Eight golden exam tips for reading comprehension

Read the whole passage carefully once for meaning.

Before writing answers for the questions, read the questions to check what you need to be looking for.

Focus on one question at a time and reread the passage to find the correct information. Use key words from the question to help locate information in the text.

Underline the information once you have found it.

Always write your answers in full sentences.

Use evidence, preferably quotations, from the text to back up your points. Quotations should be a maximum of six words long and use ellipses ( ... ) to take quotations from more one than place in the text. Do not spend your time copying large sections of the text. It’s a waste of your time and the examiner is unlikely to read it.

Check how many marks each question is worth, and write enough to gain all the marks.

Take five minutes at the end of exams to check that your spelling, punctuation and grammar are correct.