More About Summary Questions

In the Reading section of the iBT TOEFL test, you may encounter a type of question called a summary question. This type of question presents a brief summary of a passage and asks you to complete the summary by selecting the three most important ideas from a list of answer choices.

Summary questions are worth more than multiple-choice questions, so it's important to understand how to approach them. To be successful at summary questions, you need to be able to recognize the rhetorical pattern of the information in the passage and identify the major ideas and supporting information.

To answer a summary question, you'll need to read the passage carefully and identify the main idea. Look for supporting details that help you understand the key concepts presented in the passage. Once you have a good understanding of the passage, you can begin to evaluate the answer choices and select the three options that best summarize the main ideas.

When answering a summary question, you'll need to move the answer choices into the bulleted points area that corresponds with the correct summary statement. Be sure to read the instructions carefully and pay attention to the number of points each question is worth. With practice, you can develop the skills you need to successfully complete summary questions on the iBT TOEFL test.