Polish B1 exam – reading comprehension

What the reading module tests

The reading module tests three kinds of understanding: global (what the text is about and why it was written), selective (where the information you need is) and detailed (what exactly is written). At B1 level there is a fourth skill – recognising the main message and arguments in a simple text in which the author defends something or criticises something.

The standard of requirements also lists the strategies the Commission expects: understanding words from context, skimming a text quickly to find information and adjusting your reading speed to the task. This means you do not have to – and should not – read every text word by word. The other parts of the exam are described in the guide to the B1 exam.

Which texts appear at B1

Texts at B1 level concern private, public, professional and educational life. The regulation lists functional texts, press texts and short literary extracts.

Signs and notices – short but tricky

Short signs test whether you understand impersonal forms and official style. In Polish prohibitions and instructions you will often see the infinitive or the form prosimy o… ("we ask you to…") rather than the imperative.

Exercise: a rental advert

The text and questions were prepared by the Pol-Langua editorial team. The task is in a true/false format, which is good practice for detailed reading.

Note that each answer depends on one short limiting expression: z wyjątkiem, po uzgodnieniu, wyłącznie. Words like these are the most common trap in reading.

Words that change the meaning of a sentence

If a sentence in a question looks almost the same as a sentence in the text, check the limiting words and negations – they decide whether the answer is correct.

• tylko, wyłącznie, jedynie – limiting to a single possibility;
• z wyjątkiem, oprócz, poza – something is excluded;
• nie wcześniej niż, najpóźniej, do – time limits;
• prawie, niemal, około – the number is not exact;
• zwykle, czasem, rzadko, nigdy – frequency, which you must not turn into "always";
• mimo że, chociaż, jednak – the sentence contains a contrast, and the second part is usually more important.

A reading strategy for the exam

The most effective order of work is: the instructions, the questions, a quick skim of the text, and only then a careful reading of the parts that answer the questions.

1. Read the instructions twice. Check whether you have to choose one answer, match headings or complete a text.
2. Read the questions and underline the key words. The text will usually contain synonyms, e.g. question: Ile kosztuje bilet ulgowy?, text: Studenci i emeryci płacą połowę ceny.
3. Skim the text quickly to know which paragraph deals with which topic.
4. Read carefully only the parts you need. The questions usually follow the order of the text.
5. Guess an unknown word from context or from its structure: nie-zapomniany, samo-obsługowy, współ-lokator.
6. Watch the time. If a task takes too long, mark the most likely answer and come back to it at the end.

The same principle – look for the meaning, not identical words – works in the listening module. Some reading tasks also require recognising the correct form of a word, so it is worth revising B1 grammar in parallel.

How to train your reading before the exam

It is best to read short authentic texts every day that resemble those in the exam: adverts from websites, regulations, articles from local news sites, recipes. After each text, ask yourself three questions: what is it about, why did someone write it and which three details are worth remembering.

Keep your own vocabulary list by topic – for example mieszkanie, zdrowie, praca, podróże – because that is how the thematic catalogue of the B1 level is arranged. Before the exam, do at least one full reading module against the clock, preferably at a mock exam – then you will see whether your pace is fast enough for the exam.