IELTS Reading: A Guide
Academic and General Training, and every question type — practised by Philo and Sophia.
•Reading, at a glance
You have 60 minutes for 40 questions, and no extra time to transfer answers. The question types are the same in both versions, but the texts are different.
Academic
- Three long texts from books, journals, magazines and newspapers.
- Written for a general audience, but on academic subjects: science, history, psychology…
- At least one text presents an argument.
General Training
- Section 1: two or three short everyday texts (notices, adverts, timetables).
- Section 2: two short work-related texts (job descriptions, training materials).
- Section 3: one longer text on a subject of general interest.
The main question types
Is it in the text?
- True / False / Not Given: facts in the text.
- Yes / No / Not Given: the writer’s opinions.
Matching
- Headings to paragraphs
- Information to paragraphs
- Features (eg people to ideas)
- Sentence endings
Completion
- Sentence, summary, note, table and flow-chart completion
- Labelling a diagram
- Short answers, within a word limit
Multiple choice
- Choose one answer, or more than one, from a list
Worked example — True, False or Not Given?
The text: “The Library of Alexandria was founded in the third century BC, probably under Ptolemy I or his son.”
PhiloStatement: “Ptolemy I founded the Library.” True!
SophiaCareful. The text says probably Ptolemy I or his son. We can’t be sure it was Ptolemy I, so the answer is Not Given.
PhiloAnd “The Library was founded before the first century BC”?
SophiaTrue: the third century BC is before the first.
PhiloAnd “It was the largest library in the world”?
SophiaThe text doesn’t say anything about that. Not Given. Never use your own knowledge: only the text.
Tips for Reading
- Skim first for the general idea, then scan for names, dates and key words.
- The answers usually come in the same order as the text, except in matching tasks.
- Watch for synonyms: the question rarely uses the same words as the text.
- Spend about 20 minutes per section, and never leave a blank: there are no penalties for wrong answers.
Reading: raw score to band (approximately)
What separates the bands, in plain English
Band 8Academic about 35 · General about 38
Band 7Academic about 30 · General about 34
Band 6Academic about 23 · General about 30
Band 5Academic about 15 · General about 23
General Training needs more correct answers for the same band, because its texts are easier.
Based on the published IELTS test format. Score conversions are approximate and vary slightly from test to test. Always check ielts.org for the latest information.