Reading: Finding and Using Information
What the reading section tests
The reading test asks you to locate information, understand what a text says, and draw simple conclusions. The key concepts are: main idea and purpose, supporting detail, sequence of events, cause and effect, vocabulary in context, and the difference between statements of fact and statements of opinion. You will meet short workplace and community texts such as notices, emails, rosters, instructions and forms, so pay attention to layout as well as sentences.
Traps to watch for
- Nearly right answers. A wrong option often repeats words from the text but changes one detail, such as a date, a name or a quantity. Check every detail against the passage.
- Your own knowledge. Answer only from the text, even if you know something else about the topic.
- Opinion dressed as fact. Words like best, should or terrible signal opinion; dates, numbers and events signal fact.
- Instructions with conditions. Words such as unless, except, before and only change the meaning. Read them twice.
- Headings and bold text. These often carry the main idea, so skim them first to build a map of the text.
Rule of thumb
Read the question first, then scan for the key words it names. Underline the exact sentence that answers it, and choose the option that matches that sentence without adding or removing anything.
Worked example
A workplace notice reads: Staff must wear closed shoes in the kitchen. Gloves are required only when handling raw meat.
Question: When are gloves required?
- A. At all times in the kitchen.
- B. Only when handling raw meat.
- C. Whenever closed shoes are worn.
Option A overstates the rule, and C links two unrelated requirements. The word only marks the condition, so B matches the text exactly.