TOEFL READING
COMPREHENSION
Nowhere else on the TOEFL will you be expected to read so
much English and know such a wide variety of vocab words. And on top of that,
you’ll have to answer dozens of questions on what you’ve read. No wonder many
TOEFL students feel intimidated by the Reading section.
However, TOEFL Reading is actually one of the more
straightforward sections of the exam, and knowing what to expect will make it a
lot easier to ace this section on test day. Read this guide to learn
exactly what types of questions you’ll see on this section and how to answer
them. We also outline the best TOEFL Reading strategies to
supercharge your prep and the TOEFL Reading tips that can help you
get a top score on test day.
Overview of the TOEFL Reading Section
Reading is the first section on the TOEFL, and it’s
designed to test your ability to understand university-level academic texts and
passages. You’ll have 60-80 minutes to answer questions based on three
to four passages. The variation in time and length is due to the fact that some
test takers will have un-scored experimental questions in their TOEFL Reading
section, making it extra long, while others will have experimental questions
during their Listening section instead. You won’t know which questions are
experimental and which are graded, so try not to worry about it too much.
Each of the TOEFL Reading passages will be about 700 words
long, and they’ll be followed by about 12-14 questions. The passages are from university-level textbooks that
introduce a topic or discipline.
What Types of Questions Are There on TOEFL Reading?
You will come across three different types of
questions as you read through the TOEFL Reading passages. Since it’s
important to know what to expect, in this section we explain the different
types of question and, for each question type, give an official sample question
and response tips.
Standard Multiple Choice
You likely have a lot of experience
with these types of questions. For each question there are four answer choices,
only one of which is correct. You’ll need to choose the correct one. This
is, by far, the most common question type you’ll see in TOEFL Reading. These
questions may ask you about the passage as a whole, specific sentences or
phrases in the passage, or the meaning of a particular word that was used.
Sample Question
TOEFL Reading Tips for Answering
· Read
every answer choice. This may seem like obvious advice, but on the day
of the test it’s easy to see an option that looks pretty good, choose it, and
move along to the next question without checking to make sure there isn’t a
better option. ETS will try to make some answer choices sound like the right
answer, when they’re actually not. Reading through all your options will help
you avoid getting fooled.
· Look
for evidence in the passage. Every correct answer will be supported by
evidence in the passage, even if it’s not immediately obvious. If
you’re unsure of which answer is correct, go back and skim the passage for
clues.
Inserting a Sentence
For each passage, there will be one Inserting a Sentence
question. For these questions, you will be shown a paragraph from the passage,
as well as a sentence that is to be added to it. There will be four different
places where the new sentence can be inserted, and your job is to
select the spot where the sentence best fits.
Sample Question
TOEFL Reading Tips for Answering
· For
each of the four options, briefly read through the entire paragraph with the
new sentence inserted into the marked place. Don’t be tempted to skim
the options or stop after the first option if it sounds good enough. These
questions are designed to be somewhat tricky, and there will always be answers
that sound pretty good but aren’t the correct answer. By considering each
placement option carefully, you’ll reduce the chance of answering incorrectly.
· Consider
if the meaning of the paragraph changes depending on where the sentence is
placed. The correct answer will keep the original meaning the same.
Reading to Learn
Reading to Learn questions may be less familiar to
you. These questions ask you to organize the main points of the passage
in either a chart or a summary. There will be one of these questions
for each passage. Unlike the other Reading questions, which are all worth
one point, Reading to Learn questions are worth two to three points. It is
possible to get partial credit.
TOEFL
Reading Tips for Answering
· These
questions can be a bit confusing if you haven’t seen them before, so be sure to
practice them while you’re studying (see next section for practice materials).
· For
questions that ask you to select main ideas from the passage (like the sample
question above), don’t be fooled by minor facts. It’s easy to
think these are the correct answer if they’re mentioned in the passage because
it seems like there’s supporting evidence, but if it wasn’t a main point of the
passage, don’t include it.
· Don’t
be afraid to skim the passage again if you need help answering these questions.
Look for main ideas and key points that were made.
· Always
double-check your answer to make sure it seems logical before moving on to the
next question.
TOEFL Reading Study Strategies
This section is fairly straightforward, but you should still
prepare for it in order to get your best score on test day. Use these TOEFL
Reading tips to get the most out of your studying.
