The reading section of MET covers grammar, multiple-text reading, and single-text reading in just over an hour (65 minutes). It’s important to have a well-rounded study plan that will prepare you for each part of the section. The tips below will help you feel more confident going into test day.
1. Read different real-world texts.
To do your best on the reading section, you’ll of course need to read! However, you should consider what types of texts to spend your time reading. Academic passages and informational passages will be helpful in your study, but other genres such as fiction, advertisements, and news articles will be equally important to read. Note that authentic texts are not designed for language learners – they are real-world texts that native English speakers would read.
2. Expand your vocabulary.
Whenever you encounter a word that you don’t understand when you are reading, highlight it. Look up the definition of the word you didn’t know and add it to a flashcard or a vocabulary notebook. You should pay close attention to synonyms (words with similar meanings) and antonyms (words with opposite meanings).
3. Find the main idea.
You’ll likely be asked about the main idea of the passage in your MET reading section. Each time you practice reading a text, highlight and note the main idea and supporting details.
4. Consider the author’s purpose.
In addition to the main idea, you might also be asked about the author’s purpose of writing the passage. Consider whether they are informing the reader, entertaining them, or persuading them. You should be prepared to draw conclusions from the author’s purpose, too.
5. Read the questions before the passage.
By reading the questions before the passage, you’ll have in mind what you’re looking for while reading the passage. If there aren’t questions about the text you’re reading, make up a few before you start.
6. Guess the answer first.
To build confidence that you’re choosing the right answer, guess the answer before you read the options. Particularly in the grammar section, it will be quicker to guess the right answer and then find it from the options rather than considering each option available.
7. Connect different passages.
During the multi-text section of MET, you’ll be asked to compare and contrast the passages. Practice finding similarities and differences between passages on the same or similar topic. You can do this by searching a random topic that you pick out of a hat and pulling two pieces of text related to the topic.
8. Use context clues and the process of elimination.
It’s nearly impossible to memorize every word and grammar rule in the English language. However, you can use context clues to figure out the most likely answer to something you’re unsure of. Challenge yourself to use context clues and a process of elimination instead of just filling in a random choice and moving to the next question.
9. Time your reading.
One of the challenges you may face during the reading section is keeping your reading at a reasonable pace. You don’t want to spend too much time reviewing every detail, but you also don’t want to just speed read and miss key information. Time yourself while taking the practice MET.
10. Practice skimming, scanning, and reading for detail.
Skimming, scanning, and reading for detail will help you pull portions of the passage that you need quickly. This strategy does not replace actually reading the passage, but it helps when revisiting the passage while answering questions.
By using these tips, you’ll save yourself time and energy during the reading section of MET. You can also access the MET practice test on our website.