Matching sentence endings is a less common type of question that you can come across in the Reading section of IELTS Academic. Such tasks as matching features, matching headings, true or false questions, multiple-choice come up more often, but that does not mean you needn’t know how to complete this task. It also requires applying a certain strategy and knowing some tips. So, we are going to provide you with some useful tips and tricks to help you get a higher score. 

Looking at the task

This type of task requires the candidates to complete the sentences, but they often despise this type of question because they see that there are a lot of options and these options are quite long. 

So, what does the task look like? Usually, you will see two lists in the task: a list of sentences that you have to complete and a list of possible sentence endings to choose from. For example:

You have to match the items from the lists together based on reading the passage. If you look at the task above, you will notice that there are more options than sentences. This means that you will have to read the text, find the corresponding information, and choose the correct answer.

It’s a common misconception that this type of reading task can be answered without actually reading the passage. This type of task does not check whether you know how to combine sentences. What it tests is if you are able to understand how the ideas in the sentences are connected to the ideas in the reading passage. 

To complete this task successfully you will need to scan the passage, notice various grammatical structures, spot paraphrased sentences and recognize synonyms, and be able to make predictions based on the particular context.

Once again, if you try doing the task without reading the passage, you are likely to fail it. Follow the suggested steps to know how to approach this task.

READ ABOUT: How to do matching tasks in IELTS Listening

Steps to be followed

The way we suggest answering the matching sentence endings questions is the most effective. Try and check if it works for you.

Step 1. Read the passage quickly. 

Scanning the text is important because it gives you a general idea, and you can also see how it is organised. 

Step 2. Underline the keywords in the sentences.

After reading the passage, go to the list of incomplete sentences, and highlight the most important words in them. By doing so you will concentrate on the meaning of the sentence and will be able to find the right words when you will be scanning the text later on. Remember, you won’t be looking for the exact words in the text, instead, you will have to find synonyms and paraphrasing. 

Step 3. Make predictions and check them by reading the passage.

As you read the sentences try to think about what can be the endings. Next, read the endings and make any possible matches. Focus on meaning and grammatical connection between sentence halves. For example, this can be tense forms, number of verbs, gerunds, or infinitives that go after particular verbs, collocations, etc. 

After that, read the text to find the information about each question in the passage. Check your predictions. Choose the best answer.

Step 4. Read the complete sentence.

As you match the beginning of each sentence to the correct ending, read the sentence again. Does it have correct grammar? Does it make sense? If so, you have completed the task.

READ ABOUT: How to deal with unexpected questions in the IELTS Speaking test

General tips

• Remember that questions follow the order of the text. Once you have found the first answer, the rest will come in order in the passage you are reading.
• All options will appear in the text but not all will match one of the incomplete sentences. They are distractors. And they are here to check if you really understand the main idea of the passage and the sentences. 
• When underlining the keywords, pay attention to the name and dates. They will help you locate the answers in the reading passage. 
• Grammar is important. The grammatical structure of the sentence once you complete it has to be correct. If it is not, you have probably made a mistake.
•  Meaning is important. Look for synonyms and paraphrasing not the exact words in the text.
• Make sure you read far enough in the text to cover everything in the question.

Go to our course where we provide a detailed explanation of this strategy and more examples based on real exam tasks. You will also practise doing this and other types of IELTS Reading tasks, get instant feedback from our IELTS experts and improve not only reading but other skills for the IELTS exam. Our course is designed for those who want to learn IELTS essentials, practise anytime from anywhere, as much as possible, receive valuable feedback, and build confidence. Besides the ongoing support, you will take full mock Speaking and Writing tests with detailed feedback to feel the taste of a real exam.

READ IN OUR BLOG:

• What will the examiner be listening for at the IELTS Speaking test?
• How to identify the type of essay in IELTS Writing Task 2?
• 8 strategies to achieve a perfect score in IELTS Listening

If you want to do well in the Reading section of the IELTS Academic test, make sure you practice doing different tasks: matching features, matching headings, true or false questions, multiple-choice, etc. Among more than ten question types you can be given in the IELTS Reading section note completion is one of the most frequently seen ones. Therefore, it is advisable to understand how to deal with such a type of question if you get in your test. In our today’s blog, we are going to guide you through the process of answering note completion questions step by step.

