If you are planning to move abroad for studies, then you need to sit for the TOEFL exam. This is a must for Visa approval, university admission, and a job in an English-speaking country. Thus, students prepare for this exam way before the time. However, a few face challenges with the TOEFL reading section out of all four. Do you too? If yes, then you are on the right page.

Here, we will look into the exam pattern, questions, samples and everything for your TOEFL reading practice to score the best grades. So, lets get started!

An Insight into the TOEFL Reading Section

The TOEFL exam has four main segments- reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Out of all these, reading is considered the complex one. It is because they have direct passages through which questions are asked to the student. However, these questions are not always direct.

Moreover, this section tests your ability to read and understand the question and answer questions based on it. In addition, it has 3-4 passages of approximately 700 words each, and you get a total of 72 minutes to complete this section. However, there are 10 questions per passage, and in total, 30-40. So, you must plan your TOEFL reading practice, keeping all these in mind.

Now, let’s look at the different question types in this section.

Types of Questions in Reading Section

There are different types of questions in the reading section of the exam. These focus on different parameters to check the ability of a student to read and interpret the meaning of the context. So, let’s take a look at the different types of questions in the TOEFL reading section:

1. Factual Information Question

Firstly, these check your ability to recall information in the passage. The answers are straight and direct in the passage. Moreover, you can just scan the passage and find them. In addition, the questions usually sound like, “According to the passage, what is…”

2. Negative Factual Information Question

Secondly, this is quite the same as the previous one except for what is not true. Yes, these questions test your skill to find the wrong information. Here, you need to find the answer that is not stated directly in the passage. Moreover, you can get to this by eliminating what is already there in the passage. The questions sound like, “According to the passage, which of these is not true?”

3. Rhetorical Purpose Question

Thirdly, the information in the TOEFL reading passage states the author’s intention. This tests your skills to understand the context, purpose, and thought behind the phrase or sentence. Moreover, it looks into why certain information is a must in the passage. In addition, these questions are like, “Why does the author mean this?”‘

4. Sentence Simplification Questions

Fourthly, these questions are to test your ability to simplify complex sentences. They focus on making a sentence short without changing the meaning and gist of it. Moreover, they simplify the sentence without editing its meaning. In addition, the questions sound like, “Which of these expresses the information in the highlighted sentence?” You can get better at this with TOEFL reading practice regularly.

5. Inference Questions

Fifth, the inference questions are to check your ability to read between the lines. They focus on not just directly reading the passage but understanding the intent behind it. Moreover, it focuses on the context and the idea behind the information. However, it is important not to assume while interpreting the idea. On the other hand, the questions are like, “What does the author imply by this?”

6. Vocabulary Questions

Sixth, these questions are to check your ability to find a word’s meaning. It checks the usage of a word in the passage and finds a word with the same or similar meaning. Moreover, the words in the context are way more important than their actual meaning. So, read well before you answer. On the other hand, the questions in this are like, “This word in the paragraph is closest in meaning to…?”

7. Prose Summary Questions

Seventh, these questions in the TOEFL reading section focus on understanding the key points and main idea of the content. They reflect the central themes of the passage. Thus, avoid the minor details and focus on the main gist. Moreover, these questions are like, “Select the sentences that summarize the passage.” You can try TOEFL preparation online for free to get a better idea of this.

8. Fill in a Table

Eighth, these questions test your ability to organize ideas. Here, you have to read the passage, divide the content, categorize it, and organize that for easy flow of information. Moreover, these are questions based on “Advantages and Disadvantages or Cause and Effect.”

9. Insert Text Questions

Ninth is the insert text questions to test your flow of ideas. These questions are based on the logical flow in the paragraph. Moreover, you must focus on the transition words, pronouns, and time references to find the flow of the ideas. On the other hand, the questions need you to pick a place to place a sentence to not disrupt the flow and meaning of the passage.

These are all the different question types of the TOEFL reading section. You need to know them well and practice to answer them correctly. However, if you have any queries, feel free to reach out to experts for help.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, this article focuses on the reading section of the TOEFL exam. It covers the basic information of this section. Moreover, it also gives a detailed explanation of the different types of questions in this section. Thus, it helps you understand what to expect and what to answer. In addition, you must focus on reading the passage at least twice before answering the questions. On the other hand, it’s also important not to just focus on the literal meaning but also the gist of it. However, you can try TOEFL preparation online free for better practice.