questions/answers in order to maximize accuracy and efficiency. It’s all about the text! (No thinking!)
Another awesome thing about an open-book test is that you don’t have to waste time reading every single
word of the passage and trying to become an expert on whatever the topic is. You have the passage right
there in front of you. So, move back and forth between the passage and the questions, focusing only on
what you need instead of getting mired down in all the little details.
Your POOD and Your Reading Test
You will get all five of the reading passages at the same time, so use that to your advantage. Take a quick
look through the whole section and figure out the best order for you to do the passages. Depending on your
target score, you may be able to skip an entire passage or two, so figure out which passages are likely to
get you the most points.
Consider:
- Type of passage: You’ll have one literature passage and two each of science and history/social
studies. If you like to read novels and short stories, the literature passage may be a good place to
start. If you prefer nonfiction, you might consider doing the science and history/social studies
first. - Topic of passage: The blurb will give you some basic information about the passage that may
help you decide whether to do the passage or skip it. - Types of questions: Do the questions have a good number of Line References and Lead Words?
Will you be able to find what you’re looking for relatively quickly, or will you have to spend
more time wading through the passage to find what you want?
Don’t forget: On any questions or passages that you skip, always fill in your LOTD!Basic Approach for the Reading Test
Follow these steps for every Reading passage. We’ll go over these in greater detail in the next few pages.
- Read the Blurb. The little italicized bit at the beginning of each passage may not contain a lot of
information, but it can be helpful for identifying the type of passage. - Select and Understand a Question. For the most part, do the questions in order, saving the
general questions for last and using your LOTD on any questions or passages you want to skip. - Read What You Need. Don’t read the whole passage! Use Line References and Lead Words to
find the reference for the question, and then carefully read a window of about 10–12 lines
(usually about 5 or 6 lines above and below the Line Reference/Lead Word) to find the answer
to the question. - Predict the Correct Answer. Your prediction should come straight from the text. Don’t analyze
or paraphrase. Often, you’ll be able to find something in the text that you can actually underline
to predict the answer.