Reading Part 3 is called Reading for Information. It has 9 questions, and every question is multiple choice. This guide explains how the task is scored, gives a plan you can use on most questions, and walks through an original example.
1.What the task is
- The task is Reading Part 3, named Reading for Information.
- It has 9 questions.
- Each question is multiple choice. You choose an answer, and it is either right or wrong.
The name tells you the skill. You read to find and understand information, then match it to the question.
2.How it is scored
- Reading has 38 scored items in total. The 9 questions of this task are part of that.
- Each answer is right or wrong. There is no penalty for a wrong answer.
- Levels 4 to 12 map one to one to CLB 4 to 12. A stronger reading result raises your level, and your level is what you report for immigration.
Because a wrong answer costs nothing, never leave a question empty. If you are unsure, remove the choices you know are wrong and pick the best one left.
3.A plan that fits most tasks
- Read the question before the choices. Know what you are looking for. Underline the key words, such as a name, a condition or a reason.
- Find the proof in the text. Look for the sentence that answers the question. If you cannot point to it, you are guessing.
- Check every choice against the text. A choice is correct only if the text supports all of it. One wrong detail makes it wrong.
- Watch small words. Words like *only*, *all*, *never*, *unless* and *before* often decide the answer.
- Do not use outside knowledge. Choose what the text says, not what you think is true in real life.
- Answer every question. Move on when you are stuck. Come back if you have time, and guess if you do not.
4.A worked example
Text (written for this guide): Maple Community Centre spring swim lessons start on April 8. Online registration opens on March 1 and closes when classes are full. Members get a discount of 10 percent. Children under 6 must have an adult in the water with them. Lessons that fall on a holiday are cancelled and are not made up.
Question: Sam is a member. He wants to enrol his son, who is 5. What must Sam do?
- A. Pay nothing for the lessons.
- B. Be in the pool with his son during lessons.
- C. Register by phone.
- D. Wait until April 8 to register.
Answer: B. The text says children under 6 must have an adult in the water. Sam's son is 5, so Sam must be in the pool.
Why the others are wrong: A is wrong because members get a discount, not free lessons. C is wrong because the text only mentions online registration. D is wrong because April 8 is when lessons start, and registration opens on March 1.
5.Common mistakes
- Choosing an answer because one word matches the text, without checking the rest of the choice.
- Mixing up two dates or two people in the text.
- Missing a condition, like the age rule in the example.
- Picking a choice that is true in real life but not stated in the text.
- Leaving a question blank. There is no penalty, so always answer.
6.Next step
Practise the plan on real questions now: Try a free Reading for Information set. After each set, review every wrong answer and find the sentence in the text that proves the right one.