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IELTS Academic Reading

There are 11 types of question in the Reading test, and each one needs its own strategy. Start with Lesson 1 to learn the core reading skills, then work through the question types in any order.

  • 11 lessons
  • 11 question types
  • 40 questions in the test
  • 60 minutes in the test

Before you start

What is the Academic Reading test?

Time60 minutes. There is no extra time to transfer your answers, so write them on the answer sheet (or type them) as you go.
Texts3 long texts, 2,150–2,750 words in total. They come from books, journals, magazines and newspapers, and are written for a non-specialist reader. They get harder from text 1 to text 3.
Questions40 questions, 1 mark each, using a mix of the 11 question types below.
What it testsReading for gist, main ideas and detail, skimming, understanding logical argument, and recognising writers' opinions, attitudes and purpose.

Source: the official IELTS Academic Reading test format (ielts.org).

Time tip: 40 questions in 60 minutes is about 20 minutes per text. You cannot read every word carefully. That is why every lesson in this course practises surveying, skimming and scanning first.

Lessons

Course lessons

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Start here

  1. 1

    Developing reading skills

    Surveying, skimming and scanning: the skills every question type depends on.

    ✓ Completed
    45–60 min

Choosing the right option

  1. 2

    Multiple choice

    Spot the four kinds of distractor and prove your answer from the text.

    ✓ Completed
    40–50 min
  2. 3

    True / False / Not Given and Yes / No / Not Given

    The exact difference between False and Not Given, with a seven-step strategy.

    ✓ Completed
    60–75 min

Matching tasks

  1. 4

    Matching information

    Find which paragraph contains a specific piece of information.

    ✓ Completed
    45–60 min
  2. 5

    Matching headings

    Use topic sentences to match each paragraph to its main idea.

    ✓ Completed
    45–60 min
  3. 6

    Matching features

    Match statements to people or categories, and tell findings from opinions.

    ✓ Completed
    60–90 min
  4. 7

    Matching sentence endings

    Choose endings by meaning, not just grammar, and work backwards from distractors.

    ✓ Completed
    30–40 min

Completion tasks

  1. 8

    Sentence completion

    Predict the missing word, copy it exactly and never break the word limit.

    ✓ Completed
    40–50 min
  2. 9

    Summary, note, table and flow-chart completion

    Summary, notes, table and flow chart: four formats, one strategy.

    ✓ Completed
    50–70 min
  3. 10

    Diagram label completion

    Read the diagram first, then follow the language of location and position.

    ✓ Completed
    30–40 min

Short answers

  1. 11

    Short-answer questions

    Margin notes, key words and synonyms for fast, precise answers.

    ✓ Completed
    45–60 min

Quick reference

The 11 question types

Find a question type you are finding difficult and go straight to its lesson.

1. Multiple choiceLesson 2: Multiple choice 2. Identifying information (True / False / Not Given)Lesson 3: True / False / Not Given and Yes / No / Not Given 3. Identifying the writer's views or claims (Yes / No / Not Given)Lesson 3: True / False / Not Given and Yes / No / Not Given 4. Matching informationLesson 4: Matching information 5. Matching headingsLesson 5: Matching headings 6. Matching featuresLesson 6: Matching features 7. Matching sentence endingsLesson 7: Matching sentence endings 8. Sentence completionLesson 8: Sentence completion 9. Summary, note, table and flow-chart completionLesson 9: Summary, note, table and flow-chart completion 10. Diagram label completionLesson 10: Diagram label completion 11. Short-answer questionsLesson 11: Short-answer questions