Tips for maximizing your score in the TOEFL reading test.

The TOEFL Test, like any international English test, has its own unique characteristics to learn and understand if the test taker is to optimize the score that they receive.

In this article, we will look at the TOEFL Test Reading section and some tips for how to maximize your score.

One: Understanding the types of questions.

The TOEFL Reading contains 10 different types of questions. Some appear more frequently than others and some take more time than others. Most are worth one point but some are worth two or three.

As they are both numerous, and complex to explain, instead of explaining the difference between each of the TOEFL Reading question types, they are clearly explained in the chart below.

On the left-hand column is the question type, in the second column gives an approximation of how often you will encounter each question, the third column identifies the value and the last column provides at least one example of how this type of question is usually worded.

The Reading Section Question Types
Question Type	Frequency (per section)	Time to Answer	Question Phrasing
1. vocabulary	3-6	60 seconds	“The word _________ in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to…"
2. factual information	4-8	90 seconds	“According to paragraph 4, what….” “Which of the following…” “It is stated in paragraph 4 that…”
3. negative factual information	2-4	120 seconds	“All of the following are mentioned in paragraph 3 EXCEPT…” “Which of the following is NOT mentioned....”
4. inference	2-4	90 seconds	“What can be inferred from paragraph 5 about…” “Paragraph 5 implies that…” “Paragraph 5 suggests…”
5. rhetorical purpose	2-4	90 seconds	“In paragraph 6, the author discusses ________ in order to…” “Why does the author mention…”
6. sentence simplification	2-3	120 seconds	“Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph 4?”
7. insert text	2-3	120 seconds	“In paragraph 2 there is a missing sentence. Where would the sentence best fit?”
8. reference	0-1	60 seconds	“The word _________ in paragraph 1 refers to…”
9. prose summary	2-3	150 seconds	“An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage."
10. organization	0-1	150 seconds	“Complete the table below to summarize information about _________ in the passage. Match the appropriate statements to _________”

Tip #2: Find keywords and focus on them

For many of the question types, you can rely on the keywords in both the question and answer choices to help you find the correct option.

Keywords are important words in the question that you can use to help you find answers quickly.

For example, below is a paraphrase question, and you will notice that it is pretty wordy.

Which of the following best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph 3? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

1. Discoveries of ceratopsian remains suggest that they lived in groups.

2. Fossils of individual herds of ceratopsians have been discovered in bone beds.

3. The evidence shows ceratopsians of all ages and genders lived, ate, and slept in groups.

4. Numerous fossils support the idea that individual ceratopsians differed from each other.

First of all, paraphrased questions are always worded the same. You don’t need to waste any time reading the question, you should see it and know immediately that it is a paraphrase question.

What are keywords?

Keywords are almost never prepositions (under/in) or articles (a/an/the)
Keywords are almost always verbs, nouns or adjectives

Let’s apply these two new rules to the four possible answers

1. Discoveries of ceratopsian remains suggest that they lived in group.

2. Fossils of individual herds of ceratopsians have been discovered in bone bed.

3. The evidence shows ceratopsians of all ages and genders lived, ate, and slept in group.

4. Numerous fossils support the idea that individual ceratopsians differed from each other

By doing this, we have removed about 20% of the text for this particular TOEFL Reading question. It is best to pay little attention to these extra little words that don’t carry too much information. They are referred to as function words which generally means that they are used as grammatical tools rather than to carry any valuable information.

Next up…

Keywords are almost never prepositions (under/in) or articles (a/an/the)
Keywords are almost always verbs, nouns or adjectives
Proper nouns are almost always keywords

Proper nouns are words that identify a specific person, place, or thing. For example, “city” is a common noun, but “London” is a proper noun.

Look below, it is pretty clear from all of the given choices that ceratopsian is a pretty important word.

1. Discoveries of ceratopsian remains suggest that they lived in group.

2. Fossils of individual herds of ceratopsians have been discovered in bone bed.

3. The evidence shows ceratopsians of all ages and genders lived, ate, and slept in group.

4. Numerous fossils support the idea that individual ceratopsians differed from each other.

Notice that it is important to eliminate other words that were not part of the three rules.

Think of the three keyword rules as a guide, and then use your own common sense to eliminate other words that are not necessary for you to focus on.

