Last Updated : 24 May, 2024
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IELTS Reading: The IELTS Reading segment is slightly complex and seemshardforsomany candidates. The IELTS reading section assesses the reading capabilities of a candidate through different types of question types.The question structure for both IELTS Academic and General Training are identicalbuttheycontain different text styles.As a candidate, you need to answer 40 questions from 3 different passages within 60 minutes. It means you will get only 20 minutes to read and solve the questions from a single passage. Every correct answer will be awarded as 1 mark.
In this article, we are going to discuss IELTS Reading with its Test Format, Score, and Sample Topics with Answers in detail.
Table of Content
- IELTS Academic Reading vs. IELTS General Reading
- IELTS Reading – Test Format
- IELTS Reading Test Band Score – IELTS Academic Readingvs.IELTS General Reading
- IELTS Reading Marking Criteria
- IELTS Reading Topics
- IELTS Academic Reading Topics
- IELTS General Reading Topics
- Academic and General Training IELTS Reading – Question types
- Academic and General Training IELTS Reading – Question Description
- IELTS Reading Preparation – Tips
- Sample Topics with Answers – IELTS Reading
- Check IELTS Reading Samples for Academic
- IELTS Practice Tests for Academic
- Final Thoughts – IELTS Reading: Test Format, Score, and Sample Topics with Answers
- FAQs – IELTS Reading: Test Format, Score, and Sample Topics with Answers
IELTS Academic Reading vs. IELTS General Reading
The total number of questions and types are the same for both IELTS Academic Readingvs.IELTS General Reading, but theyboth are differentin the context of marking and some other aspects.Let us discuss the differences between IELTS Academic Readingvs. IELTS GeneralReadingas mentioned below.
IELTS Academic Readingvs. IELTS GeneralReading | ||
---|---|---|
Aspects | IELTS Academic Reading | IELTS GeneralReading |
Core Aspects | It includes three different sections and the core aspect is related to academics. | Section one has two or three fact-related texts that are related to the everyday situation. |
Factual Informations and Questions | You will find one long text attached with the questions. | Section two contains different factual information related to the workplace or work. |
Texts Taken From | Texts are generally taken from different books, journals, and newspapers. These texts mostly highlight academic topics. | Section three contains a complex text that is related to the general topics. |
Capability Testing | IELTS Academic reading assesses the capability of reading of a candidate for academic purposes. | IELTS GeneralReading assesses the capability of reading of a candidate for employment and immigration purposes. |
Scoring | 23 points in IELTS Academic reading is equal to the 30 points in IELTS General Training. |
Also Read: IELTS Academic vs General Tests – What’s the Difference?
See Also1St grade reading level example
IELTS Reading – Test Format
The IELTS reading consists of threedifferentpassages where the difficulty level and the encryption of the answers may vary. As a candidate, youneed toanswer 40 questions in one hour by following the different methods. This structure is applicable for both IELTS Academic and General Training. Here are the structure details of the IELTS Reading as mentioned below.
IELTS Reading Test – Format | ||
---|---|---|
Reading Academic | 40 Questions (3 Sections) | 60 Minutes |
Reading General Training | 40 Questions (3 Sections) | 60 Minutes |
Read More: IELTS Full Form: Check Its Significance
IELTS Reading Test Band Score – IELTS Academic Readingvs.IELTS General Reading
The IELTS reading consists of three different passages. Youneed toanswer 40 questions in one hour by following thedifferentmethods. This structure is applicable for both IELTS Academic and General Training. The scoring criteria is different for both because “23 points in IELTS Academic reading is equal to the 30 points in IELTS General Training”. Here is the IELTS Reading Test Band Score as mentioned below.
