Reading Comprehension Strategies for the DAT

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Learn key DAT concepts related to reading comprehension, plus a practice section with questions and answers

Reading Comprehension Strategies for the DAT

all the key reading comprehension strategies you need to know for the dat

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Part 1: Introduction to reading comprehension

The reading comprehension (RC) section of the DAT consists of three science-based passages. Each passage has 16-17 questions, for a total of 50 questions in this section. You are given one hour to complete all 50 questions. The purpose of this section of the DAT is to test not only your reading skills, but also your ability to think critically. 

There are a number of things to keep in mind when preparing for the RC section. The types of questions asked in this section can take different forms, and there are many different strategies you can use. In this guide, we’ll dive into examples and effective strategies before finishing with a practice passage.

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Part 2: Preparation

The RC section differs greatly from the other sections on the DAT and, therefore, requires a unique approach as you prepare. Perhaps the most crucial aspect of the RC section is timing. Because you’re tasked with answering 50 questions in 60 minutes, your pacing will be slightly slower than one question per minute. When you factor in reading three passages, you can see why timing can become an issue. The best way to get the timing down is simple: lots of practice! The approach you take to the number of practice passages and questions you do may be different than other students. Regardless of your approach, becoming more comfortable with efficiently moving through reading passages is imperative.

Another key feature that makes this test unique is the fact that passage topics cannot be directly prepared for beforehand. You will not be given the topic of the passages before beginning the exam, but you also will not be required to know any background information about the passages’ topics. This reinforces the need to dial in your critical thinking skills as you get ready for test day. 

The passages themselves are often taken from publications. The topics are always scientific, and often draw on influence from the writer. Because of this, it is critical that you make a firm commitment to science-based reading while preparing for the DAT. Because there are only so many free (and paid) DAT resources available, you’ll benefit from finding science articles of comparable length (~1500 words) and difficulty. There are many resources to find articles, one of which is ScienceDaily (www.sciencedaily.com). Being intentional in practicing with an outside resource as part of your daily study routine, in addition to your official RC prep, will go a long way in building your skills and maximizing your score.

While the first big hurdle you’ll have in improving your RC score is committing to daily practice, just as important is how you spend this practice time. Because you are directly practicing your critical thinking skills, it is crucial for you to minimize distractions. Find a controlled, distraction-free environment where you can practice and think clearly. Doing so will prepare you for testing conditions on the DAT. As you spend time practicing, think of the articles you read in the same way you’d think about an actual RC passage.

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Part 3: Questions types

In this section, we’ll cover the distinct types of questions that you’ll encounter in the RC section. These types include questions about the main idea, details, tone, and intent of a passage. 

a) Main idea

Main idea questions assess your understanding of the main theme or primary point of a passage. These questions can be phrased in various ways, such as the examples below: 

  • What is the main point of the passage?

  • The author’s primary concern seems to be which of the following?

  • Which of the following best summarizes the passage?

Regardless of wording, these questions are quite common. To prepare yourself, it is crucial to evaluate the author’s viewpoint as you read through the passage for the first time. Ways to do this include paying attention to introductory sentences in each paragraph, looking out for repeated ideas, not concerning yourself too much with specific details, and paying extra attention to the thesis statement (if present). The best way to develop these skills is through repeated practice.

b) Detail

A key to approaching questions concerning details of the passage is understanding that, for the vast majority (and often all) of these questions, the correct answer is found in the text. Sometimes it is explicitly given, and sometimes it is implied. In reading these questions, be wary of whether the passage is being paraphrased or directly quoted. Even if paraphrasing is being used, you’ll usually find keywords present in both the passage and the question.

Unlike main idea questions, detail questions require greater focus and understanding of the passage. While few test takers may succeed in remembering these details on their first read-through of the passage, most won’t. This is where efficient focus in the initial read-through, as well as in answering each of the other question types, is critical. The faster you can cover the other parts of an RC passage, the more time you’ll have remaining to search for the answers to these questions. While this tactic is covered in further detail in Part 4 of this guide, understand that the key to being able to apply it is making a mental map of the passage as you go, then using this map to promote an efficient process of finding answers to questions.

c) Tone

This question type branches off of main idea questions. Tone refers to the manner in which the author approaches the material at hand. Tone will be very easy to detect in some passages, whereas others may require you to pay closer attention. While a question may directly ask for the author's tone, another way of phrasing would be, “Which of the following words best describes the author’s attitude toward…?” To save time on these questions, train yourself to pick up the author’s tone on your initial read-through of the passage. This can be done by paying attention to emotional language, looking for consistent takes by the author at different points in the passage, and using process of elimination. The latter can be useful when the tone is either seemingly neutral or difficult to interpret.

d) Intent

These questions go hand-in-hand with tone and main idea questions. If you understand the overarching idea of the passage, as well as the tone the author chooses to use throughout, intent questions will be a breeze. Most passages you encounter will either be primarily descriptive or persuasive. Determining which type of passage you are given should automatically narrow your answer choices. Just as with tone questions, a couple clues throughout the passage may be the deciding factor in choosing the correct answer. The more you practice, the better you’ll be at picking these up.

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