Aptis reading Test: General Tips and Strategies

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.
Develop skills for each type of question in reading:
There are three types of questions in 
APTIS reading test and you need to find a strategy to tackle each one. 
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. 
Practice with interesting texts: 
In APTIS reading tips you will often be told to practise 
reading as much as possible, but what do you read? You should of course practice with real reading 
tests and some difficult readings, but this can get quite boring. Any kind of reading will help, so find 
some English fiction (stories) books you like and read them. Short articles in magazines or on the 
internet are useful particularly if you look for ones that are the same length as the exam. If you enjoy 
it, you are much more likely to read more. Make sure that you choose the right level to read. If it is 
too easy, that you learn nothing. If it is too hard, then you will soon get bored. Find something that 
will still mean you have to check and learn new words but if it is a story you enjoy, you are much 
more likely to pick it up and read more. This will improve your vocabulary, reading speed, and other 
reading skills. 
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.