Understanding the task

In this type of task, you will have to complete a summary of some information in the text you will read. This summary may look like this:

• a table
• a diagram
• a flow-chart
• notes
• a paragraph

You will have to fill in the gaps with the words and/or numbers from a part of the text. The task tests your ability to understand the details or main ideas of the reading passage. It is also required that you to know what type of words will fit into a given gap (for example, whether it is a noun or a verb, adjective or adverb, etc).

The passages for such types of questions are usually descriptive. The answers might occur in the same order as in the passage, but not necessarily. However, they will usually come from one part of the passage rather than being spread across the entire text.

READ ABOUT: How are IELTS Listening and Reading scores calculated?

Steps for sentence / note completion

Step 1. Quickly read the title and the text.

You shouldn’t spend much time on this. Reading the text quickly will allow you to gain an idea of what it is about. Don’t worry about the words you don’t understand.

Step 2. Check the instructions.

The instructions not only give us a clue that you need to fill in the blanks, but they also provide us with very important information regarding the number of words you have to write in your answer. In addition, make sure you know what you can and cannot write for each gap.

For example, you can see the instructions worded like these:

• Write one word only.
• Write one word and /or a number.
• Write no more than two words.
• Write no more than two words and/ or a number.
• Write no more than three words.

If the instruction says, ‘WRITE NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS’ and you write three, the answer will be incorrect, and you will not get any points.

Step 3. Read the sentences. Underline keywords in them.

Keywords will allow you to understand the focus of the questions. They can include names, places, figures, nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.

Step 4. Use the keywords to find the part of the text you need.

You will have to scan the text to find the right information for each sentence from the task starting from the first one.

Step 5. Predict what kind of word(s) you need for the gap.

By looking at the words before and after the gap, you can work out what part of speech is missing, whether it is a noun or a verb, an adjective or an adverb, etc. Try to predict the answer. After that, read the part of the passage attentively paying attention to the keywords.

Step 6. Find the word(s) for the gap.

As you read the paragraph, you will notice the keywords and some of them will be paraphrased. As you find the word in the text, copy it into the gap exactly as it is in the text. Check you spell it correctly because answers with the wrong spelling are counted as wrong ones.

Step 7. Read the sentence again.

Finally, you have to read the sentence again and check if it is grammatically correct. Make sure it makes sense. If so, move on to the next sentence and do steps 3 to 7.

READ ABOUT: How to prepare for IELTS Speaking and get the highest score

Summary completion

In summary completion, you will have to fill in the gaps in a summary that is a short text giving the main information about a longer text without giving all the detail. In order to complete the task, you should understand the main points of the text. The information in the summary may be about one paragraph or about a longer part of the text, but not about the whole passage.

The steps and tips for summary completion are pretty the same as the ones you have to do for sentence completion questions above.

However, sometimes, in summary completion, you have to use the words not from the passage, but from a list of suggested options.

In this case, you need to follow all the same steps as with the sentences or a simple summary completion. However, once you found the answer in the passage, compare it with the suggested options and choose a synonym.

There is another timesaving trick. You can predict the answers before reading the passage more easily. If you see that you are running out of time, this may be very handy.

Anyway, it is highly recommended that you read the passage and make sure you have answered correctly.

There are other types of completion: table, flow-chart, and diagram. Nevertheless, the same strategies that we’ve just learnt can easily be applied to them. Of course, some peculiarities depend on the type of visual you get. Go to our online complete IELTS Academic self-study course, if you want to do a detailed analysis of all types of IELTS Academic Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking tasks, do sample IELTS tasks, practice tasks with an automated checking system, get access to the exclusive Facebook community where we share more life-saving tips and tricks for IELTS Academic.

READ IN OUR BLOG:

• How to link ideas in IELTS essays
• What to expect at the IELTS Speaking test
• How to prepare for IELTS Academic online in less than two months

There are more than 10 different types of questions you can receive in the Reading section of the IELTS Academic exam. Moreover, there are 3 reading passages with 40 questions you have to answer in an hour. This means that you will deal with up to 4 questions of different types per passage, and it is good to know how to deal with them. Matching features type of question is one of the types of tasks at the IELTS exam that most students struggle with. However, regular practice and a good strategy will help you to tackle it without efforts.

