The Reading test at a glance
You have 60 minutes for 40 questions across three passages. There is no extra time at the end: on the computer-delivered test you type answers directly, and on paper you write them straight onto the answer sheet within the hour.
- Academic Reading uses three long texts of the kind you might meet in a university course: journals, books, magazines.
- General Training Reading moves from short everyday texts (notices, adverts) to workplace documents and then one longer general passage.
The question types are shared, but General Training needs more correct answers for the same band, so do not assume it is the "easy" version.
The question types you will meet
On IELTS Learning, our 52 practice sets cover the full range, each with explanations:
- TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN (and YES / NO / NOT GIVEN for opinions).
- Matching Headings: choosing a heading for each paragraph.
- Matching Information: finding which paragraph contains a detail.
- Summary completion, sometimes with a word box.
- Multiple choice, sentence completion, short answers, and labelling diagrams.
The drag-and-drop screens for headings and word-box summaries work like the computer-delivered test, so you can get used to them before the day.
The two traps that cost the most marks
NOT GIVEN
FALSE means the passage says the opposite. NOT GIVEN means the passage simply does not say. The trap is using your own knowledge: if a statement sounds true but the text never states it, the answer is NOT GIVEN. Train yourself to point to the exact line that proves FALSE; if you cannot, think again.
Matching Headings
Students often match a heading to a single word in the paragraph. Headings describe the main idea of the whole paragraph, not one example. Read the first and last sentences carefully, ask "what is this paragraph mostly about?", then look at the list. Cross out headings as you use them.
A timing strategy that holds up
A simple plan for Academic Reading:
- About 17 minutes for Passage 1, 20 minutes for Passage 2, 23 minutes for Passage 3, which is usually the hardest.
- Read the questions first, then skim the passage for its structure before hunting for answers.
- Never leave a blank. There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so guess before you move on.
- Flag and move. If a question is taking more than two minutes, flag it and come back.
For General Training, move quickly through the short texts in Section 1 so you have time for the longer final passage.
Reading practice that suits a Mumbai routine
Mumbai readers have a natural advantage: many already read a lot of English every day, from financial and business news to office emails and course material. Use that habit deliberately as part of your IELTS Reading practice. On a long commute between, say, Andheri and Churchgate, read one article in a quality newspaper or science magazine and summarise each paragraph in a few words. It is excellent Matching Headings training.
What a moving train is not good for is timed Reading. Do your full 60-minute sets of IELTS Reading practice at a desk, ideally on a laptop if you are taking the computer test, so you practise with the highlighter, notes and navigator under real conditions.
Academic readers heading for master's programmes in the UK, Ireland or the USA should get used to dense research-style paragraphs. Professionals preparing for General Training for Canada or Australia should practise workplace texts such as policies, job descriptions and training guides.
Practising so your score actually improves
- Start untimed with a new question type, read the explanations, and understand why each answer is right.
- Then add the clock: one passage in 20 minutes, then a full set in 60.
- Review every wrong answer in your Mistake Notebook, and label the reason: vocabulary, paraphrase missed, or time.
- Learn paraphrase, because the passage rarely uses the question's exact words. Daily Vocabulary and the flashcards help here.
Band 7 in Academic Reading needs roughly 30 out of 40. Once you are consistently there, move to the Charged sets: harder passages and trickier distractors designed for students aiming at band 7 and above.
Start your IELTS Reading practice in Mumbai
Try the free sample Reading sets on our practice tests page to see how the screens and explanations work. Full Access, ₹999 for 2 months, unlocks every Reading set, the Charged sets and the full mocks. Create a free account to begin.