Reading Comprehension
What this domain tests
Reading Comprehension asks you to understand notices, emails, short stories, and simple expository passages. Items test main idea, detail, pronoun reference, inference, and order of events. Some questions ask what the writer wants the reader to do, so read for purpose, not only topic.
Core rules
- Skim first for topic and purpose, then scan for the keywords in each question.
- For detail items, find the exact line and read the sentence before and after it.
- For pronoun items, replace the pronoun with the noun it refers to and check that the sentence still makes sense.
- Treat tables, signs, and notices as structured text: read headings, dates, and conditions before the small print.
- For 'except' questions, mark three true statements before choosing.
Worked example
A notice says: 'The Saturday workshop has moved from Room 2 to Room 5. The time is unchanged.' Question: What changed? Correct: the room. Reasoning: 'moved from … to …' signals a location change; 'time is unchanged' rules out the time. 'Saturday' is not the change.
Traps that cost marks
- Matching a word in the passage to an option without checking meaning.
- Over-inferring beyond what the passage states.
- Mixing up dates, times, or who did what.
- Missing a negative condition such as 'closed on Mondays' in a notice.