What the task is about

On the day of the exam, you will have your passages on the separate page, and the instructions, the features and the list will be on the other page. This type of question will ask you to match a numbered list of factual statements or opinions to features. Usually, the features are taken from the text, i.e. you will have to be able to identify these opinions or features and recognize the connections between these aspects of the passage.

In this task, you will often have to match a list of people’s names to a list of statements using the information in the text to make the correct matches. For example, the names of researchers, experts or scientists. The statements will normally be research findings, theories, dates with events, places, facilities etc.

For example, in the task above, you see the list of cultures and the statements. You have to match each statement with the correct culture. In other words, you need to read the text and find out who does/did what. For each question, you will need to write the letter of the feature which matches the statement. Make sure you put the letter, not the name of a person or place.

READ ABOUT: How to deal with multiple choice questions in IELTS Reading

General tips

Tip #1. Keep in mind that the statements, or items, do not usually come in the same order as in the text, but the people or things in the list do. Remember this when you look for the answers in the passage.

Tip #2. The number of letters in the list can sometimes be bigger than the number of statements. In this case, you do not need to use all of them. Some are odd.

Tip #3. It is possible that you will have to use the same letter more than once. Do not worry if you use letter B twice, i.e. if you match it with two different statements. This does not mean you have made a mistake. It is possible that some options in the list will not be used, and others may be used more than once.

Tip #4. Do not write any names or words in your answer sheet. Remember that your answer is one of the letters from the list. Do not mix it up with the letter of the paragraph where you find the answer (if the passage contains several paragraphs, they are also named with letters A, B, C etc.).

READ ABOUT: Useful tips to tackle true or false questions in IELTS Reading

How to answer the questions

Matching features task in IELTS checks your ability to determine specific crucial moments in the text as well as distinguish the connections between opinions and facts. You can easily walk through the task if you follow our practical advice during your preparation for IELTS Academic.

Step 1. Read and paraphrase the statements.

First of all, you have to understand the statements, so try to “translate” them into simple English. Some statements might be longer, i.e. they have more keywords and it may be more difficult to understand them. It is important to examine the statements and look for names, dates, and other critical points in them. We highly recommend not to skip this step.

Step 2. Locate the options form the list and underline them.

After you have processed all statements, move on to the list of options with letters. You have look through the text and find these options in the passage in front of you. When you find them, underline or highlight.

Step 3. Read about each name in the list. Match them with the statements.

The next step is to read about each group in the passage and try to match them with the statements. Be careful at this stage, because the information in the text is usually paraphrased, i.e. you will not read the same words. It is a good idea to work on your paraphrasing skills during your IELTS preparation as well.

Remember, if matching features is the first task in IELTS Reading, read the passage quickly to get the general idea and see how it is organized like you do for other types of questions in the Reading sections.

If you still can’t match the correct option to a statement, use the elimination technique. As soon as you’ve matched all the statements to the corresponding options, review your answers and revise them if necessary.

During your IELTS prep, utilize these test-taking strategies when doing practice tests. You will find more strategies and tips for each type of questions in our online self-study course. We have done everything to boost your exam preparation and be 100% IELTS-ready.

• Dos and don’ts for IELTS Reading matching headings questions
• How to avoid repetition at the IELTS Speaking test
• How you should be preparing for IELTS Academic

IELTS is a multilevel exam designed to assess what candidates can do in English rather than measure them against a standard they may have not yet reached. For example, those with B2 level of English according to CEFR “can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialization; can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party etc.” In the IELTS exam, you will get a score between 1 and 9 for each section: Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing. The average of those makes your overall band score. Unlike the Writing and Speaking sections, in which your skills are marked against a number of criteria, including ‘fluency and coherence’, ‘lexical resource’, ‘pronunciation’, ‘grammatical range’ and ‘accuracy’ , your answers are either correct or incorrect in the Listening and Speaking sections, i.e. the marking is quite different.

READ ABOUT: How is IELTS Writing assessed?

IELTS Reading score

There are 40 questions in the reading section. This part of the exam uses various types of questions such as multiple choice, matching headings, True-False-Not Given, sentence completion. You have to answer all the questions to get a higher score. However, your answers are either correct or incorrect. Each correct answer gives you one mark. The total number of marks determines your band score. You do not get any penalties if your answer is wrong.

