The Reading section tests various reading skills using a mix of text types, like fiction, factual information, poetry, magazine articles, and traditional stories. These texts include pieces from Australia (including Aboriginal cultures) and from authors around the world.
Candidates have 40 minutes to answer 30 questions. Each question is worth the same, and there’s no penalty for wrong answers.
There are four parts to the reading test. Let's learn more about each part.
The fiction task asks candidates to read a passage from a modern story written for young readers. They need to look for specific details and also understand the overall meaning of the text. Questions may focus on:
- stylistic features (how words and sentences and other techniques like imagery or metaphors are arranged to give meaning)
- the meaning of words in context
- implied meaning (where something has been suggested in the text but not actually stated
- the effect of language features and words or phrases used
- opinions, attitudes and feelings
- exemplification and comparison
- the writer's purpose
- text organisation and text structure
- identifying and understanding the effect of different viewpoints.
The comparison task asks candidates to read two short extracts, usually narrative or descriptive texts - one will be a piece of writing from the past and one will be a piece of modern writing about a similar theme.
You'll need to compare and contrast the different approaches to the theme taken by each author.
The questions will focus on the same elements as the comprehension task above.
In Part 2, the questions are based on a short poem. Candidates won’t need to know formal literary terms, but they may be asked to understand how certain styles are used, like imagery and metaphor. Questions may also focus on the poem’s deeper meaning, its structure, and the writer’s purpose.
Gap Match Task: You’ll get a short text with 6 sentences missing. There are 7 sentences provided, and you need to pick the best one for each gap, with one sentence left out. This task focuses on understanding the structure and flow of the text.
Summary Phrases Task: You’ll receive a factual text divided into 6 paragraphs, along with 7 summary phrases. You need to match each phrase to the paragraph it best summarises, leaving one phrase out. This task focuses on understanding the main idea of each paragraph and the overall text.
You will receive four short passages, each with a different style and purpose but all on the same theme. These could be blogs, articles, reviews, reports, or personal stories. There are 10 questions, and you’ll need to find specific information across all four texts. The task is to read quickly to spot relevant details. Questions may focus on implied meaning, attitudes and opinions, purpose, or the tone and style of each passage.
