MUET READING EXAM GUIDE & TIPS BY A MUET

EXPERT
As the MUET Reading paper is the one which carries the highest weightage of 40%, we
have approached a MUET expert, Madam Audrey Wiles, to share with you her invaluable
tips for your MUET Reading paper 800/3.

1.

Read (There is a reason why its called a MUET Reading paper)

Read everything but with a notepad in hand

Copy down words which you dont understand AND more important, phrases that you

would like to use in your MUET written essay.

2.

Read quality materials

Read articles that are published by reliable sources such as: Readers Digest, TIME

Magazineetc.
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Articles used in the exams are usually from these types of source

Keep yourself updated on current issues by reading newspapers (Example: The

STAR, New Straits Times, The Edge)

3.

Use your time wisely!

You only have 1.5 hours to answer 45 exam questions

If you do the math, that would mean that you only have 2 minutes per question

ALWAYS read the question first, and underline the keywords

Make sure you dont just skim through the text but scan for specific information

4.

Know your vocabulary

There will be 6 texts altogether in the exam paper, and the first one always has a non-

linear stimuli (Example: graph, chart or diagram)

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You will need the relevant vocabulary knowledge to describe the trend(s) shown in the

given diagram(s)
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This is also a useful practice for report writing as it deals with the same language

functions

5.

DONT ACT SMART!

For some questions, you will be asked to infer or make intelligent assumptions based

on the given evidences in the texts

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For True/False/Not Stated questions, NEVER use your own opinions to answer

because what is logical to you may not be academically correct

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My tip to you is that you should underline the evidence(s) in the texts

For True, you must be able to identify proof that shows that the statement is correct

You should also underline evidences that prove a statement to be wrong in order to

choose False as your answer

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For Not Stated, you will find that it is almost impossible tounderline any evidence at all.

Hence, these are the fundamental differences between the answer selections
True/False/Not Stated

6.

Train your brain

Guessing the meaning of a vocabulary can be quite tricky especially when you dont

have the access to a dictionary or the internet (Google.com) during your exam. Hence, you
need to train your brain to assess the root word
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Focus on the prefix/suffix in order to identify the meaning

If you think the word is a positive, negative or neutral one reconfirm again by looking

at the context of the texts for clues to support your assumption

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Review the answers and options given by eliminating the answer that is most unlikely to

be correct before making a calculated guess

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For example, in the phrase: the degradation of water quality, the

word degradation comes from the root word grade which means level or standard.
The de suffix has a negative connotation where it means the removal of something,
while tion is a noun that explains the process of something
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Thus, the phrase means the drop of standard/quality of water

7.

Assess the writers intentions

The MUET level comprehension questions do not focus on content alone

Instead, the questions given require candidates to assess the writers:

(A) Purpose
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Example: to inform, discuss, argue, compare, persuadeetc.

(B) Style of writing

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Example: describing, comparing and contrasting, giving examples, explaining causes

and effects, sequencing eventsetc.

(C) Tone
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Example: supportive, opposing, indifferent, neutral, biasedetc.

8.

Assess the articles as a whole

Sometimes you may be asked to give a suitable title to an article

Or to summarize a specific paragraph

Or to come up with a suitable conclusion based on the options given. This clearly

requires critical thinking skills or HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills) from you

9.

Keep practicing!

Essentially, nothing beats practice and more practice

Buy good quality reference books such as Longman or Oxford model tests/actual exam

workbooks and try doing each reading paper 3 times

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First attempt: do it as if youre sitting for the real exam. Do not refer to any workbooks or

dictionaries
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Second attempt: allow yourself to refer to books, and discuss with your friends if you

need to (and if you are doing it as a group) before marking both attempts
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Note: Your 2nd attempt should score better than your first.

Third attempt: Try doing the same set of exam paper again after 2-3 months to see if

you are able to retain the knowledge of vocabulary and concepts which you have learned
before.

10. Grade yourself

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Heres a useful guide for you to follow when you attempt the exam questions so that

you can know where you stand

You will need to score:

(A) 21/45 Band 3

(B) 27/45 Band 4
(C) 33/45 Band 5
(D) 39/45 Band 6
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Reading is the MOST important MUET paper as it carries 40% or 120/300 marks

Good luck with your upcoming MUET exam!