Question Types

Reading Section
Part 4 Consists of
• One text about 150 – 200 words.
• Seven questions where have to decide if the statement is right,
wrong or if the text doesn’t say (i.e. the text does not give us
enough information to make a decision).

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 Part 4 of the exam tests:
Your ability to read and pick specific information
in a text.

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 Doesn’t say
Be careful of the difference between wrong and doesn’t say. Wrong
means that the cannot be true according to the text. Doesn’t say
means that we cannot know from the text if it is true or not.
Reference words
• Often they are pronouns such as he, this , the one (e.g. The new
storeroom has a much bigger capacity than the old one).
• Some times they are nouns with a similar or a more general
meaning. In this case they are often preceded by this (e.g. Nestle
took over Perrier, the French producer of mineral water. This
acquisition caused problems with the trade unions).
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 Suggested exam techniques
1. Read the text through once without worrying about unknown words.
2. Read the first statement carefully and then go back to the text and look for the
information there. The answers to the question usually come in the same
order in the text, so when you have found the answer to one, move on to the
next part of the text.
3. If the information in the text has the same meaning as the statement, then the
answer is right.
4. If the information is different , think carefully. Do we know that the statement
is untrue, or is it still a possibility (doesn’t say)?
5. If you find nothing similar in the text, then the answer is doesn’t say.

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Questions 16 – 22
• Read the article below in which investors are given advice on
buying shares in a market research company.
• Are sentences 16 – 22 on the opposite page “Right” or “Wrong”? If
there is not enough information to answer “Right” or “Wrong”,
choose “Doesn’t say”.
• For each sentence 16-22, mark one letter(A, B or C) on your Answer
Sheet.
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 Question Types
Reading Section
Part 5 Consists of
• One text of about 300 to 400 words.
• Six multiple-choice questions where you must choose A, B or C.

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 Part 5 of the exam tests:
Your ability to
• Skim
• Scan
• Read for gist, especially opinions
• Read for specific information
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 Unknown vocabulary
The text may contain words you don’t know. Do not spend too
much time trying to understand their exact meanings. You may
well find you can answer the question which knowing them. If
there is a question which uses this new vocabulary, use the
context in the passage to try to guess the meaning. An
approximate meaning is often all that is needed to get the right
answer to a question.
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 Suggested exam techniques
1. Skim the text first to get a good general idea of what it says and the topic of each
paragraph.
2. Read the beginning of the first question and underline the most important words.
3. Find where the question is answered in the text. Then read the three alternatives
and decide which is correct. Sometimes you may find it easier to decide which
ones are not correct.
4. The answers to the question usually come in the same order in the text so when
you have found the answer to one question, move on to the next part of the text.
5. Think about the link between the first part of each question and the three
alternative answers. For example, if the question asks about the reasons for
something, the alternatives may be three possible causes. In this case, make sure
that the answer you choose is definitely given as a cause in the text.
6. The text will usually not use the same language as in the question. You need to
look for the same idea expressed in a different way.
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Questions 23 - 28
• Read the report below about the performance of an Irish
manufacturer of paper goods.
• For each question 23 – 28 on the opposite page, choose the correct
answer.
• Mark one letter (A, B or C) on your Answer Sheet.

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 Question Types
Reading Section
Part 6 Consists of
• One text of about 150 words.
• Twelve multiple-choice gaps where you must choose the correct
word, A, B or C.

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 Part 6 of the exam tests:
Your knowledge of
• vocabulary (especially collocations)
• prepositions
• grammar (tenses, comparatives, modal verbs, etc.
• pronouns and reference words
• link words (and, although, despite, etc.)
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 Suggested exam techniques
1. Before you look at the alternatives, read the text through and try to think of
one of the alternatives.
2. The three alternatives may have similar meanings, but look at the words
either side of the gap. The right answer will often depend on these.
3. If you are not sure of the answer, try to eliminate a wrong alternative.
4. When you have finished, read the text through again with your answers to
check.

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Questions 29 - 40
• Read the article below about cash flow management.
• Choose the correct word to fill each gap, from A, B or C on the
opposite page.
• For each question 29-40, mark one letter (A, B or C) on your
Answer Sheet.

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 Question Types
Reading Section
Part 7 Consists of
• Two short texts such as memos, emails or advertisements.
• One form which you must fill in with information taken from the
texts.

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 Part 7 of the exam tests:
Your ability to identify relevant information in a
short text.

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 Suggested exam techniques
1. Look at the form and read the headings carefully.
2. Look at the texts and think who would complete the form. For example, an
order form would obviously be completed by the company who need the
goods, not by the company who supplies them.
3. Scan the two texts to find the relevant information.
4. If the information you need is a name, for example, then the texts are likely
to contain, two or three names. In this situation, it is a good idea to underline
all the names you can find and then decide which is the correct one.

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Questions 41 - 45
• Read the memo and the advertisement below.
• Complete the form
• Write a word or phrase (in CAPITAK LETTERS) or a number on
lines 41-45 on your Answer Sheet.

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49
For more Reading Part practice , visit:
Parts 1 and 2:
https://www.becexamguide.com/reading-parts-1-
2/preliminary
Parts 3,4 and 5:
https://www.becexamguide.com/reading-parts-3-4-
5/preliminary
Parts 6 and 7:
https://www.becexamguide.com/reading-parts-6-
7/preliminary 50
 End of
Reading Part
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