READING COMPREHENSION

Reading comprehension goes beyond simply reading the words on a page.

Overview

In Reading Comprehension questions, there will be a passage followed by a set of questions. The questions are based on the information in the passage. You need to analyze the passage and make connections between the information provided and the general context, then identify the correct answers to the given questions in a limited time.

Why employers conduct Reading Comprehension Test

Reading and interpreting a document is something you will be doing at every stage of your career. To reach meaningful conclusions, you must process what you read and comprehend its meaning. A reading comprehension test evaluates a candidate's ability to read fast, comprehend textual content, and answer quickly and accurately based on information in the passages. Employers use this method to assess candidates' comprehension and analytical skills to identify the best fit for their company.

Skills required to crack Reading comprehension

It is widely assumed that having a strong command of the English language is enough to answer comprehension questions successfully. However, in reality, logical reasoning skills are equally important. Regardless of how many strategies one learns to deal with Reading Comprehension, one important factor that cannot be overlooked is the need for people to improve their logical thinking skills along with word power. As the meaning of a word in the vocabulary is dependent on the context in which it is used, it might be difficult to answer correctly. In situations like these, logical abilities assist in accurately answering the questions.

Reading English newspapers, stories, novels, and articles will help you strengthen your logical reasoning skills and vocabulary.

Strategies to ace Reading Comprehension Test

Reading comprehension is a skill that takes a long time to master. Even for persons who are fluent in English, it might be a challenge. Hence you must follow these strategies.

1. In-depth Reading: The typical approach of answering reading comprehension questions is to read the passage first before reading the questions thoroughly; however, this is not a very time-efficient strategy because candidates tend to forget key aspects of the passage by the time they begin to look for answers. However, if you are comfortable with this method, go ahead and use it.
2. Skimming: Read the question and the answer options first, then skim through the text in the passage. While doing so, mark the lines in the passage to highlight the information that contains references to the questions. Compared to reading all of the paragraphs, reading only those marked paragraphs can answer all of the questions with this procedure. If you have skimming skills, you will be able to answer the questions right away; otherwise, you will have to fast read/skim through the text again, knowing what you are looking for this time. This method is more efficient in terms of time and accuracy.
3. Use the passage just as a source of information.
              Many candidates will answer the questions based on their knowledge, ideas, and beliefs. When answering these questions, you must answer based on the information provided in the passage. Repeat: Use only the information provided in the text to answer questions, not your knowledge, even if the statement contradicts what you already know.

The purpose of the test is to see how you process information, not measure your general knowledge or trick you with tricky questions.

What should you do if you do not know the answer?

There may be times when you do not know the answer to a Reading Comprehension question while attempting to solve it. In that case, it is best to bypass it and come back to it later when you have a better concept of what you are looking for, as spending too much time thinking about that question could cause you to waste time that could be better spent solving other questions.

This comprehension test can be highly stressful due to its fast-paced nature and strict time constraints. Stay calm during the test. Breathe deeply, ignore distractions, and avoid looking at the watch too much. This way, you will be able to find the best balance of speed and accuracy.

Practice before the actual test, and prepare yourself as much as possible to give yourself the best chance of landing your dream job. We wish you all the best!

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If you are preparing for a reading comprehension test, consider trying our Verbal Ability tests – practicing on these questions will also be relevant for your preparation.

Passage:

The last half of my life has been lived in one of those agonising moments of human history when the world appears to be getting worse, and previous wins that seemed insurmountable have turned out to be only transitory. When I was a kid, Victorian optimism was taken for granted. It was thought that by following a steady and orderly path, freedom and wealth would spread throughout the world, while cruelty, tyranny, and injustice would diminish. Almost no one was afraid of huge wars. Almost no one thought of the nineteenth century as a transitional period between previous and future barbarism.