Look for the simple story
When you are reading the passage for the first time, try to think of it in the form of a simple story. A good way to do this is to write the story in a few words, in a simple and brief manner. At the level of processing, this exercise helps you to grasp the main meaning of the passage and the important turns in the passage. For example, the first paragraph may introduce the topic, perhaps a new hypothesis, the second will have evidence in support of the hypothesis and the third paragraph will have information that weakens the hypothesis. You must be able to put this understanding down in short and simple words. But don’t forget the Test will not be giving passages in a simple manner. You need to look out for twists in the passage as there will surely be some. So, look for the simple story along with some twists in it.
Link to what you already know
We all have the immense amount of information stored in our memory and when you read new material a lot of this latent information is activated. You must make use of this natural process of memory activation and link the material that you read on the test passage with the information that you already have. For example, you come across a passage that tells you about seaweed. Maybe on your last vacation, you saw these seaweeds on the beach and you remember how they look, what the color was, you may have seen some creature eat it etc. You can link the information presented in the passage with the memory you have of seaweed in order to form a connection and bring about interest in the subject matter of the passage.
Unpack the beginning
The first paragraph of any passage is very important as it gives you an idea of what the passage is about. Spend time to understand the first paragraph. Go slow with reading the first paragraph and make sure you have understood it well before moving further. Once you understand the beginning of the passage, it becomes easier for you to understand the structure and tone of the passage and the role of each paragraph in the context of the entire passage.
Link to what you have just read
Reading comprehension tests you on your critical thinking skills which entail the readers understating the entire passage and the connection of each line and paragraph with other lines and paragraphs. That means you cannot just read the passage passively. You need to actively read the passage to understand the role of each sentence and how it relates to other sentences. And the role of each paragraph and how it relates to other paragraphs.
Pay attention to details
Even though the first reading will not require you to get too much into the details but you must at least know where the details of the passage are. This will help you later when you are attempting questions and are required to look up at details to answer the questions. The point is to know where the specific information lies in the passage.
Pick up the pace
After you have grasped the first paragraph you must pick up the pace and browse through the following paragraph with an aim to understand the main points of each paragraph and to know where the specific information lies. Do not get bogged down by the details of the passage, just go through it quickly to know what information is placed where in the passage. This will make sure that you are not spending too much time on reading the passage.