Reading · Guide
Read an Academic Passage: strategy and question types
A university-level passage of about 200–250 words followed by five questions. It tests how you follow an argument: main idea, details, vocabulary in context, inference and why the author includes something.
Format
- One passage, usually three paragraphs, on science, social science, history or the arts.
- Five multiple-choice questions.
- Some passages include [A] [B] [C] [D] markers for a sentence-insertion question.
Strategy
- Skim the first sentence of each paragraph to map the argument before answering.
- For main-idea questions, eliminate options that are too narrow (one example) or too broad.
- For vocabulary questions, substitute each option into the sentence and read it aloud in your head.
- For insertion questions, look for pronouns and linking words in the sentence that must connect to what comes before.
Common traps
- Answers that are true according to the passage but do not answer the question asked.
- Extreme words: 'always', 'never', 'completely'.
- Confusing an example with the main claim it supports.
Practise Read an Academic Passage inside a real Reading section
Practice on Prepora is always a complete section, so you meet Read an Academic Passage in the same place and proportion as on test day. Random sections never repeat until you've done them all. Every answer is explained.
Practise ReadingFAQ
How many academic passages are there?
Two in Module 1 and one in Module 2 in this practice format.
Is Module 2 harder?
Yes — Module 2 here follows the higher-difficulty route of the adaptive test.