Below you can see that the number of marks required to achieve a certain band score is different for the IELTS Academic Reading and IELTS General Reading.

General Reading:

Academic Reading:

You can also use an online IELTS calculator to know your approximate score.

READ ABOUT: Which IELTS should you take: general or academic?

IELTS Listening score

There are 40 questions and 4 parts of the Listening test, 10 questions per each part. There are some common types of questions you may come across and need to know how to answer such as matching, multiple choice, note completion, labeling a plan or a map etc. Each type of questions requires the knowledge of certain strategies from you. However, your answers can be correct or incorrect like in the Reading section of the exam.

Although there are two modules of the IELTS test: General and Academic, the Listening section will be the same for all candidates. Each of your correct answers brings you one mark, i.e. you can get maximum 40. The raw score is converted into IELTS band from 1 to 9:

The marking and scoring of the computer-based IELTS exam is the same as paper-based IELTS.

READ ABOUT: How computers grade your IELTS Reading and Speaking

In our course, you will learn about the types of questions, analyse the strategies and practise completing the tasks in the Reading and Listening sections of the exam. You also receive a downloadable summary of the main strategies and examples that will help you perform better.

Many students and test-takers get cold feet when they see this task in the IELTS Reading section on the day of the exam. Matching headings seems to be one of the trickiest types of questions in the IELTS Academic exam besides those where you have to answer multiple choice and true or false questions. Today, we are going to share an action plan with you so that you could solve this type of task more easily.

Understanding the task

In the task, you will see a list of headings with Roman numbers, and a number of questions at the bottom. You need to find a suitable heading for each section. Sometimes, a section is a paragraph, or it may include several paragraphs. And, you there are always more headings than sections, for example, seven sections and eight headings or eight sections and nine headings. This also means that some headings will not be used. Remember, you can use each heading only once.

This type of question tests if you are able to understand the main idea of each paragraph. This suggests that in this question type you have to match each paragraph in the reading text to one heading, based on the general information in the text.

Matching headings type of questions may cause difficulties for many test-takers for a number of reasons:

• it takes longer for candidates to complete the task;
• the number of headings is bigger than the number of paragraphs;
• some paragraphs do not need headings;
• some headings look similar;
• some headings may mislead the test-takers because they contain only specific details;
• some headings may contain the same words as the reading section, but they do not match.

Read further, and we will go through the action plan that will help you match headings more successfully step by step.

READ ABOUT: How to check your IELTS writing

How to answer the questions

In order to answer matching headings questions, you have to be good at skimming. This means you have to able to read a text quickly to get a general idea of its meaning. The answer strategy we offer explains how you can utilize skimming skills to tackle this question type.

Step 1. Quickly read the title and the text.

If matching headings goes as the first task, you will need to read the title and the passage quickly to get the general gist of what the text is about. You should not worry about the words you do not understand.

Step 2. Check how many headings and paragraphs you have in the task.

Remember, there are always more headings than paragraphs, so find out how many of them you will not need to use. For example, in the task below there are 8 headings and only 5 paragraphs, i.e. there are 3 extra headings:

Step 3. Cross out the example paragraph and heading.

There is sometimes an example given for you. Do not waste your time on it, cross it out from the headings and the passage.

Step 4. Read the headings and underline the keywords.

You need to completely understand the meaning of each heading. This can be made easier by paraphrasing, i.e. if difficult, ‘translate’ the heading into simple English.

Underline the keywords in each heading. They are names, places, dates, and nouns, once you have read them thoroughly. This step will help you connect the correct heading to the appropriate paragraph.

READ ABOUT: Tips for note completion questions in IELTS Listening

Step 5. Read the first paragraph quickly. Underline the main ideas. Choose the best heading.

Your aim is to identify the main idea of the paragraph. As a rule, the first one or two sentences and the last sentence introduce and summarise this main idea. Remember, you do not need to know the detail for this type of question. However, the headings are usually worded in such a way that you need to know that thing right in the middle of the paragraph to find the answer.

Next, briefly sum up the main idea of the paragraph in your own words as if you were writing your own heading. Do it in just a few words or a short phrase at the most. You can write this beside it.

