Read the Instructions Carefully

Many strong candidates lose marks because they don’t read the instructions properly. Pay close attention to the instructions to avoid losing easy marks.

Read the examples, but don't do them

Some parts of the Reading and Use of English paper have example answers. This is for students who don't know what to expect in the exam. Don't waste time trying to find these answers.

Read the Titles

Some of the sections have titles, and students often ignore them. However, the headings give you a lot of information. Usually the heading will tell you the theme of the passage.

Don’t Panic

Questions in the reading section can be extremely difficult. In fact, they can be challenging for native speakers, and I find them to be challenging sometimes too.

Don’t spend a large amount of time on a hard question. If you are struggling to find an answer, move on. Remember, you can write on your test paper. Mark the question and the possible answer and then come back to it later.

Whatever you do, stay calm. Accept that you probably won’t get all the questions correct. It’ll be okay.

Build your Vocabulary and Learn how to Paraphrase

The reading test is more of a vocabulary test than a reading test. You’ll need to be aware of synonyms and how to paraphrase to understand the texts given to you. While it’s difficult to build your vocabulary in a short amount of time, one thing you can do is read in English every day, and read about a variety of subjects - not just ones you like to talk about in your free time.

Learn to identify Reference Words

Learn how to read for reference words such as “this”, “it” or “them” and understand what they are referring to. Check out reference words here. 

Learn to Skim and Scan

Skimming is when you look at a page quickly and identify the main points or ideas. An example of skimming is when you quickly read the back of a novel to see if it's something you'd like to read. You don't need to read every word to get the main idea of a text and you shouldn't spend a lot of time thinking about unknown words.

Scanning means reading a text quickly to find specific words or information, such as names, places, or dates. An example of scanning would be looking at the back of a novel to check the price. When scanning, however, it's important you know what you're looking for before you start, to be efficient.