Bhaskar Das Academic Content Specialist
Academic Content Specialist
IELTS Reading section is different for both Academic and General tests. IELTS reading section consists of three passages. There are 40 questions in total which need to be solved within 60 minutes. The topics of the passage are randomly taken from books, journals, magazines, and newspapers. You can get more topics from IELTS reading practice test available online. IELTS exam has 4 parts: Speaking, Reading, Writing, and Listening. The exam pattern and question types are different for IELTS Academic reading and IELTS General reading.
IELTS general reading and IELTS academic reading tests are scored on a scale from 0 to 9. You will get a passage and questions following that related to the passage in IELTS exam reading test. These questions include multiple-choice, matching facts, matching sentences, flow chart completion, table completion, and many more. Each correct answer will be awarded 1 mark and the total score you get is 40. The scores out of 40 are divided into 9 band scores. The higher your score, the higher the chances of getting admission to universities abroad. Most universities usually keep IELTS score requirement of 6.5 and above.
If you are from a non-English speaking country like India and looking to study at an abroad university, you can take the exam. IELTS registration is available on the official website. IELTS exam reading test is for students who want to study at an abroad university. IELTS general is for candidates who want to migrate to another country for work or training. IELTS Academic Reading section is more difficult than the General Training Reading section, hence the scores also differ in that aspect.
IELTS Reading Syllabus
IELTS Reading syllabus has 40 questions in total. IELTS syllabus topics are different for Academic reading and General Training reading. You can check IELTS reading materials available online for the questions. The table below will give a brief about the types of questions, topics, and skills required.
| Parameters | IELTS Academic Reading | IELTS Reading General Training |
|---|---|---|
| Passages | 3 passages from books, journals, magazines, and newspapers | Section 1: 2-3 short texts; Section 2: 2 texts; Section 3: 1 long text |
| Time Allocated | 60 minutes | 60 minutes |
| No. of Questions | 40 questions total | 40 questions total |
| Types of Questions | Multiple choice Identifying information(True/False/Not Given) Identifying writer’s views/claims (Yes/No/Not Given) Matching information and headings Sentence completion Summary/note/table/flow-chart completion Diagram labeling Short-answer questions | Multiple choice Identifying information(True/False/Not Given) Identifying writer’s views/claims (Yes/No/Not Given) Matching information and headings Sentence completion Summary/note/table/flow-chart completion Diagram labeling Short-answer questions |
| Topics Covered | Science, history, culture, or environmental issues | Section 1: Everyday social life Section 2: Workplace context Section 3: General reading texts |
| Skills Required | Passage skimming, scanning, identifying main ideas, understanding specific details, recognizing opinions and attitudes, inferring, and summarizing | Reading comprehension, skimming, scanning, identifying main ideas, understanding specific details, recognizing opinions and attitudes, inferring, and summarizing |
IELTS Reading Question Types
There are multiple IELTS reading materials available online for assistance. The question types in IELTS reading section are provided here. You must be aware of the types of questions to fully understand what needs to be done. There are many IELTS reading test online which you can practice at home to know the question types. The types of questions and the skills that are checked in reading tests IELTS Academic and General are:
| Question Type | Description | Skill Assessed |
|---|---|---|
| Matching Headings | You must choose a heading from the given list that matches a paragraph or a section in the passage. | Understand that the section aims to identify the main idea. |
| True, False, Not Given/ Yes, No, Not Given | You need to decide whether the information shared is in the question or not. Select answers accordingly. | Identify and understand the information for true, false, not given questions. |
| Matching Paragraph | Match the information given in question with the information given in the passage. | You must scan and find out specific information from the paragraph. |
| Summary Completion | Complete the summary by filling the blanks with the words taken from the passage. | Select appropriate words and understand supporting ideas. Learning vocabulary is very important |
| Sentence Completion | You need to complete the sentence with the words taken from the passage. | Selection of appropriate words and understanding supporting ideas is important. |
| Multiple Choice | Choose the correct answer from three or four possible options. | Scan specific information in the passage and choose correctly. |
| List Selection | Choose the correct option from a list of words. It is different from multiple choice because all questions are related to only one long list of possible answers. | Scan and understand specific information in the passage. |
