One of the best ways to prepare for an exam, interview, or other similar situation is by reading materials that are related to the particular subject of which the individual needs to prove his or her knowledge. However, each subject is different and each individual learns in a different way, so one person may be able to read and understand a particular subject very easily while another individual might find that subject to be incredibly difficult. As a result, an individual may have to adapt his or her reading style to suit the material that the individual is reading, which may include using a style of reading known as reading for comprehension. Comprehension reading, also known as study reading, is a method of reading a particular passage, chapter, or entire written work several times very carefully so the individual can understand the material more effectively. An individual that is reading for comprehension, by reading the material more slowly than the individual would normally read and/or by reading the material aloud, can often gain a better understanding of the material that the individual is having difficulty understanding. This style of reading is very different from scanning and skimming as it is designed to help an individual understand the information that is covered by a particular piece of written material instead of finding specific key ideas or information in that material.
For example, an individual that is attempting to study a series of complicated formulas related to physics, but is having difficulty understanding what the formulas actually mean, may need to use comprehension reading to understand the material. The individual may be having difficulty understanding what the material is attempting to say because it is extremely complicated, but the individual might still be able to understand the material by reading the material slowly over and over again so the individual can understand the material piece by piece. It is true that the individual could read the material over once at a normal speed or even attempt to skim or scan the material, but this will usually not help the individual understand the material if he or she is having difficulty. It is also important to note, however, that comprehension reading can be an extremely slow process as it is a style of reading that requires the individual to read very slowly and it may not always be possible to read for comprehension effectively when time is a concern.