Reading
Text Features in Informational and Visual Texts
Headings, captions, bold words, tables, and charts are not decoration, they are signposts. Learn to read them and you answer questions faster and more accurately.
Most of the CAEC Reading test is built on informational texts, articles, reports, manuals, and notices, with some literary passages mixed in. These informational pieces almost always come dressed in text features: titles, headings, bold terms, captions, tables, and infographics. They are there to help you, and the test expects you to use them.
The good news is that text features are a reader's shortcut. They tell you how a passage is organized, where to find a specific detail, and what the author thinks is most important. Once you know what each feature does, you stop reading every passage word-by-word and start reading it like a map. Let's walk through it together.
The text features you will meet most often
Each feature has one main job, either it organizes the text or it conveys a specific piece of meaning. Here is what to look for:
- Titles, headings, and subheadings break a passage into chunks and tell you the topic of each chunk. They are the table of contents hiding in plain sight.
- Bold or italic terms flag key vocabulary or ideas the author wants you to notice. When a word is bold, the definition is usually nearby.
- Captions sit under images, charts, or photos and explain what you are looking at. They often contain a detail that is not in the main text.
- Tables, charts, and graphs organize numbers and comparisons so you can read across rows and down columns instead of hunting through paragraphs.
- Infographics, sidebars, and call-out boxes pull out highlights, steps, or quick facts so they stand apart from the main flow.
A worked example: reading an informational passage
Read the short article below the way you would on test day. Notice the heading, the bold term, and the caption, each is doing a job.
Heading: Keeping Bees Healthy in Winter
As temperatures drop, honeybees gather into a tight ball called a winter cluster. The bees on the outside of the cluster shiver their wing muscles to make heat, while the bees in the centre stay warm. Beekeepers help by reducing drafts and making sure the hive has enough stored honey, since the colony does not leave the hive to feed in cold months.
A healthy colony can survive temperatures well below freezing as long as it stays dry. Moisture, not cold, is the most common cause of winter loss.
Caption (under a photo of a hive): A wrapped hive in January. The black covering absorbs sunlight and helps the cluster hold its heat on cold, clear days.
Before answering anything, see how much the features already told you:
- The heading tells you the whole passage is about bee health in winter, so the main idea is set before you read a single sentence.
- The bold term "winter cluster" flags an important concept, and its meaning (a tight ball of bees) sits right beside it.
- The caption adds a fact the body text never states, that a black hive cover absorbs sunlight to hold heat. A question could be built on that detail alone.
Reading a table or chart on purpose
Tables and charts scare some readers, but they follow a simple routine. Always read them in this order: the title (what is this about?), the labels on rows, columns, or axes (what is being measured?), and only then the numbers. Look at this small table:
Average Monthly Rainfall (mm), Riverton
| Month | Rainfall (mm) |
|---|---|
| April | 42 |
| May | 68 |
| June | 91 |
| July | 55 |
The title says this is rainfall in Riverton. The column labels say we are comparing months against millimetres of rain. Now the numbers mean something: rainfall climbs from April to a peak in June (91 mm), then drops in July. If a question asks "which month was wettest?", you read down the Rainfall column for the largest number, you do not need to re-read any paragraph at all.
Letting the question point you to the feature
On the test, the wording of a question usually tells you which feature to use. Train yourself to match them:
- "What is this section mainly about?" → check the heading or subheading above it.
- "What does the word ___ mean as used here?" → find the bold term and read the sentence around it.
- "According to the graphic / image..." → go straight to the caption, table, or chart, not the paragraphs.
- "Which had the highest / lowest / most..." → read across the table or graph and compare the values.
This habit saves time and keeps you accurate. Remember that every CAEC Reading question is answered from the passage in front of you, never from outside knowledge, so the right move is always to locate the evidence, and text features are the fastest way to find it.
Two traps to avoid
Compare how a careful reader and a hurried reader handle the same graphic-based question.
Skips the table title and column labels, grabs the biggest number on the page, and assumes it answers the question. Also ignores the caption, missing a detail that was only stated there.
Reads the title and labels first to know what the numbers mean, checks the caption for extra facts, then matches the question to the exact row or column before choosing an answer.
The biggest number is not always the answer, and the body text is not the only place facts live. Slow down for half a second to read labels and captions, it pays off.
Your turn: practice passage and questions
Read the short notice below, then answer the questions. Use the heading, the bold term, and the caption to find your evidence. No peeking until you have tried.
Heading: New Curbside Compost Program
Starting in September, the city will collect food scraps and yard waste from green bins every week. Residents should place only compostable material, food, leaves, and untreated paper, in the green bin. Plastic bags, including those labelled "biodegradable," are not accepted and must be kept out.
Caption (under a photo of a green bin): Green bins are collected on the same day as recycling. Bins must be at the curb by 7:00 a.m.
- What is this notice mainly about?
- As used in the notice, what does "compostable material" include?
- By what time must bins be at the curb, and how do you know?
Tap to reveal the answers
- 1. A new weekly curbside compost (green bin) program. The heading, "New Curbside Compost Program", states the main idea before you read any sentences.
- 2. Food, leaves, and untreated paper. The bold term "compostable material" is defined right beside it, and plastic bags are specifically excluded.
- 3. By 7:00 a.m. You know because the caption under the photo states the curb time, a detail that never appears in the main paragraph.
Why this matters for the CAEC
The CAEC Reading test is 50 questions in 75 minutes, and its passages are mostly informational, exactly the kind of text that comes loaded with headings, captions, tables, and graphics. Reading these features on purpose helps you find evidence quickly for the Content & Context strand (the largest) and to follow how a text is organized for the Structure and Techniques strand.
Want more practice like this? Explore the rest of our Reading lessons, pick up the CAEC Ready Workbook for full-length passages, or start with a free sample to test yourself.
Disclaimer
This article is a general study lesson. CAEC Ready is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government, ministry of education, or official CAEC testing provider.