Practice Test A - Reading Test

Reading Test Instructions

  • On the official test, once you leave a page, you cannot go back to it to change your answers. However, in this sample test, you can.

  • Watch the timer in the top right corner to make sure that you complete the Reading Test before the time is up.

  • This Reading Test is identical in format to the official test except that the Reading section of the official test may be slightly longer as it might contain additional questions included for research and development purposes.

Reading Instructional Video

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Practice Test A - Reading Practice Task

Time remaining: 2 minutes

Read the following message.

Canada is surrounded on three sides by oceans.
To the north, the Arctic Ocean borders Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.
Off the west coast of British Columbia is the Pacific Ocean.
The Atlantic Ocean, meanwhile, sits to the east of Canada’s Maritime provinces, which include Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.

Using the drop-down menu (🔽), choose the best option according to the information given in the message.

The correct option is: 2

Practice Test A - Reading Part 1: Reading Correspondence

Time remaining: 11 minutes

Read the following message.

Dear Ara,
Thank you for submitting your insurance claim to our office. I have finished reviewing it, including your photos of the water-damaged items and the original purchase receipts for them. I appreciated the itemized spreadsheet you included.
You have claimed the cost of replacing your desktop computer, which was for personal use only and damaged in the flood. The computer cannot be repaired, so the cost of replacing it is approved. However, your spreadsheet also itemizes the cost of a 3-year extended warranty, purchased along with the computer. Since the computer is 7 years old, the warranty coverage has expired. We cannot pay for the expired warranty portion of your computer costs.
You have also claimed the cost of the goods and services tax (GST) on the original purchase price of items that were damaged. Unfortunately, we pay this cost only on items that have been purchased as replacements. Therefore, for any replacement item you purchase, please submit the receipt to us. Note that interest on credit card purchases is not covered.
Regarding the wool carpet samples, you indicated that these are the property of the flooring company you work for. Our policy covers only property owned and used by you personally, so, I’m sorry, but we cannot cover the cost of the damaged carpet samples.
When it’s time for you to renew your policy with us next spring, we recommend that you purchase additional insurance for items stored in your home but owned by or used in your business. This would protect you not only against the type of loss you recently experienced, but also against other risks such as fire.
Your adjusted total is $16,400. Our accounting department will issue you a cheque on the 15th of this month. If you would prefer to pick it up rather than receive it by mail, please let me know by this Wednesday at the latest.
As a valued long-time client, please accept warmest wishes from our family of companies. We wish you every success in recovering from your losses this past August, and we are pleased to have been able to assist you.
Regards,
Nelson Lowe

Using the drop-down menu (🔽), choose the best option according to the information given in the message.

The correct option is: 1
The correct option is: 4
The correct option is: 2
The correct option is: 1
The correct option is: 2
The correct option is: 3

Here is a response to the message. Complete the response by filling in the blanks. Select the best choice for each blank from the drop-down menu (🔽).

Dear Nelson,
Thank you for your message.I’m glad to hear that you 7.
The correct option is: 3 . I didn’t realize that the warranty on my computer had expired; 8. The correct option is: 1 that in my claim.I have two questions. First, before the flood happened, I brought the carpet samples home 9. The correct option is: 2 because we’re redecorating our living room and wanted to choose new carpeting. I’m not actually using the house for business purposes or to store business supplies. Regarding the samples, does this new information affect 10. The correct option is: 4 Second, would I get a discount on car insurance if I switched from my current company to you, since I already have house insurance with you? I realize this question is 11. The correct option is: 2 the claim at hand, but I would appreciate your response when convenient.
Sincerely,
Ara

Practice Test A - Reading Part 2: Reading to Apply a Diagram

Time remaining: 9 minutes

Read the following email message about the diagram on the left. Complete the email by filling in the blanks. Select the best choice for each blank from the drop-down menu (🔽).

Subject: Chocolates
To: Roger Neufeld < [email protected] >
From: Vincent Mathijs < [email protected] >
Good morning Roger,
Hope you had a great weekend. As promised, here’s my draft of the concept for our next product line. The concept is to simplify and logically group our range of chocolate confections.
Customers still have plenty of options—but there won’t be any 1.
The correct option is: 4 . Informal market research showed that the most popular item among the available options was the marzipan in the 2. The correct option is: 2 shape.One strategy behind the product range is to stand out from our competitors by 3. The correct option is: 2 . Another strategy was to follow the consumer trend toward healthier options that limit the intake of particular ingredients. The 4. The correct option is: 1 products are specifically designed to fill this need.Well, those are my ponderings on this concept. What are yours? If I could have your feedback before next Friday, I’d really appreciate it.Thanks in advance for your input. Vincent Mathijs 5. The correct option is: 3

Using the drop-down menu (🔽), choose the best option.

6.If you want to avoid almonds, what are your only options? The correct option is: 4
7.What do we know for sure about Vincent and Roger? The correct option is: 4
8.What should Roger do after he reads the message? The correct option is: 1

Practice Test A - Reading Part 3: Reading for Information

Time remaining: 10 minutes

Read the following message.

