Short answer
IELTS Reading gives you 60 minutes for 40 questions based on three passages. Academic uses academic passages, while General Training uses everyday texts. For a high band, rather than reading every text from start to finish, you should use scanning and skimming according to the question type.
Who should make Reading a priority?
- Candidates who can't get through 40 questions in 60 minutes
- Candidates who often get stuck on question types such as True/False/Not Given
- Academic candidates who are slowed down by the vocabulary in academic texts
How does Academic Reading differ from General Training Reading?
Unlike Listening and Speaking, Reading is different in the two versions. Academic Reading is built on three long academic passages and calls for a denser vocabulary. General Training Reading starts with shorter texts drawn from everyday life, notices and workplace documents, and the texts get longer as you go. The number of questions (40) and the time allowed (60 minutes) are the same in both versions.
IELTS Reading question types and techniques
Each Reading question type tests a different reading skill. When you know which technique a question calls for, you can go straight to the part of the passage that holds the answer instead of reading the whole text, and save a great deal of time. The most important distinction is between True/False/Not Given, which deals with facts, and Yes/No/Not Given, which tests the writer's views.
- True/False/Not Given: deciding whether a piece of information is in the passage
- Yes/No/Not Given: judging the writer's views and claims
- Matching headings: matching a heading to each paragraph according to its main idea
- Matching information: finding which paragraph contains a specific piece of information
- Sentence and summary completion: completing sentences and summaries
- Multiple choice and short-answer questions
How do you manage your time in Reading?
You have 60 minutes in total for three passages and 40 questions. A sound plan is to give each passage about 20 minutes. Rather than spending several minutes on one hard question, mark it, move on and come back to it at the end; that protects your score. Remember, too, that the paper-based test gives you no extra time to transfer your answers.
Skimming, scanning and tracking keywords
For a high band, rather than reading the whole passage from beginning to end, you combine three techniques: skimming to grasp the general idea quickly, scanning to find a specific piece of information, and tracking the keywords from the question through the passage. Once you can choose between these three according to the question type, your reading speed goes up considerably.
How do we analyse wrong answers in Reading lessons?
In private Reading lessons we use error analysis to find exactly which question type is holding you back. After each practice test we go through your wrong answers by asking why each one was wrong: did you fall for a distractor, miss a keyword, or was it time pressure? That way your practice is aimed not at reading in general but at the question types that genuinely slow you down.
Common Reading mistakes
- Losing several minutes to a single difficult question
- Confusing 'Not Given' with 'False'
- Trying to read every passage from start to finish
- Leaving the answers until the end and running out of time to transfer them
How to raise your Reading band
- Practise skimming and scanning separately
- Identify the question type first, then search the passage with a clear target
- Practise giving each passage about 20 minutes
- Analyse every wrong answer by asking why it was wrong
Frequently asked questions
Related pages
IELTS Listening preparation
Accents and answer-transfer strategies for the Listening section.
IELTS Academic preparation
What sets Academic Reading passages apart.
IELTS tips and test strategies
Time management and question-type techniques for Reading.
IELTS course
Balanced preparation in all four skills, Reading included.
IELTS band scores
How many correct answers out of 40 give which band?
Our method for reaching your target band
The method we follow to raise your band, step by step.
IELTS glossary
Skimming, scanning, Not Given and other key terms explained.
IELTS tutoring
90-minute one-to-one online lessons, with a plan built on your diagnostic.