IELTS Reading Tips

The IELTS reading section is 60 minutes.

You must answer 40 questions.

Here are the IELTS reading question types:

• Multiple Choice
  
• True/False
  
• Identifying Writer’s Views/Claims (Yes/No/Not Given)
  
• Matching Information
  
• Matching Headings
  
• Matching Features
  
• Matching Sentence Endings
  
• Sentence Completion
  
• Summary Completion
  
• Note Completion
  
• Table
  
• Table Completion
  
• Flow-Chart Completion
  
• Diagram Label Completion
  
• Short-Answer Questions

IELTS Reading Tips

Before the Test

1.  Reading is the best way to practice for the test.  
Read anything you can. Newspapers, Internet articles, books, magazines are all great sources. Any reading practice will help you on the test. 

2.  Learn the types of questions and how to answer 
each.   
The lesson above shows you the types of questions. As you 
take practice tests, recognize these questions and develop your strategies appropriately.
During the Test

1.  The questions are in chronological order.
Most of the time, the question numbers follow the order of the reading passage. So you will find the answer to question 1 before the answer to question 2, etc.

2.  Synonyms connect the questions with the reading 
passage. 
Synonyms are words that have the same meaning, for example like and enjoy. The reading passage usually has one word, while the question has the synonym. This is an example:

• Reading Passage: Paul likes pizza.
• Question: Paul enjoys pizza. (True)

3.  Grammar affects possible choices. 
Especially look at the word before blanks. 

4.  Restrictive words can eliminate options.
These are words that mean 100% or 0%. Some examples are 
never, always, every, none, and all. These will limit the answer options.

5. You only have 60 minutes.The reading section is the most common area where people lose track of time. Manage your time so you have about 20 
minutes for each reading.

6. Active reading strategies are crucial.
Use the three key active reading strategies: survey, skim, scan.

Survey
Before you begin reading, look at the entire article for about 10 seconds. Ask yourself these questions:

• What is the title?
• What is the article about?
• What do you already know about the topic?
• How long is the reading?
• How is it organized?

This prepares you to begin reading. By asking yourself 
questions, you are preparing your mind to understand the 
information.

Skim
Skimming is reading the material quickly. Don’t try to 
understand everything. Focus on two main goals:

1. Understand the main idea
2. Discover where key information is located

After skimming, you should be able to explain the main idea of the passage. Ask your self the question, “what is this about?” The answer is the main idea.  

You should also be able to know where key information is, or the organization of the reading.  Think about some of the common ways a reading could be organized:

• Chronological history
• Persuasive argument with main points
• List of features

When you understand how the reading is organized, you can find the information you need.

Use some key features to help you skim. The title tells you the main idea. Topic sentences (the first sentence) tell you what each paragraph is about. Numbers and dates are easy for your eyes to recognize when skimming. Use them to give you an understanding of where key information is located.

Scan
Scanning is finding information. You know the information you are looking for, so you scan through the article to find it.

Scanning is done after skimming so you are prepared to find information. For example, if you skim a reading about the history of the telephone, you know to scan the first paragraph to find the year the telephone was first invented.

Use scanning on the IELTS after you have read the questions. For each question, scan the reading to find the answer. When you find the section with the answer, read in detail to make sure you find the correct answer.  

With these tips, you are ready for the IELTS reading section.