What the Reading test looks like
You have 60 minutes for 40 questions across three sections. There is no extra time to transfer answers, so everything has to fit inside the hour.
- Academic Reading has three long passages from books, journals and magazines, usually getting harder as you go.
- General Training Reading starts with short everyday texts, such as notices and adverts, moves on to workplace texts like job descriptions and staff policies, and ends with one longer general passage.
The bands are calculated differently. In General Training you need more correct answers for the same band, because the early texts are easier. Roughly 30 out of 40 gives band 7 in Academic, but General Training needs more than that.
The main question types
- TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN (or YES / NO / NOT GIVEN for opinions)
- Matching Headings, choosing the main idea of each paragraph
- Matching Information, finding which paragraph contains a detail
- Summary completion, sometimes from a word box
- Sentence and note completion with a word limit
- Multiple choice with one or more answers
- Matching features, such as linking statements to researchers
Each type needs a slightly different approach, which is why the IELTS Learning practice sets explain every answer and show where it is in the text.
Common traps
NOT GIVEN versus FALSE. FALSE means the passage says the opposite. NOT GIVEN means the passage simply does not say. Students often choose FALSE because the statement "feels wrong" from general knowledge. Answer only from the text.
Matching Headings. The heading must match the main idea of the whole paragraph, not one striking word. If a paragraph mentions "costs" once but is mostly about safety, a heading about costs is a trap.
Word limits. "NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS" means exactly that. A correct idea in three words is marked wrong.
Spending too long on one question. Flag it, move on and come back if there is time.
A timing strategy that works
- Aim for about 20 minutes per passage in Academic, but give yourself a little less on Passage 1 and more on Passage 3.
- Read the questions before the passage so you know what you are looking for.
- Skim the passage in two or three minutes for the general structure, then scan for details.
- Do the Matching Headings last within a passage if they slow you down; other questions help you understand the paragraphs first.
- Never leave a blank. There is no penalty for wrong answers.
In General Training, move quickly through Sections 1 and 2 to bank time for the long final passage.
Reading practice for students and professionals in Dubai
Dubai's IELTS candidates read in English all the time, but mostly emails, reports and messages, which are read for the gist. IELTS asks for something different: careful reading under pressure, where one word like "some", "always" or "rarely" changes the answer.
- Academic candidates, such as students at the Dubai Knowledge Park and Academic City campuses or nurses applying to register abroad, should get used to dense passages on science, history and social topics. Reading a long article in a quality English newspaper or magazine each day helps.
- General Training candidates often working in the free zones, from DMCC to Jebel Ali, will recognise the workplace texts: staff handbooks, training notices, health and safety rules. The challenge is accuracy, not vocabulary.
- Readers whose first language is Arabic sometimes find English reading speed the main issue, partly because the script runs in the other direction. Regular timed practice builds speed faster than untimed reading.
- Readers whose first language is Urdu, Hindi, Malayalam, Tagalog or another language often read English well but need to slow down on the tricky question types and check the exact wording.
How to practise Reading on IELTS Learning
There are 52 Academic and General Training Reading sets, each with explanations. The screens use the same tools as the computer-delivered test: highlighter, notes, flag for review and drag-and-drop for headings and word-box summaries.
- Start with untimed sets by question type to learn the method.
- Move to timed full passages, then full Reading tests inside a mock.
- Review your Mistake Notebook weekly. Patterns appear quickly: maybe you keep missing NOT GIVEN, or misreading numbers.
- Try the Charged sets when you are regularly scoring above 30. They use harder passages and closer distractors for students aiming at band 7 and beyond.
You can try a free sample Reading set without a card. When you are ready for more, Full Access is $12 for 2 months, and you can register here.