first 1 or 2 sentences of each paragraph and then begin answering the questions.
What should you do if you’re not sure about the answer?
Use the Process of Elimination to try to get rid of at least 1 or 2 wrong choices. Then, make your best guess and move on.
What are some indications that an answer choice may be wrong?
- not mentioned in the passage
- includes words like always or never
- correctly answers a different question
What’s a good basic approach for the Reading Section?
Think of yourself as a detective. Your job is to find evidence in the passage to answer each question as efficiently as possible.
Don’t get distracted by all the extra details you don’t need!
