4 Steps to improve CELPIP Reading skills
Improving reading skills is definitely a challenging task. Many of us are sceptical of how to read. Particularly for language tests like CELPIP, where Reading is the mandatory section to be attended. Nonetheless, reading skills, in fact, are the most important subset of languages that one should possess.
In today’s hustling and bustling world, we hardly read. With information of gargantuan proportions around us such as in the forms of print news, blogs, podcasts, Kindle e-books and other audiobooks that we can hear, we care less to read or stay focused on one subject. While we read on the web, the automated prompts of the news based on our preference will throw a new article as we move from one topic to another. Eventually, we end up distracted rather than reading any topic completely or trying to understand it.
Steps to approach reading module
Let’s know how to improve our reading skills and score well in the Reading Section of the CELPIP test.
Here, we will be discussing the steps to approach to Reading Section.
- Know the Format
- Reading skills to apply
- How to start reading
- Answering the question
1. Know the Format:
The reading Section in CELPIP has 4 parts.
Reading Module Format
| Part and Type | Description | Questions | Suggested time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Correspondence (2 readings) | First read a letter and answer 6 questions; then read a reply letter and fill in 5 blanks by selecting the best choice. | 11 | 11 min |
| Reading to Apply a Diagram (1 reading and 1 diagram) | Read a letter, refer to the diagram, and find the best answers for the questions. | 8 | 9 min |
| Reading for Information (1 reading) | Read a text and decide which paragraph (if any) supports each statement. | 9 | 10 min |
| Reading for Viewpoints (2 readings) | First read an opinion report and answer 5 questions; then read a response and fill in the 5 blanks by selecting the best choice. | 10 | 13 mins |
| Unscored Items* | Experimental questions which the test takers cannot identify. | 8 - 11 | 9 -13 mins |
Some points to note about the Reading section:
- The Reading Test takes about 55-60 minutes to complete.
- Reading is the second part of the CELPIP Test (after Listening).
- You will receive paper and a pen at the test centre to take notes. You will not be able to make notes, highlight, etc. on the computer screen.
- All texts and questions for each Reading part appear on the same screen. Use the scrollbars to move up and down.
- For each question, four options are given to choose the correct answer.
- In each Reading part, you can change your answers as many times as you like until the time is up.
- When your time is up, the test will automatically move forward to the next part. You can’t go back to the previous part.
- The reading passages and questions increase in difficulty from Parts 1 – 4.
- You will answer three different kinds of questions on the Reading test similar to Listening test which are:
- General Meaning
- Specific Information
- Inference
2. Reading skills to apply:
There are a lot of reading styles and sub skills that are followed by many. In the test, we may not be able to apply all or any skills. But we apply the below-given subskills.
- Skimming – Understanding the context by seeing the topic, sub-topics, and keywords in the text.
- Scanning – Specifically locating the keywords from the text compared with the keywords in the questions.
- Identifying key details about correspondence
- Identifying the format and purpose of a diagram or visual
- Identifying text topics and paragraph topics
- Identifying opinions and differentiating from facts.
- Determining the meaning from context
- Identifying tone
- Identifying paraphrase
- Identifying keywords in questions
We need to use these skills in combination according to the Parts as required.
3. How to start reading:
Once you get acquainted with the format, the next logical step would be understanding the Text given. Let’s investigate each Part to understand what to look for.
Part 1: Reading Correspondence.
Here, there will be 2 sets of texts – a Letter/email sent and a reply letter/email for the same.
The Main Text will be an email about an everyday social or work situation followed by MCQs while the Second Text would be a short response to the main text, with blanks to fill in.
Some examples are:
- baseball team members discussing an upcoming competition
- a customer asking a bakery for a special cake for her daughter’s graduation
- a community member emailing an animal shelter about volunteer
- opportunities
- colleagues making travel arrangements for a conference
For this section, start previewing the correspondence and the questions for at least a couple of minutes. Look out for the key details such as:
- Who the writer and the recipient are?
- What is the purpose of this correspondence?
- Is there anything that has been asked specifically?
- What are the keywords in question set 1?
