You can take the IELTS General Training test at a test centre. Choose this if you wish to migrate to an English-speaking country, (e.g. Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK) or if you wish to train or study at below degree level. In IELTS, there are four papers: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The Speaking and Listening tests are the same in both the Academic and the General Training tests, but the Reading and Writing tests are different.
Thoroughly familiarize yourself with the test format:
Understand that this module includes three long texts taken from academic sources like journals, books, and magazines. These texts are often descriptive, factual, or analytical.
Recognize that this module includes three sections with texts related to everyday life, work, and general-interest topics. Section 1 usually has 2–3 short factual texts, Section 2 has two work-related texts, and Section 3 has one longer, more complex text.
For both modules, become familiar with all possible question types:
Understand that you have 60 minutes to answer 40 questions in both modules. Effective time management is crucial.
Know that each correct answer earns one mark. For a Band 9 in Academic Reading, you typically need 39–40 correct answers. For General Training Reading, you usually need a perfect score of 40. There are no penalties for incorrect answers, so always attempt every question.
Take official practice tests for both Academic and General Training Reading to understand the differences in text types and question focus. Identify your strengths and weaknesses. Note the types of questions you struggle with and the reasons for your mistakes (e.g., difficulty with specific vocabulary, understanding implied meaning, time pressure).
Read widely from diverse sources relevant to both Academic (e.g., scientific articles, reports) and General Training (e.g., newspapers, magazines) contexts. Learn new vocabulary, synonyms, and paraphrases since IELTS often rephrases information.
Skimming: Quickly read passages to get the main idea and structure.
Scanning: Locate specific details (names, dates, keywords) without reading every word.
Practice reading for details, identifying arguments, understanding the writer’s attitude and purpose, and recognizing how ideas connect across paragraphs.
Gradually increase reading speed while keeping comprehension high. Practice under timed conditions to adjust to the 60-minute limit.
Spend about 20 minutes per section. Don’t dwell on one question — move on and return later if possible.
Focus on keywords in questions, but remember that the text often uses synonyms or paraphrases.
Always check how many words you can use in your answers and whether you can take information from multiple paragraphs.
After each practice test, review wrong answers and find recurring issues. Adjust your study plan to fix them.
Simulate the complete IELTS Reading test under timed conditions to build stamina and confidence.
By following this comprehensive plan and practicing consistently, you’ll greatly improve your chances of achieving the highest possible score in the IELTS Reading test — whether you’re taking the Academic or General Training version.
The IELTS Academic Reading test employs a range of question types to assess different reading skills. Understanding these types and the best strategies for each is essential for achieving a high score.
You will be presented with a question or an incomplete sentence followed by several possible answers. Select the one answer correct from the passage. Sometimes you may need to choose more than one answer.
Tip: “Answers come in order.”
Decide if statements agree with the passage (True), contradict it (False), or are not mentioned (Not Given).
Tip: “Answers come in order.”
Similar to True/False/Not Given, but focused on the writer’s opinions or claims. Decide if the statement agrees with the writer (Yes), contradicts them (No), or is not mentioned (Not Given).
Match statements to the paragraph/section that contains that information. Write the letter of the correct paragraph/section as your answer.
Tip: “Answers do not appear in the same order as the paragraphs.”
Match a list of headings to paragraphs by selecting the heading that best summarizes each paragraph’s main idea.
Tip: “Answers do not come in order.”
Match statements to features (names, dates, theories, places) listed separately. Find which feature corresponds to each statement.
Tip: “Answers do not come in order.”
Match the beginning of a sentence to the correct ending from a list so the completed sentence matches the passage information.
Tip: “Sentence beginnings follow the order of information in the passage.”
Fill gaps in sentences using words taken directly from the passage.
Tip: “Answers usually come in order.”
Complete a summary of a passage section by filling in missing words from the passage or a provided word list.
Tip: “Answers usually come in order.”
Fill in missing information in notes using words or short phrases from the passage.
Tip: “Answers usually come in order.”
Fill in missing table cells with words or numbers taken from a specific part of the text.
Tip: “Answers usually come from one specific part of the text.”
Complete process steps in a flow-chart using words or short phrases from the passage.
Tip: “Answers usually come from one specific part of the text.”
Label parts of a diagram using words from the passage that describe the diagram’s components or functions.
Tip: “Answers do not always come in order.”
Answer specific detail questions using short answers taken directly from the passage.
Tip: “Answers come in order.”
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