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IELTS Test. Tips For Passing The Reading Test.

 

Six tips to boost your IELTS reading section

The reading section of the IELTS test can be a little intimidating due to the length of the passages. But if you know the right strategies, and my top tips, it should be a piece of cake! 

1. Know the test

Like all international language testing systems, IELTS has a unique format, so I recommend familiarising yourself with the details before you arrive. Start by answering the following questions.

How long is the test?

What’s the format? 

How many texts are there?

What kind of texts are they?

What skills will be tested?

What types of questions will be asked?

What skills do you need to answer the questions?

Will you have extra time to transfer your answers? 

2. Practice makes perfect

If you like reading, then improving your English reading skills can be an enjoyable experience – you can sit in the comfort of your home and engross yourself in a book. Take every opportunity to read, from novels and blogs, to newspapers and academic journals. The more variety, the better. Reading extensively will help you learn new vocabulary and improve your reading speed.  

If you’re not a fan of reading, I recommend starting with topics you are already interested in, before moving on to more academic texts. 

As well as the IELTS reading practice tests (see tip one), you can find a variety of different sources online. 

3. Develop your reading techniques

Many candidates find the length of the texts to be the most challenging aspect of the IELTS reading section. With three long texts totaling around 2,750 words, and just one hour to read them and answer 40 questions, it’s clear there’s not enough time to go through the texts thoroughly. So, learning some simple reading techniques will really help.

Skimming

‘Skimming’ is used to get a general overview of the text. Just spend a minute glancing at the titles and headings to identify the general topic. Each paragraph should be centred around one main idea, stated in the topic sentence (usually the first sentence of the paragraph, but not always). Identifying and underlining the topic sentence will help you answer the questions. 

Scanning

‘Scanning’ is the technique used to locate specific keywords or phrases. When you’ve found a keyword, read the surrounding text in detail to find the answer you are looking for.

Mastering these basic techniques is the key to success. 

 4. Focus on keywords

Texts in the IELTS reading section are packed with lots of new vocabulary. Don’t be discouraged. You don’t need to understand every word, and you can always use contextual clues to guess the meaning of a word you don’t understand. 

What really matters are keywords. 

Read the question carefully, and underline the keywords. Try to predict what words or phrases will help you locate the right part of the text. Think about other ways of saying these words. What are the synonyms and antonyms (words with the opposite meaning)? Try to paraphrase. For example, if the question says ‘joint’, remember that this means ‘together’ or ‘shared’. So, if the text states that ‘he was the sole winner’, you can understand that it was not ‘joint’. 

5. Follow the instructions carefully 

If the instructions state to ‘use one word only’, make sure you don’t write more than one word. You don’t want to lose points for not reading the instructions properly. 

For questions where you need to fill in missing words, make sure the resulting sentence is grammatically accurate. Be particularly careful about singular and plural forms. 

Also, pay attention to spelling and capitalisation! 

6. Make the most of your time! 

Remember, you have just one hour to answer 40 questions, which equates to one and a half minutes per question. Leave difficult questions until the end; you can always go back to them later. 

Fill in the answer sheet as you go, as you will not be given extra time to transfer your answers to the sheet (unlike in the listening section). Imagine how awful it would be to have all of the answers, but no time to write them on the answer sheet! 

Look at the question type before deciding on your strategy. For example, is it multiple-choice or asking you to complete a sentence?  Although reading the questions first will save you a lot of time, it may also not be the best strategy if you need to match headings. 

IELTS Reading Test Tips and Advice

The General and Academic Training Reading tests are usually graded to the same level. However, the texts mentioned in the Academic Reading Test can be more challenging as compared to those mentioned in the General Training Test.

Test duration: 60 minutes (for both Academic and General tests)

What is the IELTS Reading Test Format (Academic)?

In your Reading test (Academic), you will find three sections, each having one long text.

These texts are excerpts borrowed from either books, magazines or newspapers. These are usually around topics of general interest, and so you need not be a specialist to answer them. These excerpts can range from being factual and descriptive to analytical and discursive. They may also have non-verbal elements like graphs, diagrams or illustrations. If in case, there are jargon or technical terms used, a glossary will be provided.

IELTS Reading test format - General Training

In your Reading test (General Training), you will find three sections.

Section 1: Two or three factual texts (short), one of which may be composite (consisting of 6-8 short texts related by topic, e.g. hotel advertisements). Topics are relevant to everyday life in an English-speaking country.

Section 2: Two factual texts (short) that focus on work-related issues (e.g. company policies, applying for jobs, salary, workplace facilities, or staff development and training).

Section 3: Contains a slightly more complex and longer text on a generic topic. It will be a passage taken from real notices, company handbooks, advertisements, books, official documents, magazines or newspapers.

Helpful Tips for IELTS Reading Test

Practice reading different kinds of texts in English to develop the habit of reading quickly.

Before you answer any question, read each question properly to make it easier to find answers later.
If you can, mark possible answers while you read. If you are taking IELTS on a computer, make notes or even highlight any section of the text.

Start with a cursory reading of the text to have a generic idea of what it is about. Once you are a little familiar, read it carefully keeping in mind the questions to which you need to find the answers.

Since you do not have to apply your own knowledge to answer the questions, all answers will be there in the passage itself. Read carefully to not miss them.

While answering, ensure that you are using the correct spellings as given in the passage.

Sometimes there can be questions to test upon your understanding of the given passage. For instance, the question could be about the topic, highlighting particular words or ideas denoting the core message of the passages.

It is a good practice to mark important words as you read along. For instance, if there are important dates, mark them! It becomes easier to spot them if a question is asked around the same.

Ensure your spellings are always correct, especially when you are copying from the passage.

if you are attempting IELTS on paper, write your answers down on the answer sheet. You will not get any extra time later on to transfer any of your answers.

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