Six common questions on IELTS reading section

The IELTS reading section is integral to the IETLS exam and doing well in this section is important. Here are the answers to some FAQs in this section.

1. What are the kinds of topics covered in the reading passages?

The subjects in IELTS are of general interest and come from books, magazines, newspapers, journals and so on. They would not be so complicated or technical but if you are not familiar with western culture, it is fair to spend some time reading the sort of text you will see in the test.

2. What are the types of questions in this section?

The question types in this section include multiple-choice, short-answer questions, sentence completion, table completion, True/False/Not Given, classification, and others. You just need to learn more about these types of questions. Some of them, especially True / False / Not Given, can be hard. You are very unlikely to perform well in IELTS if you don’t understand these question types. Start by reading about the various types of questions, such as True/ False/ Not Given or matching paragraph headings. Then practice the questions so that you feel confident when attempting the exam.

3. Should I first skim through the passage?

In the reading test, skimming and scanning abilities are significant, but it may be easier to first read the questions. One thing is always true; it is easier to grasp the questions than the passages themselves. You will get an idea of what to look for in the text by quickly looking at the questions (it won’t take longer than 45 seconds), which will save time afterward.

4. Do I get extra time in the end to write my answers?

No, though you are granted time at the end in the listening module to write your responses, not in the reading module. As you work through each part, you need to write your responses on the answer paper.

5. Should I spend the same amount of time on each section?

It is a mistake to spend the same amount of time on Section 1 and Section 3 if you are striving for a high band score (above 7). In the last section, the going gets a lot tougher and much more attention to detail is needed than in the previous passages. Knowing what to expect in each section will help you schedule how much time you can afford to spend. Familiarize yourself with the content of each section.

6. If my answer is wrong do I lose a mark?

No, you are not going to get a mark deducted, you will actually fail to get a mark. This implies that there is nothing to lose by guessing if you are not sure of the answer.