MET Reading: Selective Reading and Textual Evidence
What MET Reading tests
MET Reading assesses understanding of written English across everyday and academic texts at CEFR A2–C1. Questions target main idea, explicit detail, inference, vocabulary in context, reference, and text organization. The section rewards selective reading: you do not need to understand every word, but you must locate evidence and recognize paraphrase.
Core rules
- Skim the passage first for topic, purpose, and tone.
- Read the question, then scan for the relevant lines; underline the evidence mentally.
- For vocabulary items, substitute the word into the sentence and test the fit.
- For inference, choose the option that must be true from the text, not merely plausible.
- Watch reference words: it, they, this, such, which.
Worked example
Text: 'The museum's new wing, which opened last month, has already attracted more visitors than the main building.' Question: What is true? Reasoning: 'new wing' and 'opened last month' establish recency; 'already attracted more visitors than the main building' establishes comparative popularity. An option saying 'The new wing is more popular than the main building' is supported. An option saying 'The main building is closed' is not.
Traps
- Choosing an option because it repeats words from the text.
- Ignoring 'not', 'except', or 'least'.
- Confusing cause with correlation.
- Selecting a true statement that does not answer the question.
- Over-inferring beyond the evidence.
Timing strategy
Do not read every passage at the same speed. Dense academic texts need a slower first paragraph; short notices can be answered by scanning. If a question resists, move on and return with fresh eyes.