ReadingStrategies
Skim, scan, gist vs detail — exam reading
CEFR Pathway · You are here
Warm-up · Section 1
5 minGet talking
When you read in English, do you read every word? Why / why not?
Look at the lesson's main reading passage below for 30 seconds. What is it about, in one sentence?
Describe the worst reading exam moment you've had. What went wrong?
Grammar focus · Section 2
8–10 minThree reading modes — pick the right one
Reading exams reward STRATEGY: (1) SKIM (10–15 sec per paragraph) — get the gist, no detail.
→ Skim → 'The article is about home-working trends.'
→ Scan → 'The number is 42%.'
→ Close read → 'The writer is doubtful (she uses 'supposedly' twice).'
→ Reread → only if the answer needs proof from the text.
More detail
Used for 'What is the text about?' questions. (2) SCAN (5–10 sec) — eyes hunt a specific name, number or date. Used for 'What year / how many / who?' questions. (3) CLOSE READ — slow, word-by-word, for inference questions ('What does the writer think? / Why does she say…?'). Most learners read everything closely; pros switch modes on every question.
Question 1.Which mode for 'What is the text about?'?
Question 2.Which mode for 'In which year?'?
Question 3.Which mode for 'Why does the writer say…?'?
Question 4.How long should you spend skimming a paragraph?
Question 5.Best first step in any reading exam?
Vocabulary · Section 3
5–7 minWords & phrases to own
Don't just read these — say one out loud, then use it about your life.
to skim
read quickly for gist
"I skimmed the article over coffee."
Skim today's reading in 20 sec.
to scan
search for a specific item
"She scanned the page for his name."
Scan for the year 2024.
gist
the main idea
"Give me the gist in one sentence."
Give the gist of any news article.
inference
what is implied not said
"It's an inference, not a fact."
Find an inference in the passage.
to skip
leave for now
"Skip hard questions and come back."
When did you last skip a question?
keyword
the most useful clue word
"Underline the keyword in each question."
Pick 3 keywords below.
Discuss with a partner
- →Tell your partner the gist of any news headline you read today.
- →Give an example of an 'inference' question vs a 'fact' question.
Finish the sentence about you
- I'll skim first, then… …
- The gist is… …
- From the text I can infer… …
Pronunciation · Section 4
3–4 minStress on strategy words in instructions
- • Choose the BEST answer.
- • Which is NOT mentioned?
- • What does the writer SUGGEST?
- • How does the author FEEL?
How to say it
Exam instructions hide their meaning in two stressed words. 'Choose the BEST answer' — stress on BEST tells you several are partly right. 'Which is NOT mentioned?' — stress on NOT is critical. Practise reading instructions aloud with correct stress so the brain notices the keyword.
Reading · Section 5
8–10 minThe 4-step exam reading method
Most reading exams at B1 level can be passed faster — and with higher scores — by switching from 'reading' to 'strategy'. Step 1: read the QUESTIONS first. Underline the keyword in each one (a name, a number, a feeling). Step 2: SKIM the text in under a minute to get the gist. Don't worry about unknown words. Step 3: go back to question 1 and SCAN for the keyword. Read only the sentence around it. Step 4: for inference questions, slow down and look for OPINION words ('supposedly', 'seems', 'apparently', 'unfortunately'). These signal what the writer thinks. Time per question matters more than perfection per question — if you're stuck for more than 90 seconds, skip and come back. Examiners reward strategic readers, not perfect translators.
Question 1.Step 1?
Question 2.Which words signal opinion?
Question 3.When should you skip a question?
Q1.You should read the questions before the text.
Q2.Perfection per question matters most.
Q3.Opinion words help with inference questions.
Listening · Section 6
8–10 minA teacher coaches a student through a reading paper
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Show transcript
Teacher:Right — before the text, what do you do?
Student:Read the questions first. Underline keywords.
Teacher:Good. Now skim. How long?
Student:Under a minute. Just the gist.
Teacher:Perfect. Question 3 asks 'In which year?'. What mode?
Student:Scan. Hunt for a number.
Teacher:Excellent. And question 5 asks 'How does the writer feel?'.
Student:Close read. Look for opinion words like 'unfortunately' or 'apparently'.
Teacher:Brilliant. And if you're stuck?
Student:Skip after 90 seconds. Come back at the end.
Question 1.First step?
Question 2.Mode for 'which year'?
Question 3.When to skip?
Exam skills · Section 7
5 minCambridge PET Reading — strategic reading method
Task
Complete a 5-question multiple-choice reading paper in 12 minutes.
Strategy
QUESTIONS → SKIM → SCAN → CLOSE. Underline the keyword in every question first; this is the single biggest score lift. If two answer choices look right, pick the one with EXACT WORDS from the text. Never leave a question blank — guess from the two best options.
Example
Q: 'In which year did the company launch its first product?' Keyword: 'first product / launched'. Scan the text for that exact phrase or a year close to it. Answer: 2017 — found in line 3.
Practice · Section 8
8–10 minFill in the blank
Question 1.____ the questions before the text.
Question 2.I'll ____ for the number 42.
Question 3.The ____ of the text is climate change.
Question 4.It's an ____ — the writer doesn't say it directly.
Question 5.____ hard questions, come back later.
Q1.Mode for: 'What is the writer's opinion?'
Q2.Mode for: 'How many people…?'
Q3.Mode for: 'What is paragraph 2 about?'
Writing · Section 9
5 minPut it in writing
Your task
Write a 150-word study guide for a younger student preparing for a B1 reading exam. Include the 4-step method and 3 examples of question-type → reading mode.
Show model answer
READING EXAM TIPS — 4 STEPS. (1) Read the QUESTIONS first. Underline one keyword in each: a name, a number, or a feeling. (2) SKIM the text in 60 seconds. Don't worry about unknown words — just get the gist. (3) Go back to question 1 and SCAN for the keyword. Read only the sentence around it. (4) For 'how does the writer feel' questions, slow down and look for opinion words: supposedly, apparently, unfortunately. EXAMPLES: 'In which year…?' → SCAN. 'What is the text about?' → SKIM. 'What does the writer suggest?' → CLOSE. Don't get stuck — skip after 90 seconds and come back. Never leave a blank. Good luck!
Speaking · Section 10
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
EXAM COACH ROLEPLAY · Pairs. A is a nervous student; B is the coach. B walks A through a sample reading paper using the 4-step method. Swap roles.
Useful phrases
- • Read the questions first.
- • Underline the keyword.
- • Skim — under a minute.
- • Scan for the number.
- • Close read for opinion words.
- • Skip and come back.
- AI always start by reading the whole text twice.
- B_______________
- AI'm stuck on question 4.
- B_______________
Optional · Teacher-led
Teacher Activities
Drill strategy until automatic. ~30 min total
Homework · Section 11
Take-homeTake it home
Do one BBC Bitesize / Cambridge sample reading paper using the 4-step method; time yourself.
Underline keywords in 10 sample exam questions.
Write a 3-sentence gist of any English news article.
Recap · Section 12
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- Reading exams reward STRATEGY, not perfection.
- Three modes: Skim (gist), Scan (facts), Close (inference).
- Read questions FIRST, underline keywords.
- Skip after 90 seconds; come back later.
- Opinion words signal inference answers.