TIPS FOR TO SCORE IN MUET READING EXAMINATION

The weightage for this paper is 40 %.

1.     Read

-              Read everything but with a notepad in hand

-              Copy down words which you don’t

2.     Read quality materials

-              Read articles that are published by reliable sources such as: Reader’s Digest, TIME Magazine.

-              Articles used in the exams are usually from these types of source

-              Keep yourself updated on current issues by reading newspapers (Example: The STAR, New Straits Times, The Edge)
 

3.     Use your time wisely!

-              You only have 1.5 hours to answer 45 exam questions

-              ALWAYS read the question first, and underline the keywords

-              Make sure you don’t just skip through the text but scan for specific information
 

4.     Know your vocabulary

-              There will be 6 texts altogether in the exam paper, and the first one always has a non-linear stimuli (Example: graph, chart or diagram)

-              You will need the relevant vocabulary knowledge to describe the trend(s) shown in the given diagram(s)

-              This is also a useful practice for report writing as it deals with the same language functions
 

5.     DON’T ACT SMART!

-              For some questions, you will be asked to ‘infer’ or make intelligent assumptions based on the given evidences in the texts

-              For ‘True/False/Not Stated’ questions, NEVER use your own opinions to answer because what is logical to you may not be academically correct

-              My tip to you is that you should underline the evidence(s) in the texts

-              For ‘True’, you must be able to identify proof that shows that the statement is correct

-              You should also underline evidences that prove a statement to be wrong in order to choose ‘False’ as your answer

-              For ‘Not Stated’, you will find that it is almost impossible to underlineany evidence at all. Hence, these are the fundamental differences between the answer selections ‘True/False/Not Stated’
 

6.     Train your brain

-              Guessing the meaning of a vocabulary can be quite tricky especially when you don’t have the access to a dictionary or the internet (Google.com) during your exam. Hence, you need to train your brain to assess the root word

-              Focus on the prefix/suffix in order to identify the meaning

-              If you think the word is a positive, negative or neutral one – reconfirm again by looking at the context of the texts for clues to support your assumption

-              Review the answers and options given by eliminating the answer that is most unlikely to be correct before making a calculated guess

7.     Assess the writer’s intentions

-              The MUET level comprehension questions do not focus on content alone

-              Instead, the questions given require candidates to assess the writer’s:

Purpose

-              Example: to inform, discuss, argue, compare, persuade…etc.

Style of writing

-              Example: describing, comparing and contrasting, giving examples, explaining causes and effects, sequencing events…etc.

Tone

-              Example: supportive, opposing, indifferent, neutral, biased…etc.

8.    Assess the articles as a whole

-              Sometimes you may be asked to give a suitable title to an article

-              Or to summarize a specific paragraph

-              Or to come up with a suitable conclusion based on the options given. This clearly requires critical thinking skills or HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills) from you

9.     Keep practicing!

-              Essentially, nothing beats practice and more practice

-              Buy good quality reference books such as Longman or Oxford model tests/actual exam workbooks and try doing each reading paper 3 times

-              First attempt: do it as if you’re sitting for the real exam. Do not refer to any workbooks or dictionaries

-              Second attempt: allow yourself to refer to books, and discuss with your friends if you need to (and if you are doing it as a group) before marking both attempts

-              Note: Your 2^nd attempt should score better than your first.

-              Third attempt: Try doing the same set of exam paper again after 2-3 months to see if you are able to retain the knowledge of vocabulary and concepts which you have learned before.

10.  Grade yourself

-              Here’s a useful guide for you to follow when you attempt the exam questions so that you can know where you stand

-              You will need to score:

-              21/45 – Band 3

-              27/45 – Band 4

-              33/45 – Band 5

-              39/45 – Band 6

-              Reading is the MOST important MUET paper as it carries 40% or 120/300 marks