TABE Reading
Reading is one of the three TABE tests. It checks how well you understand what you read.
What TABE Reading measures
TABE Reading asks you to find the main idea, pick out details, figure out what a passage suggests and work out what words mean. TABE 11&12 Reading focuses mostly on texts that give information, such as research, science and history, more than on stories.
Questions and time
| Test | Questions | Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| TABE 13&14 Reading | 39 to 42, by level | 100 minutes (two parts of 50 minutes) |
| TABE 11&12 Reading | 47 | 100 minutes (two parts of 50 minutes) |
Ask the school or agency giving your test which version you will take.
How to study TABE Reading
- Read the question first. Know what you are looking for before you read the passage.
- Find the main idea. Ask, "What is this whole passage about?" The best main idea covers every sentence, not just one detail.
- Use clues for what is not said. Some questions ask what will likely happen next or what a passage suggests. Look for two or more clues that point the same way.
- Use the words around a hard word. The sentences near a word often explain what it means.
- Read every day. Short articles, notices and instructions are good practice. Sum up each one in a sentence.
Sample questions
1. Read the passage, then answer the question.
A young farmer inherited two fields, one rocky and one rich. He spent every season hauling stones out of the rocky field so it would look like the other, and each harvest that field yielded almost nothing. An old neighbor finally planted the rocky ground with grapevines, which thrived in the thin soil, while the farmer's own corn stood pale and thin beside them.
Which statement best expresses the theme of the passage?
- A. The farmer hauled stones out of the rocky field every season.
- B. Value comes from working with what something already is rather than forcing it to be something else.
- C. Hard work.
- D. You should always ask an experienced neighbor for advice.
Show the answer
Answer: B. A theme is a general lesson the story shows. The grapes grew because the neighbor worked with the rocky soil instead of fighting it. A retells an event, and C only names a topic.
2. Read the passage, then answer the question.
Ruth has entered the county fair pie contest eleven years running, and eleven times she has come away with a top-three ribbon. She tells anyone who asks that she will keep entering as long as her hands stay steady enough to crimp a crust. Her hands are steady. This spring she tore out the old strawberry bed and put in a rhubarb patch twice the size of the one she has been picking from for her entry.
What is most likely to happen next year?
- A. Ruth will take first prize and leave the fair circuit to bake professionally.
- B. Ruth will stop entering the contest after eleven years of trying.
- C. Ruth will switch to an apple pie, because apple is the pie most fairgoers favor.
- D. Ruth will enter the contest again with a rhubarb pie.
Show the answer
Answer: D. Two clues agree. Ruth says she will keep entering while her hands are steady, and they are. She also just planted twice as much rhubarb for her entry.
3. Read the passage, then answer the question.
At her first team meeting, Harper said almost nothing. She stayed reticent even when the manager asked her directly for her opinion, and she left without speaking to anyone.
As used in the passage, the word reticent most nearly means
- A. eager to share her opinion
- B. unwilling to say much
- C. annoyed at being asked in front of the team
- D. a long stretch of silence
Show the answer
Answer: B. Harper says almost nothing, holds back when asked and leaves without speaking. D names a thing, but the passage uses reticent to describe Harper.
How SPARK helps with TABE Reading
SPARK's diagnostic shows how your reading compares with your other subjects. Lessons can be read aloud while you follow along, and practice questions explain why each choice is right or wrong.
FAQ
- How many questions are on TABE Reading?
- TABE 11&12 Reading has 47 questions. TABE 13&14 Reading has 39 to 42 questions, depending on your level.
- How long is TABE Reading?
- In both TABE 11&12 and TABE 13&14, Reading has two parts of 50 minutes each.
- What kinds of questions are on TABE 13&14 Reading?
- TABE 13&14 Reading uses multiple-choice and evidence-based selected-response questions. Its passages are shorter than before.
- How do I find the main idea of a TABE passage?
- To find the main idea of a TABE passage, look for the choice that covers the whole passage. A choice that repeats one detail is too narrow, and a choice that only names a topic is too broad.
Find out where you stand, free.
SPARK starts with a diagnostic and builds your study plan around the sections pulling your score down.
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