| Selecting a Title | A list of headings will be given, select as per that. | Identify the main aim of the passage and select accordingly. |
| Category Classification | Decide which information belongs to which specific category from the given list. | Understanding, locating and categorizing the information in the passage. |
| Table Completion | Complete a table by using the words from the passage. | You must choose and locate appropriate words from the passage. |
| Complete the Flow-Chart | You must complete the flowchart by using the words from the passage. | The selection of correct words as per the question is important |
| Labeling Diagram | Label a diagram and mark it | You must understand the diagram before answering |
| Short Answer Questions | Answer short questions with details from the passage. | Locate and understand the details of the information. |
IELTS Reading Exam Score
IELTS exam reading score range is 0–9 bands. The raw scores are 0-40, which is 1 mark for each correct answer. The raw IELTS scores of 0-40 are converted into band scores of 0-9. You will be getting a band score out of 9 in your IELTS results. The conversion of raw scores to band scores are:
| Raw scores | IELTS Academic band score | Raw scores | IELTS General Training Band score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40-39 | 9 | 40 | 9 |
| 38-37 | 8.5 | 39 | 8.5 |
| 36-35 | 8 | 37-38 | 8 |
| 34-33 | 7.5 | 36 | 7.5 |
| 32-30 | 7 | 34-35 | 7 |
| 29-27 | 6.5 | 32-33 | 6.5 |
| 26-23 | 6 | 30-31 | 6 |
| 22-19 | 5.5 | 27-29 | 5.5 |
| 18-15 | 5 | 23-26 | 5 |
| 14-13 | 4.5 | 19-22 | 4.5 |
| 12-10 | 4 | 15-18 | 4 |
| 9-8 | 3.5 | 12-14 | 3.5 |
| 7-6 | 3 | 9-11 | 3 |
| 5-4 | 2.5 | 6-8 | 2.5 |
IELTS Reading Skill Level
IELTS Academic and General Training Reading tests are graded on the same scale. There are 9 skill levels in IELTS exam under which you will be given criteria in the reading test IELTS general and academic. The number of marks required to achieve these band scores will vary slightly. These are based on IELTS reading answer provided.
| Band Score | Skill Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Expert | You have a fully operational command of the language. The use of English is appropriate, accurate, and fluent, and shows complete understanding. |
| 8 | Very good | Fully operational command of the language with very few mistakes and inappropriate usage. Misunderstand some things in unfamiliar situations |
| 7 | Good | You have command of the language, but with few mistakes, inappropriate usage and misunderstandings. Handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning. |
| 6 | Competent | Effective command of the language. However, there are mistakes, inappropriate usage and misunderstandings Understands reasonably complex language, particularly in familiar situations. |
| 5 | Modest | Partial command of the language and copes with overall meaning in most situations Multiple mistakes Should be able to handle basic communication in their own field. |
IELTS Reading Tips
IELTS reading tips and tricks will help you manage time at the exam center. These tips and tricks will help you practice IELTS reading and understand your weaknesses. Some helpful IELTS reading tips are:
- Skim through the passage - First read the passage and understand the gist clearly.
- Identify key words and phrases - You need to identify the words and phrases in the passage. Try to keep notes which will help while answering.
- Answer all questions: There is no negative marking. Hence, you should answer all questions.
- Check your answers: Checking the answers 2-3 times will help you understand any mistakes.
- Practice: The most important is to take IELTS general reading practice test and IELTS academic tests. Practice will make you perfect.
IELTS Reading syllabus will help you understand the section, question types, and how they are scored. You can follow IELTS Reading practice tests and reading samples to improve your scores.
FAQs
Ques: What types of tests are in the Reading test?
Ans: There are two types of IELTS reading tests - IELTS Academic and IELTS General training. The texts cover academic and general topics from everyday life and work. IELTS Academic is for students and IELTS General is for working professionals.
Ques: How many passages are there in IELTS Reading?
Ans: There are three passages in IELTS reading section. The length and the genre of the test vary as per academic and general. 40 questions follow these passages.
Ques: How much time do I have to complete IELTS Reading?
Ans: You will have 60 minutes to read all three passages and answer 40 questions. The whole section must be completed in an hour from the start. If the time is over, you will be directed to the next section.
Ques: What types of questions do I get in IELTS Reading?
Ans: The IELTS Reading question types include multiple choice, matching headings, True/False/Not Given, short answer, identify the image, and sentence completion. You need to understand the question type to answer each of these.
Ques: Can I use a dictionary in IELTS reading exam?
Ans: No, the use of dictionaries is not allowed in the IELTS reading test. Hence, you must practice and gain knowledge before taking the test. Online resources and practice papers will help you.
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