What exactly happens on the D-Day – Reading?

 

The TOEFL test is an assessment of an individual’s proficiency in the English language. The test is, in most cases, a prerequisite for foreign students that wish to enroll into universities that use English as a first language. The test, unlike most tests which are percentage correct, is equated. That means the exam is not out of 100 but rather it is marked out of 120. The test is made up of four separate sections namely; reading section, writing section, listening section and the speaking section. Each of the four sections constitutes 30 points out of the total 120. There are two types of this test; the TOEFL IBT and TOEFL IPT.

Reading section for IBT

The TOEFL IBT (internet-based test) is a comprehensive test that is written using a computer device. The reading section is the first part of the TOEFL IBT test. The section is made up of four or three passages and each passage has 12 or 14 questions depending on the passage length.

The reading section aims to measure a candidate’s capability to understand and comprehend the language used in the textbooks that will be using in college. This often means that the passages that are in the TOEFL are taken from introductory course textbooks from universities. The passages are picked up from a variety of subjects that include commerce, humanities, and the sciences. The reading section of the TOEFL contains passages that are slightly altered in order for them to make sense independently.

Reading Section Groups

The ETS has classified the articles in the reading section into groups. The groups are expository passages (these are passages that sufficiently explain a certain topic), historical passages (these passages are based on events that took place in the past), and argumentative passages (these passages advocate for a certain viewpoint to a topic supporting the viewpoint with evidence). The ETS ensures that the passages have enough information to enable anyone without background knowledge in the discussed topics to be able to answer the questions that follow

The reading section has multiple-choice questions only and, according to the ETS, the questions are grouped into 2 distinct groups; (1) basic information and inferencing questions and (2) reading to learn questions. The reading to learn questions include questions where one has to fill in answers into a table, the passage can be used to extract answers required for the questions. Candidates are challenged to contextualize ideas from the passage and relay the answers in a different form when they answer the questions. In addition, there are also prose to summary questions. These questions test the candidate's ability to rank points from the passage by their degree of importance. This skill is very essential and it is one of the trickiest parts in the test.

Basic information and inferencing questions have up to about 8 types but for the sake of simplicity, they are grouped into two major groups namely; vocabulary questions and factual questions. Factual questions require a candidate to identify the facts stated in the passage. The facts stated in the passage should be understood in order to adequately answer the questions. The vocabulary questions require using your knowledge of the English language to choose an appropriate definition for a given word or phrase. In addition to the discussed types of questions in the reading exam, there are also questions called experimental questions which questions have no bearing on the final exam score.