Section 3: Most Difficult

General Training and Academic: Section 3 is always the longest and most complex section. The texts often present abstract or academic ideas, requiring you to understand complex arguments, subtle points, and inferences. Inference-based questions and questions about the author’s purpose or tone are common in this section.

Tips:

Prepare for complex texts: The key to handling Section 3 is to build your stamina for reading longer and more challenging texts. Practice reading longer articles from academic journals, opinion pieces in newspapers, or essays. The topics might range from philosophy and psychology to environmental science or economics.

Practice Exercise:

• Choose a long-form article from a reputable source (e.g., The Guardian or The New Yorker).
• Divide the text into paragraphs, and for each paragraph, write down the main point.
• Reflect on how each paragraph contributes to the author’s overall argument.

Work on inference and critical thinking skills: Section 3 often requires you to read between the lines and understand implied meanings. Practice answering questions that require you to infer information that is not directly stated.

Example of inference:

If the text says, “The CEO did not show up to the meeting due to an unforeseen emergency,” the inference could be that the CEO had a personal issue or that the meeting was not considered important.