The question types you will meet
IELTS Reading has 40 questions in 60 minutes, across three sections. You will usually see a mix of:
- TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN (or YES / NO / NOT GIVEN for opinions);
- Matching Headings to paragraphs;
- Matching Information: which paragraph contains a given detail;
- Summary, note, table or sentence completion, sometimes with a word box;
- Multiple choice;
- Short-answer questions with a word limit.
Each type needs a slightly different approach. Our 52 practice sets cover all of them, and every answer comes with an explanation that shows where in the passage it is found.
Sixty minutes, three passages: a timing plan
There is no extra time to transfer answers on the computer-delivered test, and on paper you must transfer within the 60 minutes. A simple plan:
- Passage 1: about 17 minutes.
- Passage 2: about 20 minutes.
- Passage 3: about 23 minutes, as it is usually the hardest.
If a question is taking more than about 90 seconds, flag it and move on. On the computer test, the navigator shows which questions you have flagged, so you can return to them at the end. Never leave a blank: there is no penalty for a wrong answer.
Academic vs General Training Reading
Academic passages are long and come from books, journals and magazines: think of the kind of reading a first-year student at Khalifa University or NYU Abu Dhabi might do. The challenge is dense vocabulary and complex arguments.
General Training starts with short, everyday texts such as notices and adverts, moves on to workplace documents like policies or job descriptions, and ends with one longer general text. The language is easier, but you need more correct answers for the same band. Roughly 30 out of 40 gives band 7 in Academic, while General Training needs noticeably more.
Choose the track you are actually taking. Practising the wrong one wastes time.
The two traps: NOT GIVEN and headings
NOT GIVEN catches more people than any other type. The rule is simple: if the passage does not say it, the answer is NOT GIVEN, even if it is true in real life or seems likely. Many experienced professionals in Abu Dhabi, especially engineers and healthcare workers, lose marks here because they use their own knowledge. Answer only from the text.
A quick test: can you point to a sentence that says the opposite? If yes, FALSE. If you can only point to silence, NOT GIVEN.
Matching Headings is the other big time-eater. The trap is matching a heading to one word in the paragraph instead of its main idea. Read the first two sentences and the last sentence of each paragraph, decide the main point in your own words, then look at the headings. Ignore headings that only repeat a detail.
IELTS Reading practice in the gaps of an Abu Dhabi week
You do not need a free evening for IELTS Reading practice. Try this:
- One passage at a time on your phone during a lunch break, timed at 20 minutes.
- A full three-passage set on your day off, at a desk, to build stamina.
- Read English news and long articles daily. Opinion pieces in English-language newspapers are good practice for YES / NO / NOT GIVEN.
If Arabic is your first language, you are used to reading right to left and to a script where short vowels are often not written. Many Arabic-speaking students find that their English reading speed improves quickly with daily timed practice, and that skimming takes conscious effort at first. Speakers of Malayalam, Tagalog, Urdu or other languages often read fluently but need to slow down on detailed questions. Watch where your own mistakes cluster in the Mistake Notebook.
Charged sets for band 7 and above
Once you are scoring around 30 out of 40 consistently, ordinary practice sets may feel too comfortable. Our Charged sets are harder Reading (and Listening) sets designed for students aiming at band 7+. Passages are more demanding, distractors are closer, and paraphrasing is less obvious.
Use them in the last few weeks before your test, after your basic timing is under control.
Getting started
The best IELTS Reading practice is timed, varied and reviewed. Try a free sample Reading set to see how our explanations work. Open the free practice tests, and when you are ready for the full library, create your account. Full Access is $12 for 2 months and includes every Reading set, the Charged sets and the 15 full mock tests.