Comprehension Strategies for PSLE and O Level: How to get high scores

1) It is vital that a student learns how to skim and scan.
Skimming involves reading to find out the general gist of a passage.  Scanning involves reading to find a specific bit of information.


2) Read the questions in detail, note the keywords.
Skim the passage, note the title and topic.  Then, scan the passage  for the answers.
Finally, read the questions in detail and answer them, taking note of the WH words and the tense in each question.

3) For vocabulary building is for students to make the new words they learn relevant for them.  Instead of creating long, boring lists of vocabulary words, students should be writing the words they learn down in the context they see them.  So if ‘combat’ is a new word and you see the word in a passage about warfare, you should be noting the word down in a sentence that reminds you of the passage you read.  Doing this will help jolt your memory when you come back to review the new words you have learned.

4) If you come across an unknown word during the exam, use the following steps:

A) Check the context of the word
B) Contrast the word with another word or sentence in the paragraph
C) Look for explanation of the word's meaning in the sentence
D) Break the word apart into its more basic form (if it has one)
E) Logic and clues
F) Guess

5) Train yourself to read at least 200 words per minute.

Modified from ieltsielts.com