What the Reading test looks like
You have 60 minutes for 40 questions across three sections. There is no extra time to transfer answers on the computer test, and on the paper test the 60 minutes includes writing your answers on the answer sheet.
- Academic Reading uses three long passages from books, journals, magazines and newspapers. They are written for a general audience but can be dense, with plenty of academic vocabulary.
- General Training Reading starts with short everyday texts such as notices and advertisements, moves on to workplace texts like job descriptions and policies, and ends with one longer general passage.
For a band 7, you typically need around 30 correct answers out of 40 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
- TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN (and YES / NO / NOT GIVEN for opinions)
- Matching Headings to paragraphs
- Matching Information to paragraphs
- Matching Features, such as matching statements to researchers
- Summary, sentence, note and table completion, sometimes with a word box
- Multiple choice
- Short-answer questions
- Diagram label completion
Each type has its own logic, and our 52 Reading sets include explanations so you can see why an answer is right, not just that it is.
Timing strategy
Twenty minutes per section sounds fair, but the passages get harder, so a better split is roughly 17, 20 and 23 minutes.
- Read the questions before the passage so you know what you are looking for.
- Skim the passage quickly for the main idea of each paragraph.
- Scan for names, dates and key words to locate answers.
- If a question is taking more than about 90 seconds, flag it and move on.
- Never leave a blank. There is no negative marking.
The two biggest traps
NOT GIVEN
FALSE means the passage says the opposite. NOT GIVEN means the passage does not say it at all. Students often choose FALSE because a statement feels wrong from general knowledge. In IELTS, your own knowledge does not count. If the writer never mentions it, it is NOT GIVEN.
Matching Headings
The trap here is matching a heading to a paragraph because they share a word. Headings summarise the main idea of the whole paragraph, not one detail in it. Read the first and last sentences of the paragraph carefully, and be suspicious of a heading that repeats a word from the paragraph exactly.
Other common traps include ignoring word limits ("NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS"), spelling errors in completion answers and choosing a multiple-choice option that is true but does not answer the question.
IELTS Reading practice for Jammu students
Students in Jammu often have a strong base from English-medium schooling and from textbooks at the University of Jammu, GMC or IIT Jammu. The challenge is usually different: reading for speed and precision, and reading topics far from your own subject.
A few practical ideas from the city:
- Read outside your field. An engineering student from IIT Jammu should read about archaeology and psychology; a nursing student should read about economics and urban planning. IELTS passages jump across subjects.
- Use English newspapers and long-form magazines every day, even for ten minutes, and note five unfamiliar words in your flashcards.
- Study in a quiet place. The reading rooms at college libraries and public libraries in the city are good for timed sets if home is noisy.
- Watch out for translation. If your first language is Dogri, Hindi or Punjabi, try not to translate passages in your head. It slows you down. Aim to understand the English directly.
How to practise, week by week
- Weeks 1–2: One question type at a time, untimed, reading every explanation.
- Weeks 3–4: Full single sections, timed at 20 minutes.
- Week 5 onwards: Full 60-minute Reading tests inside mock tests, then review every mistake in the Mistake Notebook.
Students taking the computer-delivered test should practise with the highlighter and notes tools, because they change how you read. Our screens include both, along with drag-and-drop for headings and word-box summaries.
Charged sets for band 7 and above
Once you are scoring consistently around 6.5 to 7.0, standard sets stop stretching you. Charged sets are harder Reading passages with more demanding distractors, designed for students aiming at band 7+. They are a good way to build a margin, so that a difficult passage on test day does not pull your band down.
Start practising
Try the free sample Reading set on the practice tests page, or sign up free and choose your track. Full Access, ₹999 for 2 months, unlocks all 52 sets and the Charged sets.