A.Photographs of spectacular rainbows are a dime a dozen, but a similar event seldom witnessed is the occurrence of moonbows. While rainbows are caused by beams of sunlight refracting through water droplets in the atmosphere, moonbows, as their name suggests, are created by beams of moonlight refracting through moisture in the air. However, this is where the similarity to rainbows ends. These nighttime bows, also referred to as lunar rainbows, are a much rarer phenomenon, occurring only at particular times of the year and limited by geographic requirements.
B.A distinct combination of astronomical and meteorological conditions is required in order for a moonbow to occur. For one, the moon must be bright, such as during a full or nearly full moon. Moreover, the moon must be low in the sky, no more than 42 degrees above the horizon. The lower the elevation of the moon, the fuller the lunar rainbow. Finally, there must be water droplets present in the atmosphere. The optimal conditions occur on nights during which there are rain showers falling opposite the moon and the sky is clear. Mist from waterfalls can also create the appropriate amount of moisture in the atmosphere. Under these precise conditions, a viewer standing with his or her back to the moon could potentially observe a moonbow.
C.Although multicoloured, the bands of the arc of a moonbow appear as various shades of grey to the naked eye. This can be attributed to physiological factors. Because it is difficult for the human eye to discern colours at low levels of illumination, such as in the darkness of night, the multihued bow appears white or grey. Nonetheless, the magnificent colours of lunar bows can be picked up in long-exposure photographs, even though the arc appears monochrome to the photographer.
D.Because of the specific combination of conditions required, moonbows are more prevalent in certain locations around the world, particularly those that have waterfalls. Such moonbows form fairly regularly at Yosemite Falls in California, Cumberland Falls in Kentucky, and Victoria Falls on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe in Africa. In fact, moonbow predictions at some of these locations can be found on various websites. The appearance of lunar rainbows is also common in the cloud forests of Costa Rica and in certain areas of Hawaii. If you are fortunate enough to be at the right place at the right time, you may be able to catch a glimpse of this magnificent phenomenon.
E. Not given in any of the above paragraphs.

Decide which paragraph, A to D, has the information given in each statement below. Select E if the information is not given in any of the paragraphs.

-1. The orientation of the moon in relation to the earth impacts the intensity of the bow. The correct option is: B
-2. Moonbows occur less frequently than their daytime counterparts. The correct option is: A
-3. Specific circumstances must occur simultaneously in order to create a moonbow. The correct option is: B
-4. Images of rainbows are much more common than images of moonbows. The correct option is: A
-5. Moonbows are often seen on nights when the moon is high in the sky. The correct option is: E
-6. Specific geographical sites are more suitable for lunar rainbows. The correct option is: D
-7. It is possible to obtain forecasts for some moonbow occurrences. The correct option is: D
-8. Perception of moonbow colours is hindered by lack of light. The correct option is: C
-9. Observers have claimed to see moonbows during crescent moon phases The correct option is: E

Practice Test A - Reading Part 4: Reading for Viewpoints

Time remaining: 13 minutes

Read the following article from a website.

Smartphones and other technological paraphernalia have invaded our lives. We are now surrounded by people eschewing social etiquette by compulsively checking their phones, drawn automatically to the incessant "ding" of their notifications. The ubiquity and nature of this modern technology have made concentrating on anything for more than a moment feel like a Herculean task. Young children are particularly at risk, since their neurological development is not yet complete.
The impression that children are negatively affected by personal computing devices is reflected in anecdotal evidence from classrooms, where teachers increasingly report shortened attention spans in pupils. Lisa Cranberg, a veteran elementary school teacher, believes that “exposure to technology is rewiring our kids’ brains.” For her, “children spending extended periods of time interacting solely with their smartphones is showing diminished self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and focus.” In essence, she believes that overstimulation is making it difficult for students to concentrate in a traditional lecture-centric classroom.
Not everyone is as anxious, however, about technological advances. Dr. Clara Hughes of the University of Waterloo agrees that shifts in stimuli are resulting in cerebral rewiring, with ramifications that might include shorter attention spans. However, she claims that developing these mechanisms that allow us to partake in rapid-fire attention shifting is actually “beneficial to creative types whose job is to amalgamate disparate ideas.” She surmises that our brains are simply adapting to the level of stimulation inherent to our environment.
In fact, while technology can be harmful to concentration, a new wave of research is unearthing a whole slew of unforeseen beneficial effects. “Modern technology is bettering our ability to multitask and concentrate in short bursts,” according to neuropsychologist Dr. Mark Levinson. This means that “we get a better sense of what deserves our attention, and there is an improved selection of the information we commit to memory.”
Dr. Hughes is more moderate in her analysis, saying that “overexposure and gadget addiction do have a demonstrably negative effect on many cognitive behaviours.” Nevertheless, she concurs with Dr. Levinson’s overall beneficial assessment of the neurological side-effects of our interactions with digital technologies.

Using the drop-down menu (🔽), choose the best option according to the information given in the message.

1. The intent of the first paragraph is to The correct option is: 3
2. Ms. Cranberg’s opinion stems from her The correct option is: 2
3. Dr. Hughes’ main point is that our The correct option is: 4
4. Dr. Hughes and Ms. Cranberg would agree that The correct option is: 1
5. Dr. Levinson would likely agree that The correct option is: 1

The following is a comment by a visitor to the website page. Complete the comment by choosing the best option to fill in each blank.

I’ve never really thought about the effect of emerging technologies on neurological development, but as a parent of four youngsters, this piece certainly piqued my interest! After reading the various viewpoints, I felt that 6. The correct option is: 4 neglected to mention the potentially negative consequences of diminishing attention spans. 7. The correct option is: 3 numerous valuable effects of human-computer interactions, such as improvements in the ability to simultaneously execute multiple activities, assemble contrasting information, and sort out facts. Meanwhile, I was disappointed by the alarmist views on 8. The correct option is: 4 expressed by Ms. Cranberg. 9. The correct option is: 1 should be a blessing for teachers and classrooms. 10. The correct option is: 2 traditional educational methods, as Ms. Cranberg insinuates, then these methods need to be adapted to the way children consume information in their daily lives.
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