IELTS Reading | Understand the Reading test:
You will need to read quickly and efficiently, and manage your time. You will be asked to read three different passages and respond to related questions in your IELTS Reading test. 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, and there is a total of 40 questions to answer. The Academic and General Training Reading Tests are graded to the same level.
The content of the Reading test is different for IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training tests. Details of each version are given below.
Purpose of the test:
The IELTS Reading test is designed to assess a wide range of reading skills, including how well you
- read for the general sense of a passage
- read for the main ideas
- read for detail
- understand inferences and implied meaning
- recognise a writer’s opinions, attitudes and purpose
- follow the development of an argument
This is the case for whichever version of the IELTS test you are taking.
Timing:
The IELTS Reading test takes 60 minutes.
You are not allowed any extra time to transfer your answers, so write them directly on to your answer sheet.
You will need to manage your time during the test because you will not be told when to start or finish each section.
Three sections:
You will be given three different passages to read, each with accompanying questions. You can expect to read 2,150 – 2,750 words in total during your test.
IELTS Academic Reading test:
There are three sections to the IELTS Academic Reading test, and each contains one long text.
These are taken from books, journals, magazines and newspapers. They have been written for a non-specialist audience and are on academic topics of general interest.
They range from the descriptive and factual to the discursive and analytical.
Each text might be accompanied by diagrams, graphs or illustrations, and you will be expected to show that you understand these too.
A simple glossary is provided if the material contains technical terms.
IELTS General Training Reading test:
There are three sections to the IELTS General Training Reading test.
The texts used in each section are taken from notices, advertisements, company handbooks, official documents, books, magazines and newspapers.
Section 1 contains two or three short factual texts, one of which may be made up of 6 – 8 short texts related by topic, e.g. hotel advertisements. The topics are relevant to everyday life in an English-speaking country.
Section 2 contains two short factual texts focusing on work-related issues, e.g. applying for a job, company policies, pay and conditions, workplace facilities, staff development and training.
Section 3 contains one longer, more complex text on a topic of general interest.
Questions:
There are 40 questions.
A variety of question types is used. You may be asked to
- fill gaps in a passage of written text or in a table
- match headings to written text to diagrams or charts
- complete sentences
- give short answers to open questions
- answer multiple choice questions
Sometimes you will need to give one word as your answer, sometimes a short phrase, and sometimes simply a letter, number or symbol.
Make sure you read the instructions carefully.
Marking:
Each correct answer receives one mark.
Scores out of 40 are converted to the IELTS 9-band scale. Scores are reported in whole and half bands.
Reading test advice:
Follow this Reading test advice, and make sure you understand how to respond to ‘completion’ type questions.
It is essential that you write your answers on the answer sheet. Nothing you write on the question paper will be marked.
You may write your answers on the question paper and transfer them to the answer sheet before the end of the test if you like. However, it is important to note that you will not be given extra time to do this.
You must write your answers in pencil.
Make the most of your Reading test:
- look out for the title, headings and any special features such as capital letters, underlining, italics, figures, graphs and tables
- make sure that you understand the questions and follow instructions carefully
- pay attention to timing; do not spend too long on one passage or question
- do not try and read every word; remember, you are reading for a purpose
- if you do not know the answer to a question, attempt it but do not waste time; move quickly onto the next one
- do not panic if you do not know anything about the subject of the text; all the answers can be found in the text
- the word(s) you use must be taken from the Reading text; you must not change the form of the word(s) in the text
- do not worry if there is a word that you do not understand – you may not need to use it
- check your spelling
- be careful to use singular and plural correctly
- focus precisely on what you are asked to do in ‘completion’ type questions
- if the question asks you to complete the note ‘in the…’ and the correct answer is ‘evening’, just use ‘evening’ as your answer; note that ‘in the evening’ would be incorrect
- pay attention to the word limit; for example, if you are asked to complete a sentence using no more than two words, if the correct answer is ‘silk shirt’, the answer ‘shirt made of silk’ would be incorrect
- attempt all questions; there are no penalties for incorrect answers, so you have nothing to lose
- check your answers