- Do the same procedure for the second set.
Part 2: Reading to apply a diagram.
Moving on to the second part, you will be presented with a diagrammatical illustration or any visual along with a small text, mostly an email. You need to observe and compare with each other and then answer the question.
The main text would be a diagram with point form text and visuals while the second text will be a short email about the diagram content, with blanks to fill in
Some examples are:
- a transit, course, or event schedule
- a brochure or flyer for an event or attraction
- a guide to a typical community activity, like garbage disposal or applying for
- an ID card
The tone and formality of this part would be informative, helpful, not personal and concise with key ideas plus images/illustrations
For this section, start previewing the visuals and the text and then look into the questions and the keywords in it for at least a couple of minutes.
- Look out for key details such as the type of visual, the connection between text and image(s) and who created it.
- Identify key details about the message such as who the writer is, who is the recipient and what is the purpose
- Look for paraphrases in the questions.
- Look for clues in the diagram.
- Follow the same procedure for the second question set.
Part 3: Reading for Information.
Coming to the third reading task, is a 4-paragraphed text about a particular topic which could be a person, place, animal, technology, concept, or process.
Some examples are:
- an explanation of how something is made or how it works
- a discussion of the territory and habits of an animal
- a description of a historical event or popular landmark
- a biographical account of someone’s life
The tone and level of formality would be,
- formal, educational, descriptive
- factual and objective, not an opinion piece
- not specialized (not written for experts on the subject)
For this section, start identifying key details such as
- The main idea and supporting ideas about the text,
- The topic of the passage as well as the main idea discussed in each paragraph
- Note down the keywords from the questions.
Part 4: Reading for View Points.
Finally, in the fourth part, you are expected to observe and analyse the viewpoints of the writer about the topic and the response of the reader.
There will be two texts, the first will be an article about a topic by the writer followed by a second text by a reader of the first text. Questions will be MCQs for the first part while, for the second part it will be fill-in-the-blanks.
Examples are:
An article, blog post, or editorial about…
- citizens’ reactions to a recent government decision
- the potential positive and negative impacts of a parenting style
- the benefits and drawbacks of an economic strategy
- how a new technological development might help or harm society
The tone and level of formality of the texts would be
- formal, complex: similar to a news article
- conceptual: discussion of ideas, concepts, possibilities
- a combination of facts and opinions about the topic
- persuasive: opinions presented and supported with details
- Contains abstract ideas and hypotheticals.
To start the section, you should be previewing question set 1 and identify the keywords first before start reading the texts.
Once done, Identify key details about the text such as;
- Topic of reading
- Opinions on the topic: who is mentioned, what do they believe, and why
- Distinguishing between facts and opinions.
- Recognizing constructions that signal indirect speech.
- Look out for paraphrases.
4. Answering the question
To answer the questions in the reading part, you can go through the texts as many times as you need.
Follow certain steps that will give you a strategized approach.
- Look at the question and identify the keywords.
- Understand the synonym of the keyword. Mostly it will be paraphrased.
- Compare the context in the reading passage.
- Read along with the immediate before and after sentences to understand the context. This is where your skimming and scanning skills are applied.
- Decide on the answer and look into the options given.
- Choose the answer that best conforms with the question.
- If you are sure about the answer, simply leave it for now and move on to the next question.
- Complete all the questions answering that you are so confident about.
- Come back to the same question that has been marked.
- Check for the answers.
- If you couldn’t still answer the question, move on to the elimination method.
- The elimination method involves striking out the wrong answers that are completely off the context of the question as well the text.
- Narrow down your options and choose the answer.
- Still couldn’t find the answer!!. Well, select any answer you like.
Bottom line: Never leave any questions unanswered. Random selection may have the probability of selecting the right answers some times. Don’t you agree?
Well, I believe I have shared some useful tips to score well in the CELPIP reading module. If you have a better approach, please write to us here. This will certainly help aspiring test takers to score well.
All the best!!
Try out this simple sample reading test.
To access more mock tests and practice tests, download our App here: GTA MyTestPrep
Check out our other blog: Listening Skills.