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Always guessing on the last 20 questions of TOEIC Reading because you run out of time? I'll share 3 practical methods that genuinely helped me improve my reading speed on Parts 6 and 7.
Toey
Examiner-informed7 min read · 01/05/2026
Photo by Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu on Unsplash
Hey, I'm Duc from Toey.
I still vividly remember the first time I sat down with a full TOEIC Reading practice test. The clock was ticking, and I was still struggling through a double passage around question 180. More than 20 questions left, only 5 minutes on the clock — my heart was pounding. The result? I ended up bubbling in random answers for nearly two full pages. I'm sure many of you have felt that same helpless feeling.
Reading slowly and poor time management are among the biggest reasons people lose points unnecessarily on the Reading section. After a lot of trial and error, I found a few methods that genuinely improved my speed without sacrificing accuracy. In this post, I'll share exactly what I did — I hope it helps.
This was the biggest obstacle I ever faced. When I first started, I had a habit of reading an English sentence and then silently translating it into Vietnamese in my head to "make sure" I understood it. For example, when I came across a sentence like this:
The mandatory training session for all new employees will be held in Conference Room 3 on Monday morning.
My brain would automatically process every single word and piece together a full translation before moving on.
This process was incredibly time-consuming and mentally draining. It cut my reading speed in half. The way I overcame it was to force myself to read and understand directly in English. Instead of translating, I focused on grasping the key idea: There's a training session for new employees, in Room 3, Monday morning. That's all you need to answer the question.
It feels uncomfortable at first, but stick with it. Over time, your brain adapts to processing information in English, and your reading speed will improve significantly.
Once you've broken the mental translation habit, the next step is to actively apply these two powerful reading techniques.
Skimming means reading quickly to grasp the main idea of a passage. You don't need to understand every word — you just need to know what the text is about. I use skimming to answer big-picture questions like "What is the purpose of the e-mail?" or "What is the main topic of the article?"
Here's how I skim a passage:
Take this example:
To: All Staff From: Management Subject: Upcoming Office Renovation
This is to inform you that the main office area will undergo renovation starting next Monday, June 10. The project is expected to last for approximately two weeks. During this period, employees from the Sales department will be temporarily relocated to the second-floor meeting room. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your cooperation.
To answer a question about the e-mail's main purpose, I only need to read the Subject line and the first sentence — and I can select the correct answer immediately.
Question: What is the main purpose of this e-mail?
- (A) To announce a new sales team
- (B) To inform staff about an office renovation
- (C) To invite employees to a meeting
- (D) To request a project update
Answer: (B)
Scanning means sweeping your eyes quickly across the text to locate a specific piece of information — a name, a number, a date, a keyword. This skill is extremely useful for detail questions.
Here's how I scan effectively:
Using the same e-mail above, try this question:
Question: When will the renovation begin?
- (A) In two weeks
- (B) On the second floor
- (C) On June 10
- (D) On Monday morning
Instead of re-reading from the top, I immediately scan for time-related words. My eyes land on "next Monday, June 10" — and I have my answer: (C).
A common mistake in Part 6 is reading only the sentence that contains the blank. However, many questions in this section test the coherence and flow of the entire passage. My rule is to always read the sentence before and the sentence after the blank.
Here's an example:
The new software has received positive reviews from our clients. They find it very user-friendly and efficient. ______, we will proceed with a company-wide implementation next month.
Question:
- (A) Therefore
- (B) However
- (C) Otherwise
- (D) For example
If you only read the sentence with the blank, you won't know which connector to choose. But once you read the sentence before it (the software got great reviews), the cause-and-effect relationship becomes clear. The software is great, therefore we'll roll it out company-wide. The answer is (A).
Part 7 has 54 questions — more than half of the entire Reading section — and comes in three formats: single passages, double passages, and triple passages. The time pressure here is the most intense.
I don't have a magic formula, but here's how I allocate my time to stay calm:
One strategy I rely on is completing all the single passages first. They're generally more straightforward, let you build up your score, and give you a positive momentum before tackling the more complex multi-passage questions.
Improving your reading speed doesn't happen overnight. It takes regular, deliberate practice. Start by applying these three methods: stop mentally translating, practice skimming and scanning, and always time yourself when you do practice sets.
At first, you might feel disoriented — you might even get more questions wrong. Don't get discouraged. That's a normal part of the learning process. Read a little every day, and before you know it, your speed will have quietly but steadily improved. Good luck with your practice!
Có, đây là một chiến lược rất hiệu quả. Đọc câu hỏi trước giúp bạn xác định được thông tin cần tìm. Khi đọc đoạn văn, bạn có thể chủ động dùng kỹ năng scanning để tìm câu trả lời nhanh hơn thay vì đọc một cách vô định.
Part 7 có 54 câu và bạn nên dành khoảng 55-60 phút cho phần này. Điều này có nghĩa là bạn có khoảng 1 phút cho mỗi câu. Tuy nhiên, hãy linh hoạt, câu dễ làm nhanh hơn để dành thời gian cho các câu ở đoạn văn kép hoặc ba phức tạp hơn.
Trong lúc luyện tập bấm giờ hoặc thi thật, tuyệt đối không nên. Việc này làm gián đoạn mạch đọc và tốn thời gian. Hãy cố gắng đoán nghĩa của từ dựa vào ngữ cảnh xung quanh. Chỉ tra từ điển sau khi đã làm xong bài và chữa lại.
Hãy bắt đầu với các bài báo tiếng Anh ngắn hoặc các đoạn văn trong sách luyện TOEIC. Đặt mục tiêu cụ thể, ví dụ: 'Tìm ý chính của bài này trong 30 giây' (skimming) hoặc 'Tìm tên của giám đốc trong đoạn văn này nhanh nhất có thể' (scanning). Lặp lại hàng ngày sẽ giúp bạn thành thạo.
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