Reading Strategy: Skimming and Scanning
In the Aptis for Teens Reading test, students have 30 minutes to complete 4 tasks. Task 1 is a short text with 5 gaps (choose from 8 options). Task 2 is a longer text with 7 gaps (choose from 10 options). Task 3 is a matching task: 4 paragraphs to match with 4 headings. Task 4 is a longer text with 6 multiple-choice questions. A student, Leo, spends 10 minutes on Task 1, 12 minutes on Task 2, 5 minutes on Task 3, and has only 3 minutes left for Task 4. He scores poorly on Task 4. He wonders if he should change his strategy.
1. Analyse Leo's time allocation. What is the recommended time allocation for each task? How could Leo improve his time management?
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Leo spent 10 minutes on Task 1 (5 gaps) and 12 minutes on Task 2 (7 gaps), totaling 22 minutes for 12 gaps. That's about 1.83 minutes per gap. Task 3 took 5 minutes for 4 matches (1.25 min per match). Task 4 had only 3 minutes for 6 questions (0.5 min per question), which is insufficient. A better allocation: Task 1 (5 gaps) should take about 5-6 minutes; Task 2 (7 gaps) about 7-8 minutes; Task 3 (4 matches) about 4-5 minutes; Task 4 (6 questions) about 10-12 minutes. Leo should reduce time on Tasks 1 and 2 by skimming and scanning more efficiently, and allocate more time to Task 4, which requires careful reading. He could practise timed exercises to speed up.
2. Leo decides to skip Task 3 (matching headings) to save time for Task 4. Is this a good idea? Explain.
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Skipping Task 3 is not advisable because each task contributes to the total score. Task 3 has 4 questions, which is a significant portion. Moreover, Task 3 is relatively quick if done efficiently (about 4-5 minutes). Skipping it would lose those marks and might not guarantee better performance on Task 4. Instead, Leo should aim to complete all tasks by managing time better. He could also attempt Task 4 first if he finds it easier, but he should not skip any task entirely.