Reading comprehension is a critical skill that employers look for in job candidates. Your ability to understand, analyze, and interpret written information can reveal a lot about your qualifications for a role.
In this article, I’ll cover the top 15 reading comprehension interview questions you’re likely to encounter and provide tips to help you craft winning responses With practice, preparation, and a strategic approach, you can demonstrate your reading comprehension abilities with confidence during your next interview
Why Reading Comprehension Matters in Interviews
Reading comprehension comes into play in almost every job Whether you need to analyze reports, evaluate research, or make sense of complex instructions, strong reading skills are indispensable. Employers often test candidates’ comprehension through interview questions to determine if they can
- Grasp main ideas and details from written content
- Draw logical inferences
- Interpret charts, graphs, and diagrams
- Synthesize information from multiple sources
- Apply critical thinking to written material
The level of reading comprehension required varies by role. More analytical positions like research analysts or financial advisors demand very high comprehension skills. But even administrative or customer service roles require the ability to interpret instructions, memos, emails, and other written communications.
Hiring managers want to know you have the necessary reading comprehension abilities to succeed in the role. Tailoring your responses to showcase these skills is crucial.
15 Common Reading Comprehension Interview Questions
Here are some of the most frequent reading comprehension questions asked in interviews:
1. How would you summarize this passage?
This is one of the most straightforward comprehension checks. The interviewer gives you a short text and asks you to summarize or highlight the main points. This tests whether you grasped the essence of the passage and can differentiate key details from extraneous information.
Tips:
- Read the full passage first before attempting to summarize
- Focus on identifying the main idea/theme, key points, and flow of ideas
- Use clear, concise language in your summary
- Paraphrase rather than directly quoting the passage
Interviewers often provide charts, graphs, or tables containing data points and ask candidates to interpret and draw conclusions from the information. They want to see your ability to analyze data and understand complex visual displays of information.
Tips:
- Take a moment to study the data and identify important trends/relationships
- Verbally explain the most significant conclusions you can draw
- Refer directly to the data points that led you to those conclusions
- If relevant, comment on any outliers or unusual patterns in the data
3. What is the tone of this passage?
Understanding tone and being able to infer an author’s intent is a key comprehension skill. For this type of question, read the passage carefully and assess the overall tone being conveyed – whether positive/negative, formal/informal, critical/optimistic etc.
Tips:
- Consider word choice to gauge the tone
- Note any powerful imagery or descriptors that create a certain effect
- Identify any bias or perspective from the author’s wording
- Explain what specific elements contributed to your assessment of the tone
4. How would you explain this concept to someone unfamiliar with the subject matter?
This tests your ability to take complex information and distill it down into clear, simple terms for others. Choose a concept or idea from the passage and describe how you would explain it to someone with no background knowledge of the topic.
Tips:
- Select a concept the audience is unlikely to be familiar with
- Use simple, precise language avoiding jargon
- Break down complicated concepts step-by-step
- Use metaphors or analogies to help relate the idea to common experiences
- Invite the person to ask clarifying questions
5. What are the strengths and flaws in the author’s argument in this passage?
This type of question evaluates your critical thinking skills. You’ll need to closely analyze the passage, identify the author’s main argument, assess the evidence provided, and explain the strengths and weaknesses in their reasoning.
Tips:
- Outline the key components of the argument
- Note what evidence they use to support their claims
- Discuss how effective you find that evidence and reasoning
- Point out any logical fallacies, unsupported assumptions, or gaps in the argument
- Provide suggestions for improvement.
6. What additional information would help strengthen the author’s argument in this passage?
Similar to the previous question, this requires analyzing an argument and assessing how it could be improved. Think about what key pieces of information are missing or what new evidence would make the author’s claims more convincing.
Tips:
- Identify any assumptions or generalizations made without sufficient support
- Consider counterarguments the author has not addressed
- Suggest what research, statistics, expert opinions, or real-world examples would make the argument more watertight
7. What new title would you give this passage?
Coming up with an alternative title involves identifying the core message or essence of the passage. Avoid just reformulating the existing title. Try to encapsulate the spirit of the piece in your own words.
