Aptis reading Test: General Tips and Strategies

Getting used to difficult passages on a range of topics: 
Although most English tests do 
not require specific knowledge of a subject and will not you technical words, some passages can 
seem difficult. You can make sure that this becomes less of a problem by reading in English more 
and by reading texts similar in length and style to the ones you would find in the test. Doing this will 
help your writing as well.
Develop your speed reading skills:
The test has a strict time limit which will challenge 
your ability. Remember that you are not reading a book or newspaper but just looking for 
information. Exam reading is different from reading in detail because you are only trying to answer 
some questions. Learn how to Skim and Scan texts and not to worry about unknown words.
Leave difficult questions for the end.
If you spend a lot of time on questions that you find 
difficult, you’ll be wasting valuable exam time. You won’t be able to answer all the easier questions 
and you’ll lose points! If you don’t know the right answers to some questions, leave them and move 
on. This way, you can focus on all the questions you do know the answers to. You can return to the 
difficult questions at the end if you have the time.
Focus:
Your focus should be on the text first, then on the questions! Only if you have a 
good understanding of the text, can you answer the questions precisely and more effectively.
Unfamiliar vocabulary? 
That's OK! Do not worry if the word seems unfamiliar to you or 
you don’t know some words. Every answer can be found in the text, you don’t need any additional 
knowledge to succeed.
Pay attention to the details:
Look thoroughly through the text and answers. Any special 
features such as capital letters, underlining, italics, figures, graphs and tables are likely to matter.