Reading Comprehension (English and Filipino)
What this subtest measures
Reading Comprehension in English and Filipino asks you to read unfamiliar passages and answer questions about main idea, explicit detail, inference, vocabulary in context, author’s purpose and tone, and the structure of an argument. Passages may come from science, social science, literature, and current issues. The Filipino component uses the same skills but tests pag-unawa sa binasa, kahulugan ng salita sa konteksto, pangunahing ideya, hinuha, at layunin ng may-akda.
Core rules to apply
- Separate topic, main idea, and supporting detail. The topic is what the passage is about; the main idea is the claim it makes about that topic.
- For inference questions, choose the answer that must be true from the text, not merely one that could be true.
- For vocabulary, substitute each candidate meaning into the sentence and check nearby contrast or example clues.
- For tone, examine adjectives, verbs, and punctuation; do not import your own opinion.
- In Filipino passages, watch discourse markers such as “samantala,” “gayunpaman,” and “kaya.”
Worked example
“Although coral reefs cover less than one percent of the ocean floor, they shelter about a quarter of marine species. Rising sea temperatures cause corals to expel the algae that feed them, a process called bleaching. A reef can recover from mild bleaching, but repeated events reduce its capacity to rebound.” Question: What is the main idea? Answer: Coral reefs support disproportionate biodiversity but are weakened by repeated warming-driven bleaching. The first sentence establishes importance; the second explains the mechanism; the third gives the consequence. An option saying only “bleaching exists” is too narrow, while “all reefs will die” is too extreme.
Traps that cost marks
- Picking a true statement that is not the main idea.
- Choosing extreme words such as “always,” “never,” or “proves” when the passage says “may” or “suggests.”
- Confusing the author’s view with a view the author reports.
- In Filipino, missing negation or contrast markers that reverse the meaning.