I haven't put in a specific test because you all have different interests and no one test would truly suit the variety of readers. In fact it could be inappropriate and counterproductive. So you will have the opportunity to choose your own reading material to check your speed.

Just as you know better than anyone else how much you need to improve, you will also know when you've made that progress. You know about your reading ability and level of comprehension. You are the best judge to determine if you are improving.

The following method will show you how you can check your speed at any time with any reading material that is relevant to you. Choose something reasonably light. You will also need a timer to tell you when five minutes are up.

1. Count the number of words in 3 lines of print.

2. Divide by 3. Round down to the nearest whole number. You now have the average number of words per line.

3. Count the number of lines per page. Ignore lines that have only a few words in them.

4. Multiply the average number of words per line by the number of lines per page. This gives you the average number of words per page.

5. Count the number of pages or parts of a page you read in 5 minutes.

6. Multiply this number by the average number of words per page and then divide by 5 to getyour
word-per-minute rate.

For example, on a page of 50 lines with 10 words per line, there are 500 words.

If you read two and a half pages in five minutes, then your word-per-minute rate equals 500 x 2.5 divided 5 = 250. (If this looks tricky use a calculator).

Always, when you stop reading, write down answers to the following:

· What was the main point?

· How did the author support those points?

· How is this information relevant to me?

The advantage of this method is that you can choose your own reading material and read for as long as you like. Ten minutes should be the maximum for testing purposes.

That wasn't so bad, was it?

Now that you know a little bit about your reading ability, put the test behind you. You will be able to check your progress at any time using this method. Every time you look back on the tests you have completed you will be amazed at the improvement you've made.

Are you ready to remove the old habits that slow you down and develop new skills? Let's go!

Words don't describe reality, they create it.

Shakespeare

The reading test was taken form Author Roz Townsend's book: Read Really Fast
Click to read the first chapter of this book.