My Reading exam experience in 2026

· By Maksim · 2 min read

Hi, I'm Maksim 👋 I want to share my Reading exam experience because this exam can look easy, but still make you nervous when you see unfamiliar words.

For me, the exam was not extremely hard, but there were moments where I had to stay calm and think logically.

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What surprised me during Reading 📖

The texts were a bit easier than the materials I used for preparation.

But at the same time, some texts had unfamiliar words. I thought my A2 vocabulary was good enough, so this surprised me and made me nervous 😅

There were several texts like this, and I had to solve them logically instead of understanding every single word.

How the exam felt compared with practice ✅

Overall, the exam felt easier than my practice materials.

But I think this was exactly because I had practiced before. Without preparation, the hidden traps and unfamiliar words could easily create stress.

My advice before Reading 💡

I would recommend solving at least 50 texts by yourself before the exam.

Also, make sure you can reach the passing score consistently. Otherwise, the exam may feel simple, but you can still lose points in places where traps are hidden.

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Frequently asked questions

Is the real Reading exam harder than practice materials?

For Maksim it felt easier than his practice materials — but only because he had already practiced enough for the format and any unfamiliar words to feel manageable.

What was the most surprising part of the Reading exam?

Running into unfamiliar words despite feeling confident in his A2 vocabulary — he had to reason through those texts logically rather than understanding every word.

How many texts should I practice before the Reading exam?

At least 50 texts solved independently, while also making sure you consistently reach the passing score — the exam can feel simple but still hide traps that cost points.

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