part of the ASVAB.
Read first, ask questions later. Read the passage all the way through before glancing at the question and answer options.
Take it one question at a time. Some passages have more than one question associated with them, but look at only one question at a time.
Understand each question. What’s the question asking you to do? Are you supposed to find the main point? Draw a conclusion? Find a word that’s nearest in meaning? Make sure you know what the question is asking before you choose among the answer options. This tip may seem obvious, but when you’re in a hurry, you can make mistakes by misunderstanding the questions.
Read each answer option carefully. Don’t just select the first answer that seems right. Remember, on the Paragraph Comprehension subtest, one answer is often most right and others are almost right. You want to choose the most right answer, not the almost right answer. And to do that, you have to read all the answers.
Check your feelings at the door. Answer each question based on the passage, not your own opinions or views on the topic.
Don’t choose vague answer options. They’re incorrect 99.99 times out of 100. (Oh heck, call it 100 times out of 100.) If an answer strikes you as not quite true but not totally false, that answer is incorrect. The ASVAB test authors have put those answers in there to throw you off. Don’t give them the satisfaction of falling for their trap!
(Almost) never select never. For the most part, answer options that are absolutes are incorrect. Never, always, and related words are often a sign that you should select a different answer. Words like generally and usually are more likely to be correct.
Paragraph Comprehension Practice Questions
The following questions are designed to present you with an opportunity to practice your Paragraph Comprehension skills. Read each short paragraph, followed by one or more questions regarding information contained in that passage. Make sure to read the paragraph carefully before selecting the choice that most correctly answers the question.
Passage one
Mercedes was dismayed to find out that her final exam fell on her birthday — and Russian exams were hard. Still, after nearly a year at the Defense Language Institute, she was ready to wrap things up and begin her Air Force career outside the schoolhouse. The whole day would be a mess, though. The test began at 8:00 a.m., and each airman was allowed exactly 90 minutes to complete all the questions. Then, at 10:00 a.m., everyone had to begin writing a 1,000-word essay. Mercedes pressed her fingers to her temples; just thinking about what kind of topics were in the pool (and the fact that she had to finish the essay by noon) conjured a familiar ache. She knew she was ready, and she knew the language inside and out, but test-taker anxiety started to creep in.
1. How does Mercedes feel about taking her final exam?
(A) She is anxious.
(B) She’s angry.
(C) She’s over-confident.
(D) She wants to celebrate her birthday instead.
2. Why did Mercedes press her fingers to her temples?
(A) It helps her concentrate.
(B) She was beginning to get a headache.
(C) It’s an old habit.
(D) All of the above.
Passage two
Some people argue that baking is an art, but Chef Debra Dearborn says that baking is a science. She says that if you follow a recipe carefully, assembling the ingredients accurately, cooking at the specified temperature for the specified period of time, your cookies will always turn out right. Chef Dearborn says the best baking is like the best experiment — anyone can duplicate it.
3. In this passage, the word assembling most nearly means
(A) measuring.
(B) putting together.
(C) buying.
(D) storing.
4. According to the passage, a person who’s all thumbs in the kitchen
(A) should get out of the kitchen.
(B) is an artist.
(C) isn’t following the recipe carefully.
(D) is Chef Dearborn.
Passage three
At dinner-time tonight I was feverish to do three things at once: write out my day’s journal, eat my food, and read The Journal of Marie Bashkirtseff. Did all three — but unfortunately not at once, so that when I was occupied with one I would surreptitiously cast a glance sideways at the other — and repined.
5. Which of the following was the author NOT planning to do?
(A) go shopping
(B) eat food
(C) write a journal
(D) read a journal
Passage four
To motivate your people, give them tasks that challenge them. Get to know your people and their capabilities, so you can tell just how far to push each one. Give them as much responsibility as they can handle and then let them do the work without looking over their shoulders and nagging them. When they succeed, praise them. When they fall short, give them credit for what they’ve done and coach or counsel them on how to do better next time.
6. According to the paragraph, if your subordinates fail to adequately perform their tasks, you should
(A) punish them.
(B) praise them.
(C) counsel them.
(D) both B and C.
7. After assigning responsibility for the tasks at hand to your subordinates, you should
(A) supervise them closely to ensure the tasks are performed correctly.
(B) let them do the work on their own.
(C) check their progress at the end of each day.
(D) schedule sufficient work-breaks to avoid job burnout.
Passage
