Reading Speed Test

What Can You Gain From A Reading Speed Test?

According to statistics from the United States, it is believed that the average speed for reading English is approximately two hundred words per minute.   There are many places, online and through seminars, where you can take a reading speed test.  These tests are supposed to check how well you can read English as well as how fast.

However, due to the design of some online tests they are simply a reading speed test, as they work by showing you text and after twenty seconds they mark where you read to and then the program calculates the results of your reading speed test.  A more comprehensive test would be to have some form of comprehension test included in the reading speed test.

Technology Requires More Reading Via A Computer Terminal

Research shows that most people have a slightly lower result from a reading speed test on line as we read at a different speed on a screen to on paper!  The results of your reading speed test will still be able to give you a guide as to your reading speed.   The dilemma occurs as in today’s culture of ‘everything on a computer’ and the famous concept of a ‘paperless office’ this makes the results of an online reading speed test more relevant!

When taking a reading speed test you should be aiming to attain a minimum of three hundred words a minute.  It is important that you have understood and can remember the text which you have read during the reading speed test.  There is no point in getting a spectacular reading speed if you cannot remember anything you have read. You have to learn to absorb the information at the same time, as opposed to just seeing the words.  Some people are naturally more adept at remembering what they have read.  The aim of a reading speed test is to read fast, remember what you have read and gain from the experience of the test.

The point of a course, culminating in a reading speed test, is to help you be more productive and to ensure improved comprehension so that you achieve more in your chosen field of study or work in less time.  The point of a reading speed test should be to determine your current reading capabilities, whether this is before or after learning to speed read.  A speed reading test should also help you understand how you look at the words and comprehend them.