Reading
Reading in the Oxford ELLT assesses comprehension of written English across CEFR-aligned bands. Texts may be general or academic in style, and tasks test gist, specific detail, inference, vocabulary in context and understanding of text structure. You are working against a section clock, so the skill is locating evidence quickly and matching it precisely, not reading every word at the same speed.
Core rules
- For detail questions, read the question stem first, then scan for the relevant paragraph; answers often follow text order in detail sets.
- For gist or heading tasks, skim the first and last sentences of paragraphs before choosing.
- Correct answers paraphrase the text. A choice that repeats the same words as the passage is often a trap.
- For True/False/Not Given: False means the text says the opposite; Not Given means the text does not say. Do not use outside knowledge.
Worked example
Text: 'The council's pilot scheme cut household waste by 12% in its first year, though critics note the figure excludes flats, where collection is less frequent.' Statement: 'The scheme reduced waste in all types of housing.' Answer: False. Reasoning: 'excludes flats' contradicts 'all types'. If the statement were 'The scheme was criticised for its coverage', the answer would be True. If it were 'The scheme cost more than expected', the answer would be Not Given, because cost is not mentioned.
Traps that cost marks
- Word-match trap: choosing an option because it shares vocabulary with the text.
- Over-inferring: if the text does not state it, it is Not Given, not 'probably true'.
- Ignoring scope: 'some' versus 'all', 'often' versus 'always'.
- Spending too long on one item; every question carries the same weight.
- Missing negation: 'not', 'less', 'failed to' reverse the meaning.