Tips:
- Focus on the primary theme or purpose of the passage
- Make your title succinct yet descriptive
- Consider using alliteration, wordplay, rhyme, or other creative literary devices
- Check that your title aligns with the tone of the passage
8. Who do you think is the intended audience for this passage?
Assessing the intended audience requires analyzing the language, examples, tone, and context clues in the passage. Make logical inferences about the reader’s background knowledge, interests, or demographic traits based on textual evidence.
Tips:
- Note any specialized terminology or acronyms used
- Identify shared cultural references or perspectives
- Consider what prior knowledge the passage assumes
- Discuss how the language and examples cater to that intended audience
9. How would you rewrite this passage from a different perspective?
This creative thinking exercise evaluates your ability to shift perspective and adapt writing for different audiences. Choose an alternative viewpoint and describe how you would rework the passage to reflect that new perspective.
Tips:
- Indicate whose perspective you are taking – the opposing view, a minor character,etc.
- Discuss what parts you would keep vs change
- Consider how word choice, examples, and language would differ
- Maintain consistency in voice and logic
10. What moral or lesson is conveyed through this passage?
This assesses whether you can look beyond superficial details to understand the deeper meaning of the text. Explain what overall life lesson, value, or moral you think readers are meant to take away.
Tips:
- Identify the main theme/message
- Discuss which aspects of the passage convey this moral
- Explain what you think the author wants readers to learn or reflect on
- Give your perspective on the lesson’s value
11. What logical fallacy is committed in this passage?
This tests your ability to identify lapses in logic or reasoning within a text. Carefully analyze the passage to spot commonly occurring fallacies like unfounded generalizations, circular reasoning, post hoc ergo propter hoc etc. Explain your choice.
Tips:
- Take note of gaps in reasoning, questionable assumptions
- Identify places where emotion overrides logic
- Explain the nature of the logical flaw and your rationale
- Consider consulting a logical fallacies reference sheet
12. How would you categorize this passage – fiction or non-fiction? What evidence supports your choice?
This assesses your skill in distinguishing fact from fiction based on textual evidence and cues. Explain whether you categorize the passage as fiction or non-fiction and point to specific elements that support your determination.
Tips:
- Note literary devices like imagery, symbolism vs factual language
- Identify claims that can/cannot be verified
- Look for technical language or citations indicating non-fiction
- Assess if the tone is objective vs emotional/dramatic
13. What questions would you ask the author of this passage to learn more?
This demonstrates your curiosity and engagement with the material. Formulate thoughtful questions that show you comprehended the content and would like to gain deeper insight into the author’s knowledge, motivations, or future plans.
Tips:
- Identify points you would like the author to expand on or clarify
- Consider asking about the impetus for their work and future implications
- Pose analytical questions that demonstrate meaningful reflection on the material
14. Does this passage leave any questions unanswered? What are they?
Look for gaps or holes in the information provided that leave you wanting to know more. Identify unanswered questions you have after reading the passage that the author should address.
Tips:
- Take notes while reading about anything unclear
- Flag any unsupported claims or vague assertions
- Compile questions that would strengthen understanding
- Prioritize the most significant unanswered questions
15. How would you summarize the key themes explored in these three related texts?
With multiple passages, the interviewer wants to see if you
Overview of Reading Comprehension Test
The reading comprehension test checks how well candidates can understand written text. This helps with hiring by making sure they have important communication and critical thinking skills that are useful in all fields.
- Making inferences based on a passage
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READING COMPREHENSION in Exams, Tests – Strategies, Tips and Tricks – Building Reading Skills
How do I prepare for a reading comprehension interview?
Prepare for the types of questions you are likely to be asked when interviewing for a position where Reading Comprehension skills will be used. Reading comprehension is a critical skill for success in school and in the workplace. That’s why interviewers often ask questions designed to assess your reading comprehension abilities.
Why do interviewers ask questions about reading comprehension?
That’s why interviewers often ask questions designed to assess your reading comprehension abilities. If you’re interviewing for a job that requires reading comprehension, you can expect to be asked questions about your ability to read and understand written materials.
How do you answer a reading question in an interview?
This question can help an interviewer determine your knowledge of reading resources and how you might help others improve their skills. You can answer this question by naming websites that offer free or low-cost reading materials, such as online newspapers or magazines.
What is reading comprehension & why is it important?
When answering this question, you can define what reading comprehension is and explain why it’s important in your field. Example: “Reading comprehension is the ability to understand written material. It involves understanding the main idea of a piece of writing as well as its supporting details.
