The reading section is essentially a vocabulary test. If you know the word, you will probably be able to answer the question correctly. Thus, it is crucial that you improve your vocabulary. Obviously, you cannot attempt to memorize the dictionary, and you don’t need to.

Here are other things you can do and practice for your TOEIC reading.

Reading Section:

Part 5 (Incomplete Sentences): Quickly read the sentence with the blank without looking at the answer choices underneath.  Try to guess the missing part. Then look at the choices and quickly select the one that you think is correct. Mark your answer and quickly move on to the next item.  You should spend less than 30 seconds on each grammar and vocabulary item included in this part of the test (less than 20 minutes total).

Part 6 (Text completion): Read the entire letter or passage once through very carefully (30 seconds).  Read the text a second time and to determine its purpose and understand the main ideas. Then read a third time and without looking at the answer choices, try to guess the missing parts. Then look at the choices and select the one that you think is the best answer. Try not to spend more than 2 minutes on each text so that you have enough time to do the readings in Parts 7.

Part 7 (Reading Comprehension‐single passages): Read the text once through to see what kind of text it is and to determine its main purpose (who it has been written for and why). Examine the layout, so that you know where to locate important information. Then read the questions and choices and check the text again to see where you might find the answers. Then work with both the text and the questions and answer choices to find the correct answers.

(Reading Comprehension‐multiple passages): Read each text separately. First read the heading and/or the sentence that introduces the text.  Then read the text quickly to see what it is about, who it has been written for, and why it has been written. Try to understand what text 1 is about and then find the connection between the two texts. Then read the questions and choices and work with both texts to find the correct answers.

Remember:

a. Use the process of elimination when you are not sure about an answer.  Try to narrow down the choices to two, if possible, and then make a quick guess.

b. Guessing is allowed.

c. Mark an answer for all the items. Unmarked items are counted wrong.

d. Mark all your answers on the separate answer sheet. Do not mark your answers in the test booklet.

e. Mark only one answer for each item. Items with more than one answer marked will be counted wrong, even if one of the answers marked is the correct answer choice.

f. Bring a ruler with you on the day of the examination so that you can locate items easily on the answer sheet. This way you will be sure that you are marking your answer next to the correct item.

g. Do not spend too much time on Part 5 (grammar and vocabulary, 40 items).  The less time you spend on this part, the more time you will have for the readings.