Strategies for Success with Reading Exams

Tips for taking the reading portions of ACT/Compass

A Few Test-taking Tips to Get Started

• Re-read to gain understanding of the passage.

• Answer the question based only on the information that is presented in the passage.

• Define a word as it is used in the passage.

• Locate the answers to the questions in the passage.

• Eliminate incorrect choices.

Practice!!!

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Key Words

Key words are words or phrases found in

the stems of questions that

identify the type of question being

asked.

Key Words

Questions are composed of two parts:

The first part is called the stem.

The second part includes the distracters.

Key words identify what the question is asking. They typically refer to:

Location words Main ideas Fact questions Vocabulary in context Inferences Special case questions

Location Words

Location words can be used with any type of

question. They point to the answer. Location

words may be found in phrases like….

• According to the passage….

• As used in the fourth paragraph….

• In paragraph five….• There is a saying in line

two….• According to the first

paragraph…

Remember…..

Each paragraph contains different information, which may lead to different answers.

The main idea of every paragraph may differ from the main idea of the entire passage.

A vocabulary word may appear more than once in a passage with different meanings.

Tone can vary throughout a passage, and the inference may change with it.

Main Idea

There are many ways that test-takers may be asked to find the main idea:

The main idea of the passage is…The central point of this writing is….The passage is primarily concerned with…The author’s central concern is…The main objective of this passage is…A good title for this passage might be…

How Can I find the Main Idea?

Try applying this formula:

Topic + Author’s Opinion =Main Idea

Remember:• The topic is usually one or

two words that express the general subject of a passage.

• The author’s opinion can be determined by asking what the author’s view or attitude is about the subject

Fact QuestionsFact questions are based on

specific information that can be found in the passage.

These questions test your ability to locate details and facts.

Why?

What?

When?

Where?

How often?

Vocabulary in Context

The purpose of a vocabulary in context question is to determine the meaning of a word based on how it’s use in a passage.

Vocabulary in Context

Quick Tips Locate the word in context. Next, read the sentence

before and after it. BE CAREFUL! Many words have more than one

definition. A comma or dash after an unfamiliar word often

signals a restatement. Many times the definition of the word follows after these marks.

Remember, the answer choice should reflect the way the word is used in the sentence.

Vocabulary in Context

• A synonym is a word that has the same or similar meaning as another word.

• An antonym is a word that has the opposite or contrasting meaning from the original word.

• When someone restates a word or an idea, he or she says the same thing, but using different language.

• The author may provide examples to clarify the definition of a word.

Vocabulary in Context

• The mood or tone describes the major emotion of a sentence and can provide a context for understanding the meaning of a word.

• After predicting the meaning of a word based on context, examine the answer choices and eliminate incorrect choices. Plug in the most likely choice and try it out.

• Knowing prefixes and suffixes helps figure the meaning.

Inferences

• We can conclude…• The author suggests….• One can infer that….• The author would most

likely agree with…• The author implies that

the….• The author probably

means that….

Sometimes the answer to a question will NOT be directly stated in the passage, so the reader must draw a conclusion.

Strategies for answering inference questions

Try this formula:

Details + educated guess = inference

• Systematically list the information given in the paragraph and make connections

• To find the answer, go back to the passage and re-read information related to the question.

• Beware of choices that don’t make sense or go too far.

Special Case QuestionsIdentify the choice that is NOT stated in the passage.

This type of questions is different from all the others because it asks the test-taker to find the WRONG answer.

Double-tiered questions

This question provides three items listed as Roman numerals, and asks the test-taker to choose the correct items from the list.