I don't think anyone will know exactly how examiners think unless you ask them personally, will this be in the exam. Why do you grade that an A and that a C.
I think students work too hard at trying to please and lose the focus of why they signed up for the course. And for the most part you only need a passing grade. For that PhotoReading is a time saving approach because it asks you to stay focused on your purpose.
Why are you doing the course?--
What do you need to know for that purpose?
Also you will need to demonstrate that knowledge for the instructor - what do you need to know for that?
So when you approach your text book and reading material, those the answers from those 3 questions are part of the map to your purpose for the course texts.
For example... Why am I doing this course... to have a career in...
What do I need to know for that... you might wind up with a list that includes... to find out what I need to know... Learn and improve my English.
To demonstrate that knowledge for the instructor - what do you need to know for that? I need to know what the instructor wants me to know so that I get a passing grade. This will include some material I'm not sure is relevant to my career goal but it is relevant to the course.
So you're assigned a novel... read it for literacy, First time PhotoReading it, then do multiple activation layers and then do the rapid read. (reverse to how one traditionally reads literature for coursework yes you are expected to read the book 3 times. First time your normal reading approach to a novel, then you search the book by reading it again faster, and 3rd time you skim it. Takes much longer than PhotoReading system)
So during activation you look for the characters, the settings and era of the book. With more layers you go deeper for things like moral of the story etc.
Ultimately your purpose will be defined by what you want to get out of the book.
Alex
