READING EXAMS TIPS

http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/exams

READING EXAMS TIPS

BEFORE YOU READ…

1. PLAN YOUR TIME.2. UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEM OF POINTS IN THE EXAM :•There may be some sections that are worth a lot more points than others. You should consider this when you are planning how much time to spend on each section.3. READ THE QUESTIONS CAREFULLY:•Underline the key information in the question that you need to answer.•Check you have answered the question correctly.

4. THINK BEFORE YOU READ:

•Predict what the text is about. Use your background knowledge to help you understand the text.•Look at the title, headline or pictures to help you understand the text.•Identify the type of text. Knowing the type of text will help you understand it.

READING EXAMS TIPS

WHILE YOU READ…

1. USE OF READING TECHNIQUES:•SkimmingThe first time you read a text, read it quickly to get a general idea.Topic sentences will give you a quick idea of the content of each paragraph.•ScanningThe first time you read a text, scan it quickly to find specific information.Scan to find names, places, numbers or dates and circle them.

•Reading for detail / specific information

•The second time you read the text you will be looking for detail and specific information.•Read slowly and carefully.•Read parts of the text again and again.

2. DIFFICULT QUESTIONS:•Don’t panic if there is a question you don’t understand or can’t find the answer to. Leave it and come back at the end.

3. FIND THE ANSWER •Usually, questions refer to information in the text in chronological order. •Find the paragraph in the text that is connected to the question. Read the question again and then return to the text to find the answer.•Underline, or highlight, the parts of the text that help you focus and find exactly the right answers.

4. DIFFICULT VOCABULARY:•There will usually be some words in the text that you don’t understand. The important thing is to be able to ‘read around’ the unknown words.

• Don’t worry about difficult vocabulary.• Use the context to help you understand the

meaning. Read the whole sentence and the sentences before and after.

• What type of word is it? A noun? A verb? An adjective? An adverb?

• Does the word have a positive or negative meaning?• Look for synonyms in the text. Well written texts use

synonyms rather than repeating the same word. • Think about the topic. Which words do you know

related to the topic?• Is the word similar to another word you know? • Is the word similar to a word in your language?

READING EXAMS TIPS

TYPES OF READING TASKS

1. TRUE OR FALSE:

•Read the sentences in the exercise carefully. •Use what you know to work out if the sentences are true or false before you read the text. Read the text to confirm what you think.•Underline the part of the text that has the information. •Find evidence from the text that tells you if the sentence is true or false.

2. MULTIPLE CHOICE:

•Read all the options carefully. If possible, use what you know already to work out any options that are not possible.•Eliminate options you are certain are wrong.•Find the part of the text with the information.•Find key words in the text that tell you which option is correct.•Look out for words such as always, never, might , may or could. They can help you decide if an option is correct or not.

3. OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS:

• You have to think about your writing for this type of question. Sometimes, bad writing can lose you marks in this part of a reading exam.•Read the questions carefully.•Find the part of the text that answers the question.•Refer to information in the text and write your answer in a complete sentence.•Write short, clear sentences that are easy to understand.•Always use information from the text to answer, not just your opinion.•Don’t copy from the text. Use your own words. Rewrite the information in another way that means the same

4. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES ABOUT THE TEXT

•Find the part of the text that refers to the sentence.•Always use information from the text to answer, not your own opinions or ideas.•Don’t copy sentences straight from the text. You may need to change the part of speech, for example, use a verb when there is a noun in the text.•Include all the necessary information to complete the sentence.•Is your sentence correct? Check grammar, parts of speech, spelling and punctuation.

5. VOCABULARY IN THE TEXT

• Read the whole sentence with the word and the sentences before and after. Use the context to understand the meaning of the word.•What is the topic of the text? Is the word related to the subject of the text?•What part of speech is the word? Noun? Verb? Adjective? Adverb?•Does it have a prefix? •Does it have a suffix? •Is the word similar to another word you know? •Is the word similar to a word in your language? •Is there another word in the text that means the same? •Check that your definition or answer is the same part of speech as the original word.

6. MATCH THE HEADINGS TO THE PARAGRAPHS:

•In order to do this type of task well you must understand the main ideas, of each paragraph. •First read all of the headings.•Then read the paragraphs carefully and match the ones you are sure about.•If you are not sure about one, leave it and move on to the next one. •Be careful with extra options. There will be two headings you don’t need.

7. PUT PARAGRAPHS IN THE CORRECT ORDER

•Read all the paragraphs before deciding on the correct order.•Look for linking words and discourse markers that express the same idea (too, also, furthermore…), a different idea (however, but, nevertheless…) , reason and result (so, as a result, consequently…) , sequence or order (firstly, then, finally…) •Look for connections between paragraphs. Reference words link backwards or forwards to things in the text (for example, pronouns).

8. MISSING SENTENCES•Read all the sentences taken out of the text.•Read the text and match the sentences with the gaps you are sure about.•Read the sentences before and after the gap carefully. There will always be a link between these sentences and the missing sentence.•Look for reference words. What do they refer to? •Look for discourse markers. •If you are not sure which sentence goes in the gap, leave it and move on to the next.•If you think there are two possible sentences for one gap, write down both answers and check again later.•Write down all the possibilities for each gap. •You don’t have to read the text in order. You can move backwards and forwards to different paragraphs.•There may be extra sentences you don’t need.

9. THE WRITER’S OPINION or READER’S RESPONSE

•At higher levels you may be asked to consider the writer’s opinion or to give your opinion about a text.• Does the type of text help you understand the writer’s aim? •Look for language in the text that indicates the writer’s intention. e.g. ‘We should use ...’, ‘Experts warn us that ...’ to advise.•Look for language in the text that indicates the writer’s opinion. e.g. ‘In my view ...’, ‘I refuse to believe that ...’, etc.•To give your opinion use language such as ‘In my view ...’, ‘I believe ...’, etc.•Do you agree or disagree with things in the text? Explain why with your own words. ‘I agree that ... because ...’.