Reading Comprehension tests your ability to understand, analyze, and draw inferences from complex academic prose. Passages appear in sets of 3–4 questions. Success depends on active reading — not passive absorption.

A) The Four Passage Categories

Business: corporate strategy, economics, management theory, market dynamics. Often descriptive, with arguments about business practices or policy.
Science: biological, physical, or environmental science. Often explains a phenomenon, describes a debate between theories, or presents research findings and their implications.
Humanities: history, literature, arts, philosophy. Often analytical — interpreting an author's perspective or historical development.
Social Science: psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science. Often presents a theory and evaluates evidence for and against it.

B) Argument Types to Recognize

RC passages are not just information — they make arguments. Recognizing the argument type helps you anticipate what questions will ask.

Factual/descriptive argument: claims that something is the case. Premises are evidence; conclusion is a factual claim.
Prescriptive argument: recommends a course of action. Premises describe a problem or goal; conclusion advocates a solution or policy. Often uses "should."
Causal argument: claims one thing causes or explains another. Premises cite correlation or mechanism; conclusion makes a causal claim. Vulnerable to alternative-cause challenges.
Analogical argument: uses a comparison to support a conclusion. "X works in situation A; therefore X will work in situation B." Vulnerable to the two situations differing in relevant ways.

C) Passage Structures to Recognize

Old view vs. New view: "Traditionally… However, recent research shows…" The author usually endorses the new view. Questions test whether you can identify the shift.
Theory + Evidence: presents a theory, then provides supporting evidence. Questions ask about the theory's claims or what the evidence demonstrates.
Argument + Counterargument: presents position A, then position B. Identify which the author endorses (often the last position stated).
Problem + Solution: describes a problem, proposes a solution, and evaluates whether it works.
Description + Evaluation: describes a phenomenon, then evaluates its significance, causes, or implications.

D) Active Reading: The PCOT Framework

For every passage, track these four elements as you read:

P — Point: What is the author's main point or thesis? Identify this in the first paragraph.
C — Change of direction: Watch for "however," "but," "yet," "although," "despite." These signal where the author's position shifts or where a counterargument is introduced. The most important content often follows a pivot word.
O — Opinion: Whose view is being expressed? Distinguish the author's own view from views the author is describing, criticizing, or attributing to others. "Proponents argue X" ≠ the author believes X.
T — Tone: Positive, negative, neutral, skeptical, cautious, enthusiastic? Science passages tend toward neutral; opinion pieces lean evaluative. Tone questions require identifying the author's attitude, not just the topic.

E) Passage Map Template

Build this as you read — it takes 30 seconds and saves 2–3 minutes on questions:

P1: topic & scope — what is this about?
P2: argument or evidence #1
P3: counterpoint, qualification, or example
P4: conclusion or resolution (if present)
Author's POV: one sentence — does the author support, critique, or stay neutral?
Tone: one word

F) Active Reading Approach

Paragraph 1: identify the main idea and the author's purpose (to argue? describe? contrast? evaluate?). This sets the frame for everything.
Each subsequent paragraph: ask "What role does this play?" — introducing evidence, providing a counterargument, qualifying a claim, or giving an example.
Track the author's tone: neutral, critical, supportive, skeptical? Look for evaluative adjectives and verb choices.
Build a structural map: one-sentence per paragraph. "P1: main claim. P2: evidence A. P3: counterargument. P4: author's rebuttal." This is your navigation tool.

G) Short vs. Long Passages

Short passages: ~200 words, 3 questions. Read the entire passage carefully before answering.
Long passages: ~350–450 words, 4 questions. Use your structural map to navigate — do not re-read entire passages when answering detail questions.

H) Time Management

Spend ~1.5–2 min reading the passage, then ~1 min per question.
For detail questions: always refer back to the passage. Memory errors are frequent and costly.
If stuck on a question: eliminate the most obviously wrong choices, mark your best guess, and move on.

RC: Passage Types & Strategy