The following document provides you with valuable tools and insight to tackle the world of written comprehension tests. With useful links, clear language and useful tips, these notes will help you to help yourself
Written comprehension toolkit
You can probably appreciate that language comprehension is an important skill that is
assessed in various ways. A written English comprehension test involves reading an extract
and answering both long and short questions about the text.
Find some tips below to help you answer written comprehension test questions with ease
😊.
Test tips for written comprehension tests:
Tip 1: Skim, scan, and search
This tip is a reminder of the sequence that you will follow when completing your
comprehension test. Reading the extract quickly is called “skimming”. You are skimming
over the finer details of the text. After skimming through the extract, you will skim through
the questions. Scanning is a more detailed read of the text. Using a highlighter for this
more detailed read is advisable. The important parts of the text will stand out if they are
highlighted in a bright colour. After you have scanned the text, you will scan the questions.
You can underline or circle any verbs in the questions like “extract” or “describe”. Finally,
with a better and more detailed understanding of the text and the questions, you will
search for the answers to the questions.
Tip 3: Give yourself a certain amount of time to answer each question
You should always wear a watch on the day that you are writing a comprehension test.
Time management is an important factor to consider when you are writing a
comprehension test. You cannot spend the same amount of time on each question.
Typically, the rule thumb is to take 1 minute to answer a question that is worth 1 mark. If
you have a question to answer that is worth 5 marks, you should take 5 minutes to answer
it. A question that has been allocated 2 marks should only take 2 minutes to be answered.
Sticking strictly to a time allocation will ensure that your answers don’t become
unnecessarily detailed whilst still containing relevant information.
Tip 2: If you are battling to answer a question, leave it out until you have completed the rest
of the comprehension test.
On some occasions, you will encounter questions in your comprehension tests that cannot
be answered immediately or that need more thought to be answered accurately. If you
feel confident to answer the other questions in your test, you should leave a space to
answer the question that you want to revisit. Don’t abandon the question you are
struggling with immediately. On your question paper, quickly write down some keywords
or points that you may want your response to include. After about 10-20 seconds of jotting
down keywords, answer the rest of the comprehension test. Once you have answered all
the questions that you can, return the question that you had difficulty with. The keywords
and phrases that you had jotted down previously will refocus your mind quickly.
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