Prof. Vicki Walker’s Famous Handout for the Regents’ Reading Test

General Description of the Test

The test consists of nine reading passages and 54 questions. The time limit is sixty minutes, one hour. The questions fall into these categories: vocabulary—10-12 questions, literal comprehension—12-14, inferential comprehension—20-24, analysis—12-14. Passages come from subject areas in social sciences, humanities, natural sciences, and current topics.

Tips

Don’t leave anything blank. Guessing does not count against you.

Eliminate obviously wrong answers first

Don’t spend extra time on any one question

Allow time at the end to make sure you’ve answered every question, even if you have to guess. Don’t leave anything blank!

Feel free to write, underline, etc., in your test booklet

Pace yourself. Allow about six minutes per passage.

Again, don’t leave anything blank!

Terms to Be Familiar With

Irony

Sarcasm

Personification

Analogy

Satire

Figurative language

Chronological/Chronology

Hyperbole

Apostrophe

Ambiguous/ambiguity

Metaphor

Simile

Objective vs. Subjective

Euphemism

Narrative/narration

Expository/exposition

Argument/persuasion

Description

More tips

If the question says, “The passage states. . .” then the answer is in the passage. You can find it and put your finger on it.

If the question says, “The passage implies. . .” then the answer is not directly, explicitly in the passage. It is implied. You must infer, or read between the lines.

Remember that the 13^th century refers to the 1200s, the 20^th century to the 1900s, etc. The passage may talk about an incident that happened in the 13^th century, but the question may refer to the same incident as happening in 1275. Same thing.

The passage may refer to one fifth of something, while the question may refer to 20%. Same thing.

When you first get your test booklet, take 30 seconds or so to look through the whole thing. If you see a passage that contains material you’re very familiar with, you may want to do that one first. You can do the passages in whatever order you wish—just make sure you get the answers in the correct space.

There are two practice tests at www.gsu.edu/rtp. Click on “Students” and then choose which test you want to take. Either one will give you a score.