Two Speeds, One Goal
Skimming is reading for the "shape" of the passage — the main idea of each paragraph. Scanning is hunting for one specific piece of information. A Band 8 reader switches between the two every few sentences, and that is what makes 20 minutes per passage achievable.
Start every passage by reading the title, the first sentence of each paragraph, and the final question set. That 60-second overview tells you where everything is, so you never waste time re-reading whole paragraphs.
- Skim once per paragraph, then scan only the paragraph the question points toward.
- Underline names, numbers, dates and capitalised terms as you skim — they are the magnets for most question types.
- For True/False/Not Given, scan for the exact keyword first, then decide if the meaning matches.
- If a question feels impossible, spend no more than 30 seconds on it and move on.