IELTS Reading: On-demand Guide for Reading

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IELTS Reading Module is the second part of the ielts examination. It lasts 60 minutes and consists of 40 questions based on a variety of task types. You need to read three or four passages of about 2000 to 2750 words in total. There are usually three passages in the Academic IELTS Reading module, and three or four passages in the general Training Reading module. You are not given extra time at the end of the reading test to transfer your answer to answer sheet. Answers need to be written on the answer sheet in the 60 minutes given to complete the IELTS Reading module.

IELTS Reading is considered as the one of the hardest section of IELTS examination but some finds it reading as easy task. The IELTS Reading module tests a range of skills, such as skimming and scanning, understanding main ideas, reading for detail and understanding opinion and attitude.

You have 60 minutes to complete the 40 questions in the IELTS Reading test, so you must be completely prepared before planning your exam. In this article, I’ll describe you exactly the difference between academic and general training reading modules, IELTS Reading module question types along with IELTS Reading module strategies to score good bands in IELTS exam.

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Difference between Academic and General Training Reading Module

While the task types of the academic and General Training Reading modules are the same, the types of reading passages differ. The academic module will usually contain at least one passage organised as a logical argument, while the reading in the general Training module are likely to be more descriptive or instructive. The organization of non-argumentative texts may vary, but common organizational themes are categories, chronological descriptions and describing a process.

The Academic Reading module involves reading three passages, with one passage per section. Texts come from books, magazines, newspapers and journals, and are non-specialist. At least one passage contains a detailed argument. Although the texts are representative of reading requirements for undergraduate and postgraduate students, they are not discipline specific. The passages are usually presented in increasing order of difficulty.

The General Training Reading module involves reading three or four passages grouped into three or four sections. Section 1 usually deals with social survival. It consists of one or two texts that are short but contain a lot of information’s. for example, public information leaflets. Section 2 focuses on subjects related to general training, and usually consists of two texts which, for example, give information about a university or college and services or facilities provided. Sections 3 and 4 consist of one longer text each related to general training, and involve general reading comprehension on almost any subject.

Each section in the General Training Reading module has 8-15 questions, and each section in the Academic Reading module has 13-15 questions.

IELTS Reading Module Question Types

The question types in the IELTS Reading module comprise multiple choice, short answer question, sentence and summary completion, labelling a diagram, matching, true/false/not given, yes/no/not given, classification.

1. Multiple Choice Questions

Multiple-choice questions may highlight key concepts, specifics, or the author’s perspective. There are questions with multiple answers and questions with multiple choices and a single answer.

In a single-answer type question, you must select one from a possible four answers; in a multiple-answer type question, you must select several answers from a longer list of options. Your responses in this situation don’t have to be in alphabetical order. D, A, C, and A, C, D, for instance, are both regarded as the same.

Multiple choice questions always follow the order of the information in the passage and may desire one section or the entire passage. The options, on the other hand, do not have to be in the same order as the information in the passage. The questions and options are usually paraphrased passage information.

Example: Multiple choice Question

2. Short Answer Questions

This are the most common IELTS Reading questions. Change your perspective, focus, and comprehension of the examination before studying for your IELTS exam and learning various tactics and ideas.

The IELTS reading strategies you will read about in this chapter must be used with all question types.

5 most useful IELTS Reading Tips

1. Read Frequently

To start, you should read. You must read from a variety of sources. Online articles, print media, books, and journals are all excellent places to start. Try to read subconsciously and simply follow the text’s flow. Read with curiosity and with enjoyment. I must emphasize this. Your reading endurance, vocabulary, and speed will all increase as a result. This advice is the magic bullet for passing the IELTS, if there ever was one. EVERY DAY. READ. Even if it’s only for a half-hour or a half-hour and a half, read something.

2. Don’t Leave any Answer Blank

Never fail to answer to any box. When there is no more time, just make an educated guess and write something. Why? For erroneous responses, there won’t be any consequences. You will receive no points if you leave the cell on your answer sheet empty. Of course. But what if you’re fortunate and correctly estimate it! You will have at least one additional point that could move your reading exam band from 6.5 to 7.0. Because of this, you ought to make an educated guess.

3. Don’t Get Panic

There will be some simple and some really challenging questions. When trying to respond to a challenging question, the key is to remain calm. Because some of the questions are so challenging, almost every IELTS teacher I am aware of has to double-check the responses.

Spending too much time on one topic while not giving the other questions enough attention is the wrong strategy. Continue to the next if the solution does not appear. The challenging questions can always be returned to at a later time, and responding to the other questions will frequently assist you.

4. Speed up Your Reading

You must increase your reading speed in your exam preparation in order to maximize the 60 minutes you have to complete the IELTS reading exam. First, instead of skipping from one word to the next while reading, focus on three words at once. Attempt to increase the number of words in each glance to roughly five by catching three at a time.

Second, to boost speed, use a pointer. Every third word will have the pointer appear. You will move through the text more quickly and advance more quickly. Likewise, avoid sacrificing comprehension for quickness. It’s really simple to skim an article and then remember nothing.

5. Be careful when transferring your answers

You will be required to write your responses on an answer sheet during the test. Spending too much time reading and responding to questions while leaving little time to transfer the answers is a common error. When people are under pressure, silly mistakes inevitably happen.

I advise my students to time themselves while practicing with an IELTS answer sheet to see how quickly they can transfer their responses. You’ll be able to become accustomed to the procedure and feel confident on test day as a result.

IELTS Reading Time Management

At first, when you’re practicing, you should take as much time as you need to comprehend the themes, look up information, and learn every word you encounter. You must keep your attention on Time as you advance.

When managing your time, keep the five suggestions above in mind. Learn to skim, scan, and select information by putting different question types into practice. Correctly read the questions.
Naturally, you cannot spend more than one minute on each question when you have 40 to respond to in 60 minutes.
The remaining time, or about 15 minutes, will be used to read the texts.
Reviewing your responses will take up the final five minutes.
Spend no time on a challenging question. Get the simple tasks done first, and then return to the challenging ones.
Keep in mind that you are not up against that one question alone. 39 more puzzles are awaiting resolution. Prioritise!
Practice challenging 20-minute texts.

IELTS Reading Practice

Below are the most popular pages for IELTS reading on Mero IELTS.

Free IELTS Materials

List of free materials available in Mero IELTS.

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