Part A: Reading Aloud

Quick Answer: In Part A (Reading) you see a short list of numbered sentences and are asked to read one of them aloud, exactly as printed. There are 8 items, each with about 15 seconds to answer, and you must start within 6 seconds. Because the words are handed to you, this task scores only your delivery — Fluency and Pronunciation — so success is about how you say the sentence, not what you say.

What the task looks like

Your screen shows several numbered sentences, and the examiner's voice tells you which one to read. For example, you might see:

1. The train to the airport leaves from platform four.
2. She wasn't sure whether to bring an umbrella or a jacket.
3. Our meeting has been moved to Thursday afternoon.
4. He ordered a coffee and sat down by the window.

If the instruction is "read sentence two," you read only sentence two, aloud, as it appears. You then move to the next item and read a different requested sentence. (These examples are written for this guide; the real test uses its own sentences.)

Why this is a gift — if you treat it right

Reading is the one task where you do not have to understand speech or invent language — the sentence is right in front of you. That is exactly why it isolates Fluency (natural rhythm, phrasing, and timing) and Pronunciation (clear consonants, vowels, and word stress). Every candidate can technically "say the words," so the score separates those who read like a person communicating a meaning from those who read like a machine listing words.

Technique, step by step

1. Find the requested sentence fast. Confirm the number the examiner said and put your eyes on that line. If you are unsure of the number, read the sentence you are most confident was requested rather than freezing.
2. Glance for meaning before you speak. A one-second scan tells you which words carry the message and where the natural pauses fall. In sentence 2, the meaning lives in wasn't sure, umbrella, and jacket.
3. Start within a couple of seconds. The window is short — begin promptly so silence never eats your time.
4. Read in thought groups, not word by word. Group the sentence naturally: "She wasn't sure / whether to bring an umbrella / or a jacket." Stress the content words and let function words ("to," "an," "or") stay light.
5. Let punctuation guide your pauses and pitch. Pause slightly at commas and drop your pitch at the period so the sentence sounds finished.
6. Commit to one clean take. You cannot re-record, so read straight through to the end.

What a 60-scorer does vs a 40-scorer

The difference is almost never about knowing the words — it is about delivery.

Notice that the 60-scorer's advantages are all habits you can build with practice, not talents you are born with.

Common traps and their fixes

• Reading the wrong sentence. Fix: listen for the number, then confirm your eyes are on that line before you speak.
• Robotic, word-by-word delivery. Fix: read in meaningful chunks; imagine you are telling the sentence to a coworker.
• Rushing at the end out of nerves. Fix: hold a steady, normal pace all the way through — speed does not earn points.
• Correcting a slip. Fix: keep moving. One mispronounced word barely dents the score; a stop-and-restart wrecks your Fluency.
• Monotone pitch. Fix: use the sentence's meaning to shape your intonation — stress the words that matter.

A drill you can do today

Take any short paragraph — a news blurb or an email — and number its sentences. Have a friend, or a random number generator, call out a number; read that sentence aloud in one take, starting within two seconds. Record yourself and check three things: Did you start fast? Did you read in natural groups? Did you pause at the punctuation? Repeat daily for a week and Reading becomes the easiest points on the whole test.