Introduction to the IELTS Reading Test
The IELTS Reading test is designed to assess a wide range of reading skills, including your ability to follow an argument, recognize a writer's opinion, attitude or purpose, and read for main ideas, detail, skimming, and understanding text structure. The test is one hour long and consists of three sections with a total of 40 questions.

Test Format and Timings
The Reading test is a 60-minute examination. It's crucial to note that you are not given any extra time to transfer your answers to the answer sheet, so you must manage your time carefully throughout the test.

The test has three sections (Section 1, 2, and 3) of increasing difficulty. Each section contains one long text or several shorter texts. The 40 questions are distributed across these three sections. There are many different question types, such as:

Multiple Choice

True / False / Not Given

Yes / No / Not Given

Matching headings

Matching information

Matching features

Summary completion

Sentence completion

Short-answer questions

Table or diagram completion

Marking Criteria and Band Scores
Each correct answer is worth one mark, for a total of 40 marks. These raw scores are then converted to the IELTS 9-band scale. The conversion varies slightly between the Academic and General Training tests to account for the different text difficulty.

Here is a general guide to the approximate raw score needed for each band:

Raw Score (out of 40)

Academic Band Score

General Training Band Score

39−40 -> 9.0

37−38 -> 8.5

35−36 -> 8.0

33−34 -> 7.5

30−32 -> 7.0

26−29 -> 6.5

23−25 -> 6.0

19−22 -> 5.5

Academic vs. General Training Texts
The key difference between the two modules is the nature of the reading passages.

Academic Reading: Texts are taken from books, journals, magazines, and newspapers. They are written for a non-specialist audience and cover a wide range of academic topics, from scientific to historical. The language is complex and formal.

General Training Reading: Texts are drawn from everyday sources such as notices, advertisements, company handbooks, and official documents. They are generally simpler in language and structure than the Academic texts and are designed to assess survival reading skills in an English-speaking environment.

Tips and Examples
1. Skimming and Scanning: Essential Skills
Skimming and scanning are two distinct but equally important skills for the IELTS Reading test. Mastering them will help you manage your time effectively and find answers quickly.

Skimming: This involves reading quickly to get a general idea of the text's content and structure. You don't read every word.

How to Skim:

Read the title, subheadings, and any visual aids.

Read the first sentence (topic sentence) of each paragraph.

Look for bold or italicized words, as these often highlight key terms.

Pay attention to transition words like "however," "in addition," or "for example" to understand the flow of ideas.

Example Skimming Task: You are asked to match headings to paragraphs. Skim each paragraph to understand its main idea, then choose the heading that best summarizes it.

Scanning: This involves looking for specific information within a text. It's like looking for a name in a phone book – you're not reading every entry, just searching for a particular item.

How to Scan:

Identify keywords from the question (names, dates, numbers, proper nouns).

Run your eyes down the text, looking only for these keywords or their synonyms.

Once you find a keyword, read the surrounding sentence or two carefully to confirm it's the right information.

Example Scanning Task: A question asks, "In which year did the company's profits exceed $50 million?" You would scan the text specifically for numbers, looking for something in the range of 50,000,000 or the words "fifty million," and then find the corresponding year.

2. Time Management
With only 60 minutes for 40 questions, you have roughly 1.5 minutes per question. Don't get stuck on one difficult question. If you can't find the answer in a minute or so, move on and come back to it later if you have time.

3. Understand Question Types
Practice with all question types. For "True/False/Not Given" questions, remember the key differences:

True: The information is directly stated in the text.

False: The text contradicts the statement.

Not Given: The information is not mentioned at all in the text.

Example: True / False / Not Given

Text:
"Despite the increased use of solar power in recent years, traditional fossil fuels like coal and oil still account for the majority of the world's energy production. Research shows that renewable sources are becoming more efficient, but a large-scale transition will require significant infrastructure investment."

Statement:

Fossil fuels are currently the primary source of global energy production.

More efficient renewable energy is a recent development.

The transition to renewable energy will happen very quickly.

Answers:

True: The text states that fossil fuels "still account for the majority of the world's energy production."

True: The text says, "renewable sources are becoming more efficient," which implies this is a current or recent trend.

False: The text states that a large-scale transition "will require significant infrastructure investment," which contradicts the idea of it happening "very quickly."

4. Build Your Vocabulary
The texts are rich in vocabulary, so it's a good idea to expand your word bank. Pay attention to synonyms and paraphrasing, as the questions will rarely use the exact same words as the text.

5. Read Instructions Carefully
Each question type has specific instructions. For example, some completion questions ask you to use "NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER." Following these instructions precisely is essential to avoid losing marks.