The IELTS Reading test evaluates a range of reading skills, and while the question formats are the same for both the Academic and General Training versions, the text types differ. The test consists of three sections, and you will have 60 minutes to complete 40 questions.
Test Format
The IELTS Reading test’s 40 questions assess several reading skills, including:
- Skimming: Reading for the general meaning and main idea.
- Scanning: Reading quickly to locate specific information.
- Reading for detail: Understanding logical arguments, opinions, attitudes, and the writer's purpose.
Time Management in the IELTS Reading Test
You have 60 minutes to answer 40 questions, making time management essential. The test is divided into three sections, and you should aim to spend no more than 20 minutes on each. Since the difficulty increases with each section, it’s advisable to manage your time wisely. If you complete the first section quickly, you can use the extra time for the more challenging sections that follow.
IELTS Reading Practice Tests (Free and Paid)
Achieving your desired IELTS score requires thorough preparation. You can choose from a variety of free or paid online practice tests covering different IELTS topics. Mock tests are often reviewed by IELTS experts to give you the best possible feedback.
IELTS Reading Practice
Explore IELTS Reading practice materials to familiarize yourself with the types of questions that may appear on test day. You can practice both IELTS General Training and IELTS Academic Reading materials.
IELTS General Training Reading
The General Training Reading test consists of 40 questions spread across three sections. The test is based on real-life situations, such as general topics of interest or workplace-related tasks, with texts sourced from books, newspapers, advertisements, and company handbooks.
- Section 1: Focuses on social survival skills with short texts related to everyday life, like timetables, notices, or ads.
- Section 2: Evaluates workplace survival skills with texts from contracts, staff training manuals, job descriptions, etc.
- Section 3: Features a longer, more complex text on a general topic, drawn from a book, magazine, or newspaper.
IELTS Academic Reading
The Academic Reading test measures your ability to follow an argument, identify opinions, attitudes, or purposes, and understand detailed information. You will be tested on your skills in skimming, scanning, and reading in detail.
This test consists of three sections with longer texts taken from academic and professional materials such as books, journals, and newspapers. Each section contains 40 questions that include a variety of tasks, such as short-answer questions, matching headings, identifying information, and completing sentences, summaries, tables, or flow-charts.
Question Types in Both Tests
In both the General Training and Academic Reading tests, you may encounter various types of questions, such as:
- Identifying information
- Multiple choice
- Identifying writer’s views or claims
- Matching headings
- Matching information
- Matching sentence endings
- Sentence completion
- Summary, note, table, or flow-chart completion
- Diagram label completion
- Short-answer questions
Effective time management is crucial to answering the wide variety of question types within the 60-minute time frame.
IELTS Reading Band Scores
For each correct answer on the Reading test, you receive one mark. The total number of correct answers determines your raw score, which is then used to calculate your band score. There are no penalties for incorrect answers, so it’s important to attempt every question.
The 40 questions in the IELTS Reading test are spread across the three sections, with only one correct answer per question. Your band score is based on the total number of points earned, which contributes to your overall IELTS score.