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Tip #3: Practice reading with a timer

You will be given 50 minutes to complete the TOEFL Reading section, and that’s going to be a challenge for any test taker.

After each reading passage, you will find 10 questions about the text. In other words, you have 60 minutes to read approximately 2100 words (700 words per passage) and answer 30 questions (10 questions per passage), and that is tough.

It’s a good exercise to time yourself while you do TOEFL Reading Practice questions using a timer on your phone or computer.

Some questions take longer to answer than others, for example, let’s compare a TOEFL Reading vocabulary question to a TOEFL reading negative detail question:

VOCABULARY QUESTION
The word extract in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to…

1. Allow
2. Express
3. Obtain
4. Recover

NEGATIVE DETAIL QUESTION

Which of the following best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph 3? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

1. Discoveries of ceratopsian remains suggest that they lived in groups.

2. Fossils of individual herds of ceratopsians have been discovered in bone beds.

3. The evidence shows ceratopsians of all ages and genders lived, ate, and slept in groups.

4. Numerous fossils support the idea that individual ceratopsians differed from each other

Clearly, some question types will take longer to answer than others. Below is the list of TOEFL Reading question types along with the average amount of time you should take with each question (each time measurement represents the maximum amount of time you should take)

Vocabulary – 60 seconds
Detail – 60-120 seconds (ideally 90 seconds)
Negative Detail – 120 seconds
Paraphrasing – 120 seconds
Sentence Insertion – 120 seconds
Inference – 90 seconds
Author’s Purpose – 90 seconds
Pronoun Reference – 60 seconds
Summary – 120 seconds
Organization – 120 seconds

Of course, you probably won’t be able to answer the questions within these time frames right away. Practice this skill. Eliminate choices to improve your odds of getting the correct answer and don’t hesitate to take an educated guess. Sometimes, you will not be 100% certain if you are correct, but you have to move on and answer all of the questions before time runs out.

Tip #4: Beware of modifiers in answer choices

One way to eliminate wrong choices and select the correct one is to pay close attention to modifiers.

First of all, what’s a modifier?

A modifier is a word, usually an adjective or noun that changes the meaning of the head noun. The wrong modifier can change the significance of a statement.

The best way to understand is to look at a few examples:

This event has had a tremendous impact
This event has had some impact
This event has had almost no impact

As you can see, modifiers are an easy way to make a possible choice incorrect. All you have to do is change a single word and it changes the entire meaning of the sentence. This is one of the more infamous trap answers on the TOEFL, so be sure not to fall for the modifier trap. There is a huge difference between “tremendous impact” and “almost no impact“.

Tip #5: Store knowledge of academic vocabulary

Since the passages on the TOEFL Reading are all academic texts, the vocabulary is also at the academic level.

Here is a pdf of The Essential Academic Word List that is essential study material when preparing for the TOEFL teast.

Here’s a quick example of one of the academic vocabulary words and all of its variations:

Verb form(s) – acquire
Noun form(s) – acquisition, acquirement, acquirer
Adjective form(s) – acquisitive, acquirable
Adverb form(s) – acquisitively

Important to remember....

You do NOT have to know all the forms of a single word. The point is that if you know the simple verb form, (i.e. acquire), then you can probably figure out the meaning of the other forms of the same word. Don’t memorize every word in each word family, just focus on familiarizing yourself with the headword.

Tip #6: Learn word parts and apply to unknown vocabulary

In addition to learning academic vocabulary, it’s beneficial to learn the parts of words, i.e., the prefixes, suffixes, and roots of words.

Knowing that “ex-” means “out of or not“, or that “pro-” means “before or forward” will you give you the advantage of being able to dissect words that you do not completely understand.

Whether you like it or not, there will be words in the TOEFL Reading section that you simply do not know. This TOEFL Reading tip will not only help you with vocabulary questions but for any part of the text you do not fully comprehend.

The problem is that there are literally thousands of word parts and some are more useful than others.

