Most students make the mistake on the TOEIC Reading Comprehension section (Section 7) of reading every word in the paragraphs of the passages they read.
This is a big mistake. The TOEIC does not really test reading skill; the TOEIC reading comprehension section tests question answering skills or, more specifically, the ability to find information in a passage in order to answer a question.
Here is what you should do when you read a passage on the TOEIC Reading Comprehension section;
1. Read the heading to find out what type of passage you are dealing with and to know how many questions are asked.
2. Take a look at how long the passage is. If it is a single passage and very long, make sure there are at least 4-5 questions. If there are only 2-3 questions, and the passage is long with few subtitles, skip it and come back later.
3. If the passage has a good number of questions for its length, handle it right away. Most passages are like this.
4. Now, take 30 seconds, read the passage and answer four questions:
-What is the topic of the passage?
-What is the purpose of the passage (who is is written for and why was it written)?
-What is the general content of each paragraph (NOT detailed content, just general content)?
-What is the general structure of the passage (i.e. what does it begin with, what sort of content is in the middle, how does it end)?
5. Go to the questions. For questions about main idea, topic, or purpose, you don’t need to read anything, because you already know the answer. For questions about details in the passage or vocabulary, go back and find the information in the passage. You will know where to find it because you understand the basic structure and content of the passage.
6. Never spend more than 40-50 seconds reading a passage (you will have to skim or skip the detailed parts, which you can do once you know the basic idea of a paragraph), and never spend more than 45 seconds answering one question.
7. If you see a sub-title for a paragraph, don’t even bother reading the paragraph. You already know what it is about. If there is no sub-title for the paragraph, read the first or second sentence, then move on to the next paragraph.
I’ll post some examples of how to analyze TOEIC passages when I have some more time. For now, my students are waiting.
Good luck!
Coach True
Filed under: Advice, Reading, TOEIC | Tagged: TOEIC, TOEIC Preparation
I hate the new TOEIC. The readings are harder. Next time I will work backwards. I was mentally tired at the end. regards Jona
Most people are mentally tired at the end of a standardized test. Regular practice before taking the test can help alleviate that problem.
I don’t think it is necessary or even very wise to work backwards on the reading section. Instead, try skipping the passages that are obviously more time-consuming, saving them for the end.
The readings are harder? Not really. Just a bit longer. If you have a decent vocabulary and use the correct reading method (i.e. skim most parts of the passage, read only for main idea, purpose, and basic structure), you shouldn’t have serious problems.
have you heard the New TOEIC? A lot of British accent in the listening section.
Oh Yeah I just saw your post concerning my above question…
Thanks for your recommendations. My score was 810. I cannot complain.