The key words are the clues but also synonyms are very likely to be used. When choosing a heading do not just select the first one that seems to match as there may be two that are very similar in meaning. Pay attention to the meaning.

The same words in headings and paragraphs may distract you. However, the similar idea in the paragraph may only be a detail, not the main idea. When matching a heading, ask yourself if it is the main idea of the paragraph.

Step 6. Do the same for all other paragraphs.

The next step is to do the same for all paragraphs that are left. Keep in mind that you can use the same heading only once. If it is difficult to decide on a heading, write several possible ones and a question mark, and move on to the next paragraphs. When you finish with the rest, there will be only a few headings left, so it will be easier for you to choose. Once you have finished the first round, you have read the whole passage, come back to the questions you could not answer. If you were hesitating between two options, it is likely that you have already used one of them for another section or paragraph, i.e. the answer becomes obvious.

When you are reading a paragraph, focus on the main ideas, not minor details or the same words.

In our IELTS Grade online course, we explore examples and provide you with strategies to deal with each type of questions of the IELTS Reading section as well as practice tasks and valuable feedback. It is a complete IELTS Academic self-study course with an extensive Writing practice and detailed analysis, automated instant feedback on writing using artificial intelligence, video comments and a full mock test imitating the conditions of a real exam. You can try the free version to feel the benefits of the course.

What not to do

• Do not waste your time on reading paragraphs that are not included in the question set for this question type.
• Do not repeat any headings for answers.
• Do not choose the heading and the paragraph if the words are absolutely the same. The correct heading would always be paraphrased.
• Do not read only the first and the last sentences of the paragraph, skim the whole one.
• Do not write any words in your answer booklet for this section.

READ IN OUR BLOG:

– 8 strategies to achieve a perfect score in IELTS Listening

– What to expect at the IELTS Speaking test

– 25 phrasal verbs to avoid in IELTS Academic Writing

Most of the students and candidates consider this type of questions in IELTS Reading to be the trickiest. Have you already guessed which one it is? They are ‘True-False-Not Given’ or ‘Yes-No-Not Given’ questions. You must admit that it would be good if there were only true and false statements. However, what shall we do with the third option? Such questions often cause problems because of the difficulty in understanding the difference between answers that are ‘false’ or ‘not given’. Today, we are going to share some tricks and show some patterns that will help you find answers to those questions without much effort.

Almost all tests contain such questions, and chances are high that you will have them in your reading exam as well. Usually, True-False-Not Given questions come in the first passage, which is believed to be the easiest one, or sometimes in the second. Yes-No-Not Given questions appear in the second or the third passage most of the time. There are 3 to 5 questions of this type in a set, and you have to use all the answers.

Understanding the questions

What do we have to do for this type of questions? In the exam, you will get the paper where there will be the article you need to read and the questions. Here is the official sample task from the IELTS Academic exam.

READ ABOUT: How to deal with multiple choice questions in IELTS Reading

As you can see, each question is a statement. You need to look at that statement, read through the passage, and decide if this information is in the passage:

• if you can find the information in the text, then the answer is ‘TRUE’;
• if the information in the passage is opposite to the statement, then it is ‘FALSE’;
• if you cannot find the information as you’ve read through the passage, the answer is ‘NOT GIVEN’. Why? It is simply because that you cannot tell if the statement is true or false from looking at the text or the information to make the decision as regards true or false is not there.

One more thing to remember is that ‘True-False-Not Given’ questions are about factual information while the ‘Yes-No-Not Given’ questions are all about the writer’s opinion.

Those are the basic requirements of this type of questions. Read further, and we will look at the difference between ‘True’, ‘False’ and ‘Not Given’ as well as at some examples.

4 steps to take before giving the answer

The action plan for tackling ‘Yes-No-Not Given’ and ‘True-False-Not Given’ questions is exactly the same.

Step 1. Read the passage for a general idea. 

This is a step for all types of questions in IELTS Reading if they go first in the passage. It helps you find answers to questions in it more easily later on when you will need to read in detail the part of the text where you think the answer is.

Step 2. Look at the first statement and underline the keywords.

For example: Marie became interested in science when she was a child.

Step 3. Locate and choose the answer in the passage.

For this, you will need to scan the text and find similar words and synonyms in it. The same words help locate facts in the passage. Synonyms help us choose the answer.

