B1 Preliminary Exam Guide: Multiple Choice Comprehension
Reading Paper
Contents
Overview
Context: This third part of the B1 Preliminary reading paper involves a detailed comprehension of a text expressing an opinion or attitude, followed by multiple-choice questions.
Task: Candidates are presented with a text followed by five multiple-choice questions, each with four options.
Objective: To understand both the detailed and global meaning of the text, as well as the writer's attitude or opinion.
Scoring & Marks: The five questions are worth five points, so one point for each. There are 32 points available for the whole Reading paper.
How to Approach
- Skim the Text: Begin by skimming the text to understand the topic and general meaning.
- Read Carefully: Then read the text more carefully for a deeper understanding.
- Analyse Questions: Approach each question individually, comparing each option with the text.
- Confirm Choices: After choosing an answer, re-check it against the text.
- Order and Global Meaning: Note that questions usually follow the order of the text, with the last question focusing on the overall meaning.
Example Question
"Driving is an important responsibility and we should always take it seriously," begins David. "We often overlook the basics. Like, for instance, regular maintenance of your vehicle is crucial. A well-functioning vehicle can greatly reduce the risk of accidents."
1. According to David, why is vehicle maintenance important?
It saves money in the long run.
It reduces the risk of accidents.
It helps the vehicle last longer.
It improves the vehicle's performance.
Assessment Focus
This section assesses understanding of the text's detailed content, overall meaning, and the writer's attitude or opinion.
Tips
- Develop reading skills for both skimming (quickly getting the gist) and detailed comprehension.
- Practise identifying the tone and opinion in different types of texts.
- Work on understanding how each part of the text contributes to the overall meaning.
- Engage in discussions with your friends or classmates about articles or stories you've read. Talking about the writer's attitude and the main points can deepen your understanding.
- Try to predict the writer's opinion before reading the text and see if you're right.
- Practise writing summaries of the texts you read, focusing on capturing the global meaning and the writer's tone.
How It Looks
Student Suggestion
"Regularly reading opinion pieces and editorials helped me understand different perspectives and improve my ability to answer multiple-choice questions based on the writer's viewpoint." - Hina Yamamoto
Practice Exercises
We have a page on the site to practise: B1 Preliminary: Reading Multiple Choice Comprehension Exercises
