The TOEFL reading test is the most important part of the TOEFL exam. Because if students are thinking of taking the TOEFL test, then the first thing that comes to mind is reading. First, they learn to read, then they proceed with listening, writing, and speaking. In the reading section, students need to focus on understanding the text provided and then answer accordingly. Students can easily do TOEFL reading practice test on daily basis in the meantime they are preparing for the actual exam. Thus, in this article, we will study about reading section of the test, its difficulty level, question types, and preparation tips.

What Is a TOEFL Reading Test?

The TOEFL reading test examines your ability to understand text written in the English language. Further, students will read passages that are similar to the chapters of books. Besides, they have to understand the content written in them and then answer the questions based on what they read. This section consists of 2 passages, each followed by 10 questions. The timing given to students for solving all questions will be 35 minutes to answer 20 questions. 

TOEFL Reading Difficulty Level

The TOEFL reading section presents a challenging test that is based on the college's academic level. However, the actual difficulty is when students depend on their English skills levels and familiarity with the test structure and vocabulary.

1. The difficulty of the test depends on your current level of English.

2. The passages are academic, and aspirants can also find them in university textbooks. Besides, it contains complex vocabulary, sentence structure, and symbolic ideas.

3. Students will have a duration to complete all the given questions. So try to complete your test within a time frame. 

4. They measure difficulty as per the level of scores students get. They certainly are - Advance(24-30), High Intermediate(18-23), Low Intermediate(4-17), and Below Low Intermediate(0-3).

The 10 TOEFL Reading Question Types

The 10 types of questions in the TOEFL reading test are designed for students' skills. Every question type requires students to understand academic texts at different levels, from basic facts to in-depth meaning and structure.

Vocabulary

There will be questions to ask students about the meaning of a word or phrase present in the passage, eventually to know if the aspirants can understand it. If students have already taken the TOEFL reading practice test, then they must know how crucial vocabulary is.

Factual Information

The questions that come under it will ask you to locate a specific fact present directly in the text.

Negative Factual Information

Students must check if there is any false data available in the passage instead of finding what is present in it.

Inference

In the inference, what you need to do is make a conclusion or logical summary as per the facts given in the passage.

Reference

Students need to identify what a pronoun refers to within the passage.

Rhetorical Purpose (or Purpose)

Students need to determine why the writer included a specific piece of data or paragraph in the passage.

Essential Information

Students will be given a sentence from the passage and, after that, asked to select the answer that properly explains its meaning.

Sentence Insertion 

In the sentence insertion, students will be given a line. In addition, they need to insert it into the passage after reviewing where it fits perfectly.

Complete the Summary

First, the students will be presented with a summary table. Then, they need to select the best sentence and fill in the key points of the passage.

Complete the Table

In this, students must drag and drop sentences. And correctly organize information into a table based on their understanding of the passage.

How to Prepare For The Test?

To prepare for the TOEFL reading test, students must follow these basic guidelines to streamline their process.

1. Practice mock tests on a daily basis, so that students do not face difficulty in the actual exam.

2. Students should make a habit of following an organized timeline

3. Also, they should complete the test in the assigned time limit. Thus, start preparing with the stopwatch to notice the time gap.

4. After every test that students take, they must check their scores.

5. Aspirants should start taking notes and improve their speed by practicing daily to do well on the final test.

6. Aspirants must prepare the academic vocabulary to memorize the words and their meaning.

7. Candidates should educate themselves on different types of questions. Do not get stuck on the hard ones; first solve the easier ones, then focus on the tough questions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, improving the TOEFL reading skills will take time, practice, and the right strategies. In this article, information is shared about the test, its difficulty level, how to prepare, and the type of questions available in the test. Additionally, if aspirants are struggling with anything and need help, they can connect with consultants over many platforms. One of the best platforms is Gradding.com, where students can connect and get consultation. Experts here provide TOEFL coaching online with mock tests and extra study material. Moreover, they also offer 1- 1 live sessions and doubt-solving classes.