After all, the paragraph will not be written in a simple and unambiguous way. Not at all, instead it will be littered with uncertainties, inferences, and some challengingly phrased sentences. You’ll need to possess the right vocabulary and analytical skills to extract the true meaning of the entire paragraph – something our word knowledge study guide will also assist you with. For now, though, let’s focus on this second re-reading of the text – as it’s from this reading that you should pick up a sufficient amount of detail to make sense of the answers available. And now, so it comes to pass, is the moment where you take in the answers at hand for each individual question – placing them in your memory for the next stage of your strategy.

Try to keep an eye on critical words in the paragraph and the questions and answers. Let’s examine some of these critical words, though you will be able to think of some of your own by the end of this study guide:

These are critical words because of the effect they have on altering the meaning of sentences. For instance, a question containing ‘not’ is going to have precisely the opposite answer you’re looking for should you happen to gloss over it. The purpose of this examination of critical words is to help you identify those words crucial to paragraph comprehension – with alarm bells going off in your head every time you read one. At the same time, though, we must also be aware of the importance of taking our time grappling with the true meaning of the paragraph and true meaning of the questions/answers.

This can only come, of course, through adequate preparation, as you’ll teach yourself what to look for at all times. These critical words play a small but significant role in this regard, something you would regret to overlook in the course of your studies. As well as this, we need to consider several other factors that impact on how you approach such questions. Given the paragraph will be about a specific piece, you might be inclined to formulate your own opinion on the piece, resulting in potential bias in how you answer each question. It may seem unlikely, but there’s no reason to suggest why this wouldn’t be the case. You should at all times, therefore, avoid letting your personal views impinge on the answer you select.

Two additional chunks of advice would be worth considering in this regard. The first concerns time management. Always be cognizant of the time limitations imposed by the very nature of the exam. Keep a watch with you at all times and apportion the correct amount of time to each question. It might be handy, though, to answer the questions you find easiest first. This has two notable consequences. First, it gives that much needed confidence boost you’re actually accruing marks – a confidence you can target toward the problems you consider more challenging. By leaving the more problematic questions to the end, it avoids the problem of getting stuck early in the exam, meaning you avoid the horrible rush to finish the questions you might actually know.

So, time management is crucial in this regard. It helps structure your overall approach to the ASVAB Paragraph Comprehension questions while simultaneously training you to search for information at the required rate. This is why practicing test questions becomes so important, as you can mimic exam conditions in ways that allow you to foster these comprehensive skills – an invaluable activity that adds much to how you perform on the day of your exam. You’ll find examples of such questions below but, if you require more, take a look at our subscription program for more details. At this point, though, we can recognize the need to engage in the aforementioned preparatory work – as it’s this work that’ll define how efficiently you answer the questions and, ultimately, arrive at the highest mark your ability deserves.