IELTS Reading Test Band Score – IELTS Academic Readingvs. IELTS General Reading | |||
---|---|---|---|
Correct Answers | IELTS Academic band score | Correct Answers | 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 Marking Criteria
The IELTS reading score can be determinedthrough band scorewhichranges between band 0 to band 9. You will receive 1 point for each correct answer. As per the IELTS markingsystemif you answer 40 questionscorrectlyyou will get a9band score.On the other side,if you geta 0 bandscorethatmeans you have not appeared for the examination. There is no other certain marking criteria for the IELTS Reading.
IELTS Reading Topics
We can not predict the IELTS reading topics. It is impossible. There are so many topicsandIELTS can ask you questions from anywhere.Itis recommendedto readmore books, articles, magazines, and newspapers in our daily life.Though,we have analyzed so many practice tests and created a list for your reference.
IELTS Academic Reading Topics
IELTS Academic Reading is 60 minutes longandit consists of 3 sections. Each section has a long text which consists of 150 to 750 words. These contentsare sourcedfromdifferentbooks, articles, magazines, and newspapers. Here are some common topics we have for youasmentioned below.
IELTS Academic Reading Topics |
---|
Language |
Technology |
Crime |
Games |
Dominant features of western countries |
Robots |
Skyscrapers |
Hardware |
Neuroscience |
Famous personality |
Television addiction in students |
Advantages and disadvantages of technology for students |
Environment of different countries |
Impacts of environment on human health |
Children’s language |
Skin unmasking |
Specialties of different countries |
Impacts of China on youth of the world |
Story |
Amateurs and their lifestyle |
Modern tools to detect crimes |
Art |
Waste management |
Immigrant problems |
Mental health |
Villains and lessons taught by them |
Marine life |
Inventions |
Theorems |
Radiology |
Sports |
Current happenings of any country |
Issues observed in student life |
IELTS General Reading Topics
The IELTS General Reading segment is 60 minutes longandyouhave toanswer some questions by reading the particular topics.Alltotal, you need to answer 40 questions from 3 different passages. Here are some common topics we have for youasmentioned below.
IELTS General Reading Topics |
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Space science |
News |
Pedagogy |
Child growth and learning |
Movies |
Places of tourist attraction |
Employee benefits |
Organizational management |
Domestic and international travel |
Travel restrictions |
Working hours |
Employee-employer relation |
Managerial theory |
Clarity in HR policies |
Job satisfaction |
Work-life balance |
Business deals |
Social issues |
Economic status of the company |
Risk management plan |
Issues in leadership |
Academic and General Training IELTS Reading – Question types
For both IELTS Academic and General Training, you may face different types of questions in the reading section. Here are the question types of the IELTS Reading section as mentioned below:
- Multiple choice
- Identifying information
- Identifying a writer’s views/claims
- Matching information
- Matching headings
- Matching features
- Matching sentence endings
- Sentence completion
- Summary, note, table, flow-chart completion
- Diagram label completion
- Short-answer questions
Academic and General Training IELTS Reading – Question Description
Here are the Question Description of the Academic and General Training IELTS Reading as mentioned below.
Academic and General Training IELTS Reading – Question Description | ||
---|---|---|
Task Type | Task Description | Skills Assessed |
Matching Headings Question | You need to choose the heading from the list and match it with the passage. | Identify the link between supporting points and the main idea. |
True, False, Not Given/Yes, No, Not Given | Writer’s opinion. | Identify and understand the information for true, false, not given questions. |
Matching Paragraph Information Questions | To match the information. | Find out specific information. |
Summary Completion Questions | Complete the summary by filling the blanks. | Selection of the appropriate words. |
Sentence Completion Questions | Complete the sentence with the words. | Selection of the appropriate words. |
Multiple Choice Questions | Find the correct answer. | Selection of the appropriate words. |
List Selection | Choose the correct option from a list of words. | Selection of the appropriate words. |
Choosing a Title | Find the correct title. | To identify the main agenda. |
Classification Questions | Information specific category. | To locate and categorize the informations. |
Matching Sentence Endings | To complete the sentence. | Selection of the appropriate words. |
Table Completion | To complete a table. | Selection of the appropriate words. |
Flow-Chart Completion Questions | To complete the flowchart. | Locate appropriate words. |
Diagram Completion Questions | To label a diagram. | To locate and relate the informations. |
Short Answer Questions | To answer questions. | Selection of the appropriate words. |
IELTS Reading Preparation – Tips
Here are some master Tips for preparion of the IELTS Reading Sections as mentioned below.