Below is a list of our 54 most common prefixes. This is a pdf copy of a List of all Essential Word Parts

Group 1 – Location and Movement

ab – away from, down – abandon, abstain, abnormal, absurd, abominable
ad – at, towards – admire, adapt, adjacent, admonish, adversary
circum – to go around, circle – circumvent, circumstance, circumstantial, circumference, circumcise
con-/co-/com-/col – together – collect, company, concentrate, converge, coexist
dia – through, across – dialogue, diachronic, diameter, diatribe, diagram
equi – equal – equidistant, equity, equilibrium, equinox, equivalent.
ex – out of, not – exposure, exaggerate, exonerate, exude, exclusion
fore – front, in advance – foreground, forearm, forecast, foreclose, foreshadow
in – in, on, not – inception, intone, insinuate, incorrect, inaccurate
inter – among, between – interaction, intercept, intermediate, interject, international
para – besides, irregular, beyond – paramedic, paranormal, paragraph, paraphrase, paranoid
per – thoroughly, through – perceive, persist, peruse, persevere
peri – about, around, near – periodical, periscope, perimeter, peripheral
pro – before, forward – procession, proficiency, prominent, prologue, prognosis
sub – under, below, slightly imperfect – subatomic, subconscious, subdivide, subjugate, submission
syn-/sym – with, together – sympathetic, synergy, synonym, symbiotic, symmetrical
tele – afar, at a distance – telecast, telecommunication, telephone, telescope, television
trans – through, across, beyond – transcript, transfer, transcendence, transport, transaction

Group 2 – Numbers

bi-/du – two – duplicate, dual, bisexual, biweekly, bipolar
cent – 100 – centenarian, century, centigrade, centimeter, centipede
mill – 1000 – millennium, milliliter, milligram, millennial, millipede
mono – one – monochrome, monotone, monogamy, monopolize, monotheism
multi – more than one – multicellular, multicultural, multimillionaire, multitask, multifaceted
poly – many – polyglot, polygamy, polyphonic, polytheism, polygon
quad – four – quad, quadriplegic, quadrangle, quadruplet, quadriceps
tri – three – tricycle, tripod, trio, trimester, triad
uni – one, together – unicorn, unicycle, unify, uniform, universal

Group 3 – Negatives

anti – against, opposite of – antidepressant, antitrust, antiwar, antidote, antisocial
contra– against, in opposition of – contraband, contraceptive, contrast, contrarian, contradiction
dis – away from, the reverse effect – disable, disadvantage, disarm, displace, disrupt
il-/im-/in-/ir – not, opposite of – illegal, imbecile, irregular, inability, inconsistent, illogical
mal – wrong, badly – malefic, malcontent, malpractice, malnourished, malevolent
mis – wrong, incorrect – misjudge, mislead, misprint, mistreat, misfortune
non – not – nonchalant, noncompliant, nonexistent, nonrenewable, nonfiction
un – negative, opposite force – unacceptable, uneasy, unhinged, unrealistic, unspeakable

Group 4 – Academics

astro – the stars, outer space – asteroid, astrology, astrolabe, astronaut, astrophysicist
geo – earth – geometry, geothermal, geography, geolocation, geometric
hydro – water – hydroelectric, hydrometer, hydrophobia, hydropathic, hydrodynamic
neur – nerves, nervous system – neuron, neurological, neuropathy, neurosis, neurosurgeon
psych – mind, spirit, that which breathes – psychedelic, psychic, psycho, psychosis, psychotic
socio – social, society – sociocultural, socioeconomic, sociolinguistic, sociopolitical, sociopath

Group 5 – More Prefixes

ana – back, again, upwards – anagram, analogy, anatomy, anachronism, analyze
auto – by oneself, itself – autobiography, autocracy, autograph, automatize, autonomy
em, en – to cause to be in, to confine – embark, embezzle, entourage, enjoin, encroach
hyper – over, exaggeration – hyperactive, hyperbolic, hyperlink, hypertension
meta – after, change, beyond – metamorphosis, metaphysical, metadata, metabolism, metaphor
neo – new – neologism, neolithic, neofascist, neon, neonate
over – more than usual, too much – overcooked, overachiever, overeducated, overdose, overslept
pan – all – pandemic, panorama, Pangea, pan, panacea
post – after – postmortem, postmodernism, posterity, postscript, postseason
pre – before – precaution, preconditioned, predestination preordain, preview
re – back, again – rebuild, recall, recede, reflect, reconsider
super – above, beyond – superimpose, superlative supernova, superstar, superrich
ult – last, beyond – ultraconservative, ultrasound, ultimatum, ultimate, ulterior

Remember, using word parts will not always work. The prefix “ab” may mean “away from or down” but the abs around your stomach have nothing to do with this prefix. These word parts are tools to help you on your TOEFL journey.