The only paragraph where we can read about her childhood, goes like this:

Step 4. Read carefully and choose T, F or NG.

Now, let us read more carefully and watch out for the synonyms or the opposite meanings to choose the answer.

‘From childhood’ has the same meaning as ‘when she was a child’. Then we read about ‘medical studies’ which is also related to ‘interested in science’. However, does this information coincide with what we read in the statement? No, it doesn’t. Does the passage say anything that contradicts with our statement? Not really. What we can learn about Marie as a child is that she ‘was remarkable for her prodigious memory’, and it was her sister whose medical studies Marie financed. Can we find any information about what she was interested in when she was younger? No, we can’t. What does this mean? The answer is simply NOT GIVEN in the reading passage.

After you have chosen the answer, return to Step 2 with the rest of the statements and follow the same procedure.

In our course, we look at more examples in detail and analyse various answers for this type of questions in the IELTS Reading exam. Our IELTS experts share other useful tips on tackling ‘True-False-Not Given’ questions. Join our course if you want to know all of them and skyrocket your IELTS result.

Other things to remember

• Questions may not be in order but in most tests they are.
• Names and dates help locate the correct answers too. Highlight them whenever you see them.
• Look for synonyms and paraphrasing. You already know that you are not going to find exactly the same words in the passage.
• If you can’t find the answer to the question, mark it as ‘NOT GIVEN’. Usually, you cannot find it because it is not given. Do not waste too much time on any single question and move on.
• Remember what type of question you are answering. Don’t write ‘False’ instead of ‘No’, or ‘Yes’ instead of ‘True’. Read instructions carefully and keep them in mind.
• Do not overthink. This type of questions is not about your background knowledge. It is about what is in the text. Once you have found the answer, go for it.

Recently we have written about checking you IELTS Writing.

In the IELTS Reading exam, there are several types of questions. Multiple choice are one of them. They regularly appear in both modules of the test: General and Academic. Most candidates tackle them with no effort. However, they might be quite tricky. That is why it does not take much effort for candidates and students of IELTS to pick up the wrong answer.
Today, we will look at some useful tips that will help you find correct answers and achieve high score at the IELTS Reading exam.

What is the task about?

In such type of task, you will have to read the first half of a sentence, a statement or a question about the text, and choose the most appropriate sentence ending, response or answer from a choice of a number of options (usually 4 or 7). The instructions can be set out like this:

This type of question tests if you can:

• understand the main idea of each paragraph
• scan for specific information
• read for details to differentiate between several possible answers

The answers for such type of questions in the Reading sections are very likely to come in order. Bare this in mind when reading the questions and scanning for information. Therefore, the strategy you will need to use is scanning. If more than one answer is possible, read in detail.

Key tips

Tip # 1. Read the passage quickly. Spend around 2 minutes on this. It will help you get general idea, and look at the organization of the paragraph, especially if multiple choice questions are the first questions to a passage.

Tip # 2. Read the questions/ statements/ incomplete sentences. However, do not read the options yet. Next, underline the keywords in it and ‘translate’ it into simple English. What does this mean? Make sure you understand the question.

For example:

TASK

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

One of the facts provided in David Storey’s study suggests that …

READ ABOUT: 6 typical mistakes in IELTS essays

Tip # 3. Scan the passage and locate the question. Use quick reading, keywords and proper names from the question to look for the information in the text.

For example:

TASK

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

One of the facts provided in David Storey’s study suggests that …

TEXT

If the job market grows more flexible, the old may find more jobs that suit them. Often, they will be self-employed. Sometimes, they may start their own businesses: a study by David Storey of Warwick University found that in Britain 70% of businesses started by people over 55 survived, compared with an overall national average of only 19%. But whatever pattern of employment they choose, in the coming years the skills of these ‘grey workers’ will have to be increasingly acknowledged and rewarded.

Tip # 4. Look for the answer to the question in the passage. Once you have found it, underline it. You will need it further.

READ ABOUT: 25 phrasal verbs to avoid in IELTS Academic Writing

Tip # 5. Return to the options. Now, it is time to read the options that the task suggests and compare them with the answer you have underlined in the passage. Choose the one you think is the best.

Tip # 6. If in doubt, check all the options critically. You might still hesitate. So, it’s a good idea to think why the other options are wrong and cross them out. These options are, as a rule, not related to the topic.

