Reading comprehension for the Vienna Informatics entrance test
In the reading comprehension part you read a short text and then judge several statements: according to the text, is the statement true, false, or not decidable from the text? That third option is what the part really tests.
It is about 15% of the score. At TU Wien the passages are partly in German and partly in English, roughly nine German and ten English. Both are school-level; no technical vocabulary is required.
Practise reading comprehension freeThe format: three possible verdicts
Each text comes with several statements, and for each you give exactly one verdict. The key rule is to use only the text as your basis, not your own knowledge and not what is probably true.
"Not decidable" is not a fallback but a genuine, often correct answer. It applies whenever the text neither supports nor contradicts the statement, even if the statement sounds plausible.
- True: the text states it, or it follows with logical necessity from the text.
- False: the text says the opposite or contradicts the statement.
- Not decidable: the text is silent on it; you would have to guess or add outside knowledge.
Strategy: statement first, then scan
Read the statement first, then scan the text for the matching spot. That way you read with a clear question in mind and do not waste time on details that do not affect the statement.
Check the verdict against exactly what is written. The most common mistake is over-generalisation: "many" quietly becomes "all", "often" becomes "always". Words like all, never, only, always are red flags to test literally against the text.
Text: "In many programming languages, list counting starts at zero. Experienced developers get used to it quickly." Statement: "All programming languages count lists from zero." Verdict: true, false or not decidable?
- Find the relevant spot: the text says "many" programming languages, not "all".
- From "many" neither "all" nor its opposite follows. The text does not say there are languages that count differently, but it also does not deny it.
- So "all" can neither be confirmed nor refuted from the text. That is exactly the "not decidable" case.
Answer:Not decidable. The text does not support "all": "many" says nothing about every language. Ticking "false" from your own knowledge falls into the over-generalisation trap.
English passages: nothing to fear
At TU Wien roughly half the passages are in English. The level is school English about everyday and popular-science topics, not specialist texts. The same strategy applies: statement first, then anchor it in the text.
If English is hard for you, read a few short English non-fiction texts before the test and practise the same three-way verdict on them. A handful of reps is usually enough to find the pace.
How to practise efficiently
Reading comprehension is about speed and discipline. The content is rarely hard, but you must find the right spot fast and then stay strictly with the text. So practise against the clock and afterwards check why a statement was not decidable.
The free trainer gives you German and English passages in the test format, each task with a reasoning. That drills exactly the false versus not-decidable decision where most points are won or lost.
Frequently asked questions
What does "not decidable" mean?
That the text neither confirms nor refutes the statement. You could only answer it using outside knowledge or an assumption, and that is exactly what is not allowed. If the text is silent, the verdict is "not decidable".
Are the texts German or English?
At TU Wien both, roughly nine German and ten English passages. The level is school English; no technical vocabulary is needed.
How much does the reading comprehension part count?
About 15% of the total score. Less than the cognitive part, but since there is no fixed pass mark and places are ranked by score, every point counts.
What is the most common mistake?
Over-generalisation: "many" becomes "all", "often" becomes "always". Watch for words like all, never, only, always and match them literally against the text instead of judging by gut feeling.
Can reading comprehension even be practised?
Yes. The content changes but the format and traps stay the same. With a few timed rounds you find the pace and get more reliable at the "not decidable" verdict. On VWUPass this is free and needs no sign-up.