In reading test, test takers have to attempt three reading passages, 40 questions and they are given 60 minutes. It is generally seen that each of three passages gets increasingly more difficult as you go through the test. So, the test goes from easy to hard. According to IELTS official, the three passages have a total of about 2500 words.
There is a difference between IELTS academics and GT reading.
If you are taking IELTS general, you have to read passages that are similar to newspapers, advertisements, handbooks and notices. Whereas, if you are taking IELTS academics, you will have to read passages that are similar to newspapers, books, journals and magazines. So, the academic test will use vocabulary and sentence structures, therefore, it is slightly more complex than the general test.
TYPES OF QUESTIONS
Both tests have eleven different question types. You might not get all eleven types on test day, but you will get most of them which are as follows:
- Multiple choice
- True/False/Not Given (facts)
- Yes/No/ Not given(opinion)
- Matching information
- Matching heading
- Matching features
- Matching sentence endings
- Sentence completion
- Summary, note table, flow-chart completion
- Diagram label completion
- Short answers
Reading tips for IELTS academic and general
TIP1 : UNDERSTAND THE 11 DIFFERENT QUESTION TYPES
This tip is probably the most fundamental, it is important to understand the 11 different IELTS reading question types well before the test. Most importantly, you have to figure out how to actually find and answer the question.
TIP2 : QUESTION FOLLOW THE SAME ORDER AS THE TEXT
It is really important to understand that the question follows the same order as the paragraphs. In other words, answer to question 1 will be located towards the top of the text and the answer to question 2 will be located just below that in the text.
The only exception to this rule is with diagram labeling questions. In these questions, you will have to backtrack in the text to find a specific paragraph that relates to the image of the diagram. To put it simply, diagram labeling questions do not come in same order as the text, but it is pretty obvious as to where the answers are located.
TIP3: SPEED READ THE TEXT BEFORE STARTING ON THE QUESTIONS
Firstly, get an idea of what the text is about. Speed read of the text from beginning to end, spending about one or maybe two minutes maximum, scanning your eyes across the text, picking up the main idea of each paragraph and also noticing keywords as you go.
TIP4 :USE KEYWORDS IN THE QUESTION TO HELP TO LOCATE THE RELEVANT SECTION OF TEXT
One of the keys to IELTS reading success is knowing how to identify keywords in a question prompt that you can then use to locate a specific part of the text to read more carefully.
TIP5 : DO NOT KEEP LOOKING READ
After you found keyword and the relevant section of the text, you then need to read and stop looking, you need to focus. Nothing can help you find the answer except for the meaning of the text itself. The answer is hidden in the meaning of the text.
TIP6 : AVOID DISTRACTORS
Well, it is not easy, because you have to avoid distractors. Distractors are answer options that are very tempting, but they are wrong. If you are doing a multiple choice style question, you might get four options. One of the answer options will be correct, the language will be mirrored in the text using synonyms. But, the other three answer options will be incorrect.
TIP7 : MATCH HEADINGS – READ ENTIRE PARAGRAPH
The way you match the correct heading to the paragraph is by understanding the entire paragraph. Only when you understood the gist or the overall meaning of the paragraph, you are able to select the best heading. The answer is found throughout the paragraph, not in one particular sentence.
These reading tips help you score even more than your requirement.