Tip #7: Be an active reader

The reality is that TOEFL Reading passages are pretty boring.

Some people may be interested in the phases of the moon or the geopolitics of Ancient Rome, but most tend to nod off after the first paragraph.

Focus is an enormous part of your grade for the TOEFL Reading. If you can read the words, but don’t understand what they mean or how they connect with each other, you will not be able to answer the questions.

You can NOT read TOEFL passages the same way you read the newspaper or a novel, you have to read with certain goals in mind.

You must read actively.

Passive reading is when you read a newspaper and then pretty much forget everything you read besides some vague main idea. You might remember that you read about the war in Syria, but you will not be able to recall the first line of the third paragraph in that article.

Active reading will help you remember a lot more of what you read.

While most exams in college test your memory, the TOEFL tests your comprehension. They don’t want to see if you can remember the material, but if you can understand it. So, your goal is to understand what you read.

STEP 1 – Before you start reading any TOEFL paragraph, not TOEFL passage, just a paragraph within the Reading passage, imagine you are a teacher and ask yourself, “How am I going to explain this paragraph to a six-year-old?”

And that’s it.

That’s how we are going to read actively. That’s your goal when you read any TOEFL paragraph.

“I need to explain this to a 6-year-old”

So when you see a paragraph before you start to answer the question, imagine you are going to have to teach about this stuff to a bunch of children. Focus on understanding the main idea of the paragraph in a clear and simple way before you start to answer the question.

Let me show you a quick example from a paragraph from a reading text.

“The ceratopsians, also known as ceratopsia or ceratopia, are among the most well-known and distinctive of all dinosaur species. The majority of ceratopsians were four-legged dinosaurs that ranged in length from one meter (three feet) to nine meters and in weight from 23 kilograms (50 pounds) to 5,400 kilograms. The earliest ceratopsians lived around 161 million years ago, and the last ones died out approximately 66 million years ago during the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event. The first fossil remains of ceratopsians were discovered in the mid to late nineteenth century, and they were first classified as separate from other dinosaur species in 1890 by Othniel Charles Marsh, one of the preeminent paleontologists of the period.”

My own simple summary of this paragraph would be something like, “This paragraph acts as a general introduction to ceratopsian dinosaurs with details about how they lived and when their bones were later discovered.”

I think a six-year-old would get that.

You will be shocked by how this small mental shift can totally change your reading comprehension.

Tip #8: Study the same test more than once

The title sums this tip up fairly well, but it is a crucial aspect of studying that most students neglect.

I have seen countless TOEFL takers fall into the practice trap. They feel that the best way to improve their score is to keep doing TOEFL practice, but they never reflect n what they have learned.

This is why all of our private TOEFL students are taught a specific four-step-system for studying the TOEFL, called The PARA Framework.

P – Plan

A – Act

R – Reflect

A – Adjust

In this system, taking a practice step is just one step in the four-step process (act). They must also spend a significant amount of time planning, reflecting, and adjusting.

It’s crucial for you to reflect on what you have done and adjust based on what you have learned through reflection. After you reflect and adjust, it’s time to plan. Plan on taking the same test 1-2 weeks after the first time you did it. Anticipate that you remember most of the answers visually, not necessarily through comprehension. However, your goal is not to comprehend more, but to remember what you have already learned and ensure you do not make the same mistake twice.

Tip #9: Explain why you were correct or incorrect

Reflecting on your answers and explaining why you were correct or incorrect is step 3 in the 4-step PARA Framework you just learned about: Plan, Act, Reflect, Adjust.

Each part of this 4-step-system is important, but you will experience the most growth through reflection. Reflection is where you will act as your own teacher.

Tip #10: Practice with short passages

The average TOEFL Reading passage is 700 words, followed by about 14 questions, but these short passages are between 100-250 words and followed by just one or two questions.

Why?

So you can focus on understanding what you read and mastering each question type. Not only will practicing short passages help you understand why you got a certain question wrong but it will also allow you to narrow your focus on your reading strengths and weaknesses.

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