What to Do If You Can't Understand a TOEFL iBT® Reading Passage

TOEFL Reading passages can sometimes seem overwhelming, especially when they contain unfamiliar vocabulary or complex structures. However, with the right strategies, you can enhance your ability to quickly grasp the key ideas and improve your reading comprehension. It’s important to develop effective techniques such as skimming for the main points, identifying keywords, and practising active reading. 

What to Do If You Can't Understand a TOEFL Reading Passage

Here are the tips to use when you can't understand a TOEFL Reading passage. These strategies will help you improve your comprehension and tackle tough questions with confidence.

1. Stay Calm and Take a Deep Breath

The first step is to remain calm. It’s natural to feel stressed when you encounter a difficult passage, but panicking will only complicate things further. Take a deep breath and calm yourself. A calm mind is better at processing information, so trust yourself and move forward with focus.

2. Skim the Passage First

Before you jump into the questions, take a moment to quickly skim the passage. Pay attention to the first and last sentences of each paragraph, as they usually contain the main ideas. This will provide you with a general understanding of the topic and structure, making it easier to approach the passage. Skimming helps set the context, so you’ll know what to expect and where to direct your attention while reading.

3. Highlight Key Words and Phrases

While you skim or read, underline or highlight important keywords, phrases, or names. These elements are often connected to the questions that follow. This technique will enable you to locate the correct answers more quickly and accurately. By creating a visual map of essential details, you'll be able to revisit the key points without getting lost in the text.

Check out - TOEFL iBT® Reading Tips: How to Read Complex & Long Sentences

4. Read the Questions First

If you find it hard to grasp the passage, consider reading the questions first. This strategy will help you identify the specific details to focus on while going through the text. It also keeps you concentrated on what matters most, ensuring you don’t overlook any crucial information.

5. Don’t Get Stuck on Difficult Words

When you encounter a word that’s unfamiliar, don’t dwell on it. TOEFL passages are often crafted to assess overall understanding rather than vocabulary knowledge. Try to deduce the meaning from the surrounding context or simply move past it. Avoid spending too much time fixating on individual words — the context will guide you in grasping the overall message.

6. Break the Passage into Sections

Instead of attempting to comprehend the entire passage at once, divide it into smaller parts. Concentrate on one paragraph at a time, aiming to understand its main idea before proceeding to the next. This approach will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed and enable you to process each concept more effectively.

7. Use the Process of Elimination

If you're uncertain about an answer, try using the process of elimination. Start by removing the obviously incorrect options. This approach boosts your chances of picking the right answer, even if you don't grasp every detail. By discarding wrong answers, you enhance your likelihood of guessing correctly based on the context of the passage.

Check out - Common TOEFL Reading Section Difficulties

8. Focus on the Main Idea

When faced with difficulty, concentrate on identifying the main idea of the passage. Even if you miss some details, being able to recognize the central theme will assist you in answering many questions accurately. Main ideas often provide crucial insights for questions related to tone, purpose, and specifics in the text.

9. Refer Back to the Passage as Needed

You don't need to memorize everything during your first read of the passage. If a question confuses you, go back to the text and find the section that relates to the question. With practice, you'll become faster at pinpointing the relevant parts, which will save you time and lead to more accurate answers.

10. Practice Regularly

The more you practice, the better you'll become at understanding TOEFL Reading passages. Utilize official TOEFL materials, like practice tests from ETS, to get accustomed to the question formats and passage layouts. Consistent practice will enhance both your reading speed and comprehension, making you feel more confident and efficient during the test.  

Facing difficulties with a TOEFL Reading iBT passage doesn't mean it's the end of the road. By keeping a cool head, applying effective reading strategies, and practising consistently, you can enhance your understanding and approach the test with confidence. Keep in mind that each test is a chance to learn and develop!

Also Read:

• How to Improve TOEFL iBT® Reading Skills
• How to Answer TOEFL iBT® Reading Inference Questions
• How to Answer TOEFL Reading Sentence Insertion Questions
•  Top 5 Hacks to Crack TOEFL iBT® Exam in First Attempt