What the Reading test looks like
You have 60 minutes to answer 40 questions across three sections. There is no extra time to transfer answers in the paper test, so whatever you write inside the hour is your final answer.
- Academic Reading uses three long passages from books, journals and magazines. The topics range from archaeology to economics to biology.
- General Training Reading starts with short everyday texts such as notices and advertisements, moves to workplace documents, then ends with one longer general passage.
The two tracks are scored differently. As a rough guide, band 7 in Academic Reading needs about 30 out of 40, while General Training needs more correct answers for the same band, because the texts are less demanding.
The question types you will meet
- TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN (or YES / NO / NOT GIVEN for opinions)
- Matching Headings to paragraphs
- Matching Information (which paragraph contains a detail)
- Matching features such as researchers to their findings
- Summary, note or table completion, sometimes from a word box
- Multiple choice
- Sentence completion and short answers
- Diagram label completion
Each type has its own trap, and the explanations on IELTS Learning show exactly where in the passage the answer lies and why the other options are wrong.
The two traps that cost the most marks
NOT GIVEN
Students often choose FALSE when the answer is NOT GIVEN. The rule is simple but hard to apply under pressure:
- FALSE means the passage says the opposite.
- NOT GIVEN means the passage does not say enough to decide.
If you find yourself reasoning "it is probably false because usually...", stop. You are using your own knowledge. Choose NOT GIVEN unless the text clearly contradicts the statement.
Matching Headings
Here the trap is matching a heading to a single word you spotted in the paragraph. Headings describe the main idea of the whole paragraph, not one detail. Read the first two sentences and the last sentence of each paragraph, decide its main point in your own words, then look at the list.
A timing plan for 60 minutes
- Passage 1: about 17 minutes. It is usually the most accessible, so bank your marks here.
- Passage 2: about 20 minutes.
- Passage 3: about 23 minutes. The hardest text and often the hardest questions.
Do not spend more than two minutes stuck on any one question. Use flag for review on our screens, move on and come back if you have time. An unanswered question scores zero, so guess before the hour runs out.
Reading and the Amritsar student
Many students in Amritsar read English mainly for exams, in textbooks and guide books, and do much of their everyday reading in Punjabi or Hindi. That is completely normal, but IELTS Reading rewards a different habit: reading quickly for the main idea, then slowing down for detail.
A few ideas that fit city life here:
- If you study at GNDU or Khalsa College, read the English summaries or introductions of journal articles in your subject. They are close to Academic Reading in style.
- If you work in hospitality, read English travel and food features. Many deal with heritage, food and tourism, topics that also turn up in IELTS passages.
- Read an English newspaper editorial on your phone during a break. Before reading, guess the writer's opinion from the headline; afterwards, check if you were right.
Fifteen minutes a day of this kind of reading does more for speed than a single long weekend session. Combine it with timed IELTS Reading practice and the two habits feed each other.
IELTS Reading practice on IELTS Learning
IELTS Learning has 52 Reading sets for Academic and General Training, each with explanations. The screens include a highlighter and notes tool, plus drag-and-drop for headings and word-box summaries, just as in computer-delivered IELTS.
A practice routine that works:
- Untimed set, focusing on one question type. Read every explanation, including for questions you got right.
- Timed set of a single passage, aiming to finish inside your target time.
- Full Reading section of three passages in 60 minutes, once or twice a week.
- Review your Mistake Notebook, where wrong answers are saved automatically. Look for patterns: is it always NOT GIVEN, or always the last passage?
Charged sets for band 7 and above
Once you are scoring around 28 to 30 out of 40, ordinary sets stop stretching you. Charged sets are harder Reading passages with tighter paraphrasing and more convincing distractors, designed for students aiming at 7 and beyond. They are especially useful for Academic students applying to universities or registration bodies where the requirement in each module is often high.
Start with the free sample Reading sets on the practice tests page, or create an account to choose your track.