What the Reading test looks like
You get 60 minutes for 40 questions across three passages. There is no extra time to transfer answers on paper, and on the computer-delivered test you type or click answers directly.
- Academic Reading uses three long passages taken from books, journals and magazines, written for a general but educated audience. Topics range from archaeology to urban planning.
- General Training Reading starts with short everyday texts (notices, adverts, timetables), moves to workplace texts (job descriptions, staff policies, training guides) and ends with one longer general text.
Roughly 30 correct answers out of 40 is typically needed for band 7 in Academic Reading. General Training needs more correct answers for the same band, because the early texts are easier.
The question types you will meet
On IELTS Learning, our 52 sets cover every common type, each with an explanation of why the answer is right:
- TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN (and YES / NO / NOT GIVEN for opinions).
- Matching Headings: choose the heading that sums up each paragraph, by drag-and-drop on screen.
- Matching Information: find which paragraph contains a particular detail.
- Summary completion with a word box, also drag-and-drop.
- Sentence, note, table and flow-chart completion with a word limit.
- Multiple choice and matching features (for example, matching statements to researchers).
The traps that cost Gurugram professionals marks
Experienced professionals tend to read for gist and make sensible inferences. In a client meeting, that is a strength. In IELTS Reading, it can be a weakness.
- Using your own knowledge. If the passage does not say it, the answer is NOT GIVEN, even if you know it is true from your work in finance or tech.
- Confusing FALSE and NOT GIVEN. FALSE means the passage says the opposite. NOT GIVEN means it says nothing either way. Ask: "Can I point to a sentence that contradicts this?"
- Matching Headings by keywords. A heading that repeats a word from the paragraph is often the distractor. Look for the main idea of the whole paragraph, not one sentence.
- Ignoring word limits. "No more than two words" means three words is wrong, even if the meaning is perfect.
- Spending too long on one question. Flag it, move on, come back.
A timing strategy that works
Sixty minutes for three passages sounds like 20 each, but the passages usually get harder. A common split:
- Passage 1: about 17 minutes.
- Passage 2: about 20 minutes.
- Passage 3: about 23 minutes.
Within each passage, read the questions first, then skim the text for structure (30 to 60 seconds), then answer question by question. Most question types follow the order of the text; Matching Headings and Matching Information do not.
How to practise around a Gurugram schedule
A full Reading section needs an uninterrupted hour, which is not easy to find between stand-ups and an evening drive down Golf Course Extension Road. Split your practice:
- Weekday short sessions (20 minutes): one passage, timed, then check every explanation. A single passage fits a lunch break in a quiet meeting room.
- Commute review: on the Rapid Metro between Sikanderpur and Cyber City, or in the cab, open your Mistake Notebook on your phone and reread the explanations for questions you got wrong.
- Weekend full section (60 minutes): all three passages, strictly timed, on a laptop so you practise the highlighter, notes and navigator.
Track your errors by type. If most of your mistakes are NOT GIVEN, do a week of sets focused on that type before your next full section.
Outside practice, read one quality long-form article a day: science, history or social issues rather than business news. Many people in old Gurgaon offices read nothing but email; varied reading builds the vocabulary that Academic passages assume.
Charged sets for band 7 and above
Once you score 30 or more consistently, normal sets stop stretching you. Our Charged Reading sets use denser passages, closer distractors and more paraphrasing, so the real test feels manageable by comparison. Use them in the final weeks if your target is band 7, 7.5 or 8.
Start with a free set
Try a free sample Reading set on the practice tests page and convert your score with the Band Score Calculator. If you want all sets for your module, explanations and Charged sets, create an account.