Role of Keywords And Skimming / Scanning

Role of Keywords

  • Finding the right keywords shorten the time you would have otherwise spent on the question by a huge margin.
  • Locating the answers in the passage becomes easier, if you identify keywords from the questions.
  • Sometimes the keywords can be made out of the options given in answers too.
  • Identify the focus of the question, especially in MCQs.

Skimming:

  • Read the entire introductory paragraph and then the first and last sentence only of each following paragraph.
  • For each paragraph, read only the first few words of each sentence or to locate the main idea.
  • Stop and quickly read the sentences containing keywords indicated in boldface or italics or in inverted commas.
  • When you think you have found something significant, stop to read the entire sentence to make sure. Then go on the same way.
  • Resist the temptation to stop to read details you don't need.

Scanning:

  • Read questions and identify keywords.
  • Know what you're looking for. Decide on a few key words or phrases.
  • Look for only one keyword at a time. If you use multiple keywords, do multiple scans.
  • Let your eyes float rapidly down the page until you find the word or phrase you want.
  • When your eye catches one of your keywords, read the surrounding material carefully.
  • Re-read the question to determine if the answer you found answers this question.
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