How the Reading module works
You get 60 minutes for 40 questions across three passages. There is no extra time to transfer answers on the computer-delivered test, and on paper you write directly on the answer sheet within the hour, so the clock is tight.
- Academic Reading: three long passages from books, journals and magazines, often on science, history or social topics.
- General Training Reading: shorter everyday texts (notices, adverts), workplace texts (policies, training material) and one longer general-interest passage.
GT Reading needs more correct answers for the same band, so do not assume it is the "easy" version. Choose the track your university or immigration route actually requires.
The question types you will meet
Our 52 Reading sets cover all the main types, each with explanations:
- TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN (and YES / NO / NOT GIVEN for opinions)
- Matching Headings to paragraphs
- Matching Information (which paragraph contains a detail)
- Summary completion with a word box, plus sentence, note and table completion
- Multiple choice with one or more answers
- Matching features, short answers and diagram labelling
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: the passage says the opposite.
- NOT GIVEN: the passage does not say either way.
If you find yourself thinking "it is probably true, because that is how things work in real life", stop. IELTS tests the passage, not general knowledge. Engineering and science graduates from Thane colleges sometimes struggle here precisely because they know the topic and fill gaps without noticing.
Matching Headings
The trap is matching on a single shared word. A heading about "rising costs" may sit beside a paragraph that mentions costs once but is really about government policy. Read the first and last sentences of the paragraph, decide its main idea in your own words, then look at the headings. Our drag-and-drop screens let you move headings around just as on the computer-delivered test.
A timing strategy that works
- Passage 1: aim for about 17 minutes. It is usually the most accessible.
- Passage 2: about 20 minutes.
- Passage 3: about 23 minutes. It is the hardest and often the longest.
Within each passage, read the questions first, skim the text for structure, then scan for specific answers. Use the highlighter for names, dates and key terms, and keep an eye on the navigator so no question is left blank. A blank answer is always wrong; a guess sometimes is not.
Watch the word limits on completion questions too. If the instruction says ONE WORD ONLY, a two-word answer is marked wrong even when the meaning is right, and answers must be spelt exactly as they appear in the passage.
Practising Reading in Thane, on and off the train
The Central line is crowded, but a 25-minute ride from Thane to Ghatkopar or Dadar is long enough for one passage if you get a seat or a corner to stand in. Students coming from Kalyan or Dombivli often have time for a full passage each way.
A practical weekly pattern:
- Weekday commute: one passage a day on your phone, timed.
- One weekday evening: a full 60-minute Reading test on a laptop to practise the real screen and stamina.
- Weekend: review every wrong answer in your Mistake Notebook, grouped by question type.
If you work in a Wagle Estate or Ghodbunder Road office, a lunch break is enough for one passage too. Reading English reports, emails and documentation at work also helps, but it is no substitute for timed IELTS practice with these specific question types. Work documents are written to be understood quickly; IELTS passages are written to test whether you notice small shifts in meaning, such as "some" versus "most" or "may" versus "will".
Charged sets for band 7 and above
Band 7 in Academic Reading needs roughly 30 out of 40 correct. If you are already scoring in the mid-20s, the ordinary sets may stop stretching you. Our Charged Reading sets use denser texts, closer distractors and more demanding vocabulary, so the real exam feels manageable by comparison. Use them only once your timing is under control; they are for sharpening, not for learning the basics.
Start with a free set
Try the free sample Reading practice set to see how the screens and explanations work, then add Daily Vocabulary to build the word knowledge that makes skimming faster. When you want the full collection, sign up here.