Aptis reading Test: General Tips and Strategies

Exam Techniques- 
How to answer the question
Read the text quickly (scan). You are not trying to understand every part of the text but just 
get a general idea. Remember, if you take too much time reading you will not be able to complete 
the task.
Think of a few basic questions to give you a general idea- What does the writer like? What 
does the writer do? Where do they go?
Do not worry if you cannot understand a word. Decide what type of word it is. i.e. a verb, 
adjective, adverb, noun. Ask yourself, is it positive or negative? Then decide if it is important to 
understanding the sentence/text.
Look at the question options and think of the keywords. These are the words that carry the 
meaning of the sentence.
Example: 1- 
Which person spends a lot of money on holiday? 
Here the word ‘money’ is important because you can look quickly at all of the paragraphs for 
parts about money, but the important phrase is ‘a lot of’ and you will need to find a synonym or 
phrase which means the same so that you can answer the question correctly.
If we look quickly at all the texts, only A & D mention money. D says she gets cheap flights and 
uses the money she saves on excursions. While A went to Dubai, rented a yacht and had a lobster 
dinner nearly every night. Therefore, the answer to number 1 is A.
Question 2 is: 
Which person enjoys outdoor activities?
A, B & C all talk about being outside but A and B were not very active. However, C talks about 
‘hiking’ and ‘trekking’. They also ‘packed a tent and camped out’. The answer to 2 must be C
Question 3 is: 
Which person participates in a tradition?
A & C say nothing about tradition. Traveler D likes culture but traveler B says that ‘Ever since I 
can remember, we have gone on a family holiday to Greece every June.’ This is a specific tradition 
in his family and is the correct answer.

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Question 4 is: 
Which person enjoys landscapes?
Traveler A likes tropical beaches and exotic places. B likes the Greek islands and D likes 
museums. C mentions specifically ‘breathtaking views’, therefore we know that the answer to this 
question is traveler C.
Question 5 is: 
Which person dislikes busy places?
The biggest clue in this question is the keyword ‘dislike’. We need to skim through the passages 
and find synonyms for ‘dislike’ and ‘busy’. There are none in paragraphs A, B & C but paragraph D 
has the phrase ‘I hate crowds’ and that confirms the answer.
Question 6 is: 
Which person prefers hot destinations?
In this question, we can ask ourselves ‘Which places are hot?’ A- Dubai, yes definitely. B- 
Greece, yes. C- Canada & Iceland, no. D- No countries mentioned but the traveler says they ‘don’t 
care much for hot weather, so not D.
Between A & B and person, A says ‘What is better than lying in the sun all day long?’ A is the 
answer.
Question 7 is: 
Which person is learning a new skill?
If we look at the keyword ‘learning’ in the question, we then see that traveler B has been 
‘studying Greek’. Furthermore, none of the other people talk about learning anything, so we can 
conclude that the correct answer to number 7 is B.
If you are going to get a perfect score, as well as finding the correct answer, it is also important to 
eliminate the incorrect answers.
Try not to wait too long before answering the questions. As you answer more questions and refer 
back to the texts, they will begin to become much clearer to you.