IELTS Reading Test Information, Tips & Tricks

Reading is the second part of the IELTS test, and takes 60 minutes. It consists of three or sometimes four reading passages of increasing difficulty.

There are three sections in both the Academic or General reading component and 40 questions in total, which must be answered in 60 minutes. Each question is equal to one point.

The answers must be written on the answer sheet provided to the examinee at the beginning of the exam. The Candidates will not have time to transfer the answers on their paper to the answer sheet after the 60 minutes. Therefore, it is important to complete the answers in less than 60 minutes or write the answers on the sample answer sheet.

Differences between the Academic and General Reading Modules

There are some differences between the reading component of the Academic and the General Training modules: the type of texts and their length and difficulty.

In the General Training module, the readings are from journals, magazines, and leaflets. Generally speaking, they include topics related to everyday life, training or work topics. The texts are written for non-specialist readers. They are short in sections 1 and 2 and there is one long text in section 3.

In the Academic test, each section is almost as difficult as the other two sections, whereas in the General Training test, section three is the longest and has the most difficult questions.

Here is a table describing the main components of each type of module:

Main Components

Academic Reading Module

General Reading Module

Number of words

2150 to 2750

Number of sections

Three (Section one, two and three)

Three*(Section one, two and three)

Type of reading texts

From journals, magazines, books (fiction and non- fiction), newspaper articles, academic articles.

From timetables, instructional manuals, booklet, magazines.

Length of texts

Three long passages with thirteen to fourteen questions for each passage.

*Section one: two to three passages on everyday life
Section two: two texts about work related situations.
Section three: one long general
reading text.

Reading test assessment

The main purpose of the reading section is to assess exam takers in the following areas:

Reading for the gist or skimming (identify the key themes or general ideas)
Reading for details or scanning (identify specific information).
Reading for details and understanding the details in a text (intensive reading).
Recognizing inferences and understanding implied meaning (intensive reading).
Recognizing a writer’s opinions, and purpose of the writing (intensive reading).

Types of Questions

The following are possible task types in the Reading test of either the General or Academic modules. Not all of these types of questions will appear in every test. However, it is important for you to understand what is being assessed in each type of question and know how to prepare in order to solve each question successfully.

Task type 1 – Multiple Choice Questions,

Task type 2 – Identifying information (True, False, Not Given)

Task type 3 – Identifying writer’s views/claim (Yes, No, Not Given)

Task type 4 – Matching information

Task type 5 – Matching headings

Task type 6 – Matching features

Task type 7 – Matching sentence endings

Task type 8 – Sentence completion

Task type 9 – Summary, note, table, flow-chart completion

Task type 10 – Diagram label completion

Task type 11 – Short-answer questions

Strategies to get maximum bands in Reading section