- IELTS reading passages talk about multiple thingsat the same timesoyou need to be attentive.
- You needastronghold on sentence formation and vocabulary.
- You need to focuson thehardtasks as much as you can.
- Simple tasks can clear your doubts about the frameworkbutthehardtasks will create a base for your actual preparation.
- There is no need to focus on every word of the article,justfocus on the related information which carries themajordetails.
- Focus on thequestionkeywords that will direct you to findoutthe information from the whole article.It will save you from wasting the time.
- For reading tasks,time isreally importantandyou need to practice the tasks with a timer.
- Read the questions first and read the given article. Most of the students do the answers in the same way.
Sample Topics with Answers – IELTS Reading
Here are the Sample Topics with Answers which you may follow for IELTS Reading. <Will Update Soon>
Check IELTS Reading Samples for Academic
- The Impact of Environment to Children Reading Answers
- Have Teenagers Always Existed Reading Answers
- Changes in Male Body Image Reading Answers
- Bioluminescence Reading Answers
- Greying Population Stays in the Pink Reading Answers
- The Dams that Changed Australia Reading Answers
- The Secret of Staying Young Reading Answers
- Computer Provides More Questions Than Answers Reading Answers
- Glass capturing the dance of light Reading Answers
- Surgical Mask Reading Answers
- The Canals of De Lesseps Reading Answers
- Food Stream Market Reading Answers
- Museums of Fine Art and Their Public Reading Answers
- The Construction of Roads and Bridges Reading Answers
- Stars Without the Stripes Reading Answers
Conclusion
The IELTS reading section assesses the reading capabilities of a candidate through different types of question types.The question structure for both IELTS Academic and General Training are identicalbuttheycontain different text styles.You will get only 20 minutes to read and solve the questions from a single passage.Every correct answer will be awarded as 1 mark. As a candidate, you need to answer 40 questions from 3 different passages within 60 minutes. The scoring criteria is different for both because “23 points in IELTS Academic reading is equal to the 30 points in IELTS General Training”.
Also Check:
- How to prepare for IELTS?
- IELTS Exam Pattern 2024: Section-wise IELTS Exam Paper Pattern, Question Types
- IELTS Exam Fee 2024
- How to Apply for IELTS 2024| Step-By-Step Guide
IELTS Reading- FAQs
What is the format of IELTS reading test?
The Academic Reading test consists of 40 questions that you must answer. These can include short-answer questions, matching headings or sentence endings, identifying information, and completion tasks such as sentence, summary, note, table, and flow-chart completions.
How many topics are there in IELTS reading?
As in IELTS Reading, there are 14 question types divided into 3 sections for a total of 40 questions. Usually, each section has 3 or 4 different types of questions to answer. To complete all IELTS Reading questions, you only have one hour.
Is IELTS reading tricky?
Even people whose first language is English still struggle with this, so you’re not alone if you find that you read too slowly. However, given that there is a time limit component to the IELTS reading test, candidates don’t have the luxury of time to read through the given text at their own pace.
Which section is difficult in IELTS reading?
One of the challenging sections of the IELTS exam is the reading section, which requires test-takers to read and comprehend various texts within a limited time frame of 60 minutes. This can be a daunting task for many, but with the right approach and preparation, you can improve your chances of success.
How to get 8.5 marks in IELTS reading?
In Academic Reading, begin by quickly going through each passage to identify features like the topic, style, likely source, writer’s purpose, and intended reader. Reading tasks sometimes have an example answer. If so, study it and understand why it’s correct.
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