Skip to main content

Reading

The IELTS Academic Reading test focuses on checking the reading comprehension of test-takers. It lasts for an hour and it consists of three academic passages that are all taken from a variety of publications.

There are three academic passages that you need to read and understand. The passages increase in difficulty. That means, the first reading is easy, the second is average, and the third is difficult. There are 11 types of questions in the test but that does not necessarily mean that you will be encountering all 11 types in one test. As for the number of questions per section, there are around 11 to 13 questions for each passage.

To understand the different question types in the IELTS Academic Reading test, go to this link:
Question types

FutureLearn Limited Moving forward to the General Training Reading test, it is important to remember that the passages here are shorter and these are usually extracts of magazines, newspapers, ads, company guidelines, etc.

The time, the number of questions and the number of passages are the same. However, in passage one, 2 or 3 sections about 'social survival' will be shown. Section 2 contains two texts, workplace survival, while the last section is one long text about a general reading.

To understand the different question types in the IELTS General Training Reading test, go to this link:
Question types

The table below shows the band score equivalent of raw scores in the Academic Reading and General Training Reading tests.


To learn more about the IELTS Reading test, take the free online course provided by the British Council in Future Learn. Click on the link to register for free. 

Future Learn

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cambridge 11 Test 3 Writing Task 1

Sample: The data from the line graph illustrates the carbon dioxide emissions of an average individual per metric tonnes in four European countries every decade from 1967-2007.A closer look at the data highlights the fact that among the 4 nations, the UK has the highest rate in carbon dioxide emissions per person in 40 years. In 1967, there was approximately 11 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide released by an average Englishman which was about ten times higher than the emissions made by an individual from Portugal. However, it can be seen that as time went by, the carbon dioxide emitted by Englishmen decreased gradually to over 8 metric tonnes in 2007. On the other hand, a different trend can be noted in the countries Italy and Portugal where the emissions slowly rose from an initial rate of approximately 4 and 1 metric ton to about 7 and 6 metric tonnes in 4 decades. In Sweden, emissions increased to its record highest in 1977 w...
1 comment
Read more

Cambridge 15: Academic IELTS Speaking Test 1

Please note that in the first part of the test, roughly 12 questions will be asked (3 topics). The topics are quite general so you do not need to explain your responses in too much detail.  As you can see, most of the questions in this test concentrate on the topic "Hotels and hospitality". We highly recommend assessing your own range of vocabulary about this topic by doing vocabulary review exercises such as listing all the words you know that belong to the scope of this topic. Try doing this with a time limit (2 minutes).  First, prepare a piece of paper and divide it into 4 sections. Make a table. Write "nouns", "verbs", "adjectives" and "idioms" as your headers. In two minutes, write down all the nouns, verbs, adjectives, and idioms you know about hotels and hospitality. DO NOT REFER TO YOUR DICTIONARY even if you're unsure of the spelling. This is your learning phase. Next, for another two minutes, list all the possible Synonym...
Post a Comment
Read more

Cambridge 12: Academic IELTS Test 6 Writing Task 1 Sample (2 Maps: Islip town centre now and in the future)

Sample essay: The maps compare the physical features of Islip town center at present and its proposed refurbishment in the future. It can be highlighted from the visuals that there will be a lot of significant changes made in this area and that only a few establishments will remain. Looking at both maps, it can be seen that there will be commercial, residential and roadway improvements. At present, there are a few shops in between the main road and also some housing below the shops and near the school. In the proposal, the center will have a dual carriageway that will surround all the commercial buildings to be constructed in the center, making them more accessible. The main road will become a pedestrian road that will be next to a bus station, a shopping center, a carpark, and new housing. These buildings will be replacing the shops located on the northern side of the center. The shops below the main road will be unchanged. The school will remain in its original...
4 comments
Read more