- Short answer: read the passage properly first, then answer the questions.
- A quick look is fine: glancing at the questions for 30 seconds before reading tells your child what to watch for.
- Why scanning fails: questions on mood, theme, structure and the writer's choices need the whole text in mind.
- When scanning works: simple find-the-fact questions and word meanings, once the passage has been read.
- If time is the problem: build reading speed with short timed reads, not a shortcut.
Most children ask this because they are worried about running out of time. The honest answer is that reading the passage first usually saves time overall.
This guide explains why, when a quick scan is fine, and a simple routine your child can use in every paper.
The plain answer
Read the passage properly first, from start to finish, at a steady pace. Then work through the questions, going back to the text for every answer.
A quick look at the questions before reading is allowed and helps. Your child should spend no more than 30 seconds on it, just to spot names, paragraph numbers and the kind of questions coming.
Why scanning fails on whole-text questions
Scanning means jumping into the passage to hunt for a key word from the question. That works when the answer sits in one sentence, but many marks do not.
- Mood and atmosphere: a mood builds across several paragraphs, so one sentence rarely proves it.
- Theme: "What is this story really about?" can only be answered by someone who has read the ending.
- Structure: questions like "Why does the writer start with the storm?" need to know what comes later.
- Writer's choices: the effect of a word often depends on what has already happened to the character.
- Tone and figurative lines: a child who skims can take a joke, a sarcastic remark or a metaphor literally.
Children who scan also tend to reread the same paragraphs many times. One proper read gives them a map of the passage, so later questions go faster.
When scanning is fine
Once the passage has been read, scanning is exactly the right tool for some questions. The skill is knowing which ones.
- Find a fact: "What colour was the boat?" or "Give two things the girl carried."
- Word meaning: "Which word in paragraph 3 means tired?" Your child goes straight to paragraph 3.
- Quote a line: "Find a phrase that shows the room was cold."
Even here, your child should read the sentence before and after the answer. That stops them picking a line that looks right but means something else.
If time is the real problem, build speed
A child who runs out of time usually needs faster, more confident reading, not a trick. Speed grows with steady practice over a few weeks.
- Short timed reads: set a timer for 3 minutes on a page of a book, then ask for a two-sentence summary.
- Read aloud together: 10 minutes a day helps your child read in phrases rather than single words.
- Wide daily reading: stories, non-fiction and older books with longer sentences all help.
- Timed papers late on: save full timed papers for the last few months, when the method is secure.
If you want quick, varied passages without planning them yourself, Pip gives adaptive English practice that starts at your child's level.
A 3-step routine for every passage
- Glance (30 seconds) Look over the questions for names, line numbers and any "whole passage" questions.
- Read (the longest step) Read the whole passage once at a steady pace. Underline anything surprising, and write a word in the margin for how each part feels.
- Answer and prove For every answer, go back and find the line that proves it. For written answers, make a point, give the evidence and explain it with "because".
The lighthouse had been dark for a week. Every evening Tamsin climbed the hill with her father's torch, and every evening she stood at the top until the last ferry passed.
Tonight the ferry was late. She switched the torch on and held it high, although her arm ached.
Scan-friendly question: What did Tamsin carry up the hill? (Her father's torch.)
Whole-text question: How does Tamsin feel about the ferry?
A scanner finds "late" and writes "worried". A careful reader sees she climbs every evening and holds the torch despite the pain, so she feels responsible for keeping it safe.
For a longer worked passage, see our 11+ comprehension guide and the free comprehension worksheets.
More than one text
Some tests, especially second rounds and some independent schools, use more than one text in a paper. Comparison questions can only be answered by someone who has read both texts properly.
Check your test's familiarisation material to see what your child will face. Our guide to comparing two texts shows a method that works.
Frequently asked questions
Should my child read the questions or the passage first in 11+ comprehension?+
Read the passage first, properly, then answer the questions. A 30 second glance at the questions before reading is fine and helps your child know what to look out for.
Is it ever OK to skip reading the passage?+
No, not in a real test. Even fact questions are easier once your child knows where things happen in the text, and whole-text questions cannot be answered without it.
My child keeps running out of time. What should we do?+
Build reading speed with short timed reads and daily reading aloud. Also check they are not rereading the passage for every question, which a proper first read prevents.
How long should the first read take?+
It depends on the passage length and the time allowed. As a rough guide, your child should aim to spend about a third of the section time reading and the rest answering.
Should my child underline while reading?+
Yes, lightly and sparingly. Underline surprising moments, changes of mood and key names, and write one word in the margin for how each part feels.
Does this apply to multiple choice tests too?+
Yes. Multiple choice options often differ by one small detail, and a child who has read the whole passage spots the wrong one faster.
The Pip team builds Pip, the 11+ and KS2 practice app for children in years three to six. We write these guides from real exam formats and past papers.
