Speed reading, a skill that can be learned, has been shown to improve a person's short-term knowledge of a topic. It involves skimming for facts or a cursory understanding of a topic, as the BBC says. Speed reading works well for certain contexts, such as the business world where people must often process information in a short period of time.

On the Other: It Doesn't Lead to In-Depth Understanding

Speed reading will not give someone a thorough understanding of a topic, and the reader will not retain most of the information in her long-term memory. Thus, speed reading through class materials probably won't help a student to write a research paper or ace a test, nor will it give her a strong understanding of the characters and symbolism in a novel.

Bottom Line

Although speed reading will not give someone a complete understanding of a topic, it is an indispensable skill in many contexts, from reading the newspaper to determining which sources may be most helpful in writing a paper. People should learn to speed read if they often need to sift through a large amount of information in a short time.

Source:

The BBC

Resource:

Speed Reading Test Online