Tip # 7. Watch out for distractors. In the Reading section of the IELTS, they are the same words that you can see in the options and in the paragraph. In fact, they may be there only to distract you. The meaning of the sentence that contains such words is usually different from the correct answer.

Now you know how to tackle multiple choice questions in IELTS Reading. You may use our tips as an action plan even if you have to choose more than one option. In this case, go through steps 1 – 4. Next, read the options. Compare with the passage. Choose the number of options you need. After that proceed with steps 6 and 7.

In our course, we will explore multiple choice questions in more detail, look at examples and work out more useful tips. You will save all the advice you get in a Knowledge Bank, receive instant feedback, develop other skills like listening, speaking and extensively work on your academic writing, track your progress and a full mock Speaking and Writing tests with a detailed feedback from IELTS preparation experts.

Recently, we have written about IELTS Reading key facts.

Many candidates and students struggle with the IELTS Reading section. Difficulties appear because they might not be aware of the essentials of the Reading test, such as time, number of questions and types of texts, and some other basic, but indispensable facts. However, good news is if you are reading this blog, you still have some time to correct your mistakes and change the route of your preparation towards passing the IELTS exam successfully. Below, we are going to discuss everything you need to know about IELTS Reading as well as everything you need not to get lost on the day of the exam.

Key facts

1. The tasks are different in each module of the IELTS test: General and Academic. You will take the exam together with other candidates regardless the module. As you already know, you will do the Listening section in the same room. Right after that, you will remain seated and proceed with the Reading and Writing sections. Candidates do not change the rooms until the end of the test.

2. The types of questions in both modules of IELTS Reading are basically the same. This means that the IELTS Reading sections in general and academic modules differ only in contents. For example, you may need to:

• fill in gaps in sentences, tables and diagrams;
• choose correct options in multiple-choice questions;
• match paragraphs with headings.

We will look specifically at all question types and give you lots of useful tips in our course.

3. The duration of the IELTS Reading test is 60 minutes. You have to manage your time properly in order to complete all tasks. Try to spend no more than 20 minutes on each part of the test (there are 3 of them). However, you will notice that the first part is usually shorter. So, it is recommended to spend less time on it if you want to complete the rest of the tasks in time.

4. In IELTS Reading, you have to answer 40 questions. All of them are divided into several texts with different levels of difficulty. That is why some of the questions might seem easier, and others will look more difficult. Your task is to answer all of them.

5. Texts for IELTS General Training and Academic Training come from different sources. If you are taking IELTS Academic, you should get used to reading texts from books, journals, magazines and newspapers written for a non-specialist audience. At least one text contains detailed logical argument. They may also contain non-verbal materials such as diagrams, graphs or illustrations. If texts contain technical terms, a simple glossary is provided. That is because most IELTS Academic test-takers enter undergraduate or postgraduate courses or seek professional registration, and they are going to deal with these kinds of texts further in their studies or work.

READ ABOUT: IELTS Reading tips and resources

Those who take IELTS General should prepare themselves for ‘social survival’, i.e. you have to understand general factual information, such as timetables or notices. The texts are also about ‘workplace survival’ where you have to read a job description or staff development materials, for example. And the last part involves reading newspapers, magazines and fictional and non-fictional book extracts, i.e. is about general context.

6. You will have no extra time to transfer your answers. Remember that you have to do everything in 60 minutes. Be very attentive when writing answers on the answer sheet as poor spelling and grammar are penalised.

7. You can get a maximum of 40 points for IELTS Reading. Each correct answer is worth 1 mark. After that they are translated into IELTS 9 band scale. In the tables below you can see the average number of marks required to achieve a particular band score in Academic Reading and General Training Reading.

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General tips on IELTS Reading

Now, when you are already aware of the structure of the IELTS Reading test and know what to expect, here are some helpful tips from our IELTS experts:

Tip #1. You should read not only the texts but also the instructions. Always check how many words you need to write, and how many options to choose in each question.

Tip #2. Do not even try to understand every single word. You will waste precious time and fail to find the answers to the questions, which is your goal, isn’t it? It’s a good idea to scan the text and find the necessary information such as keywords. Then, read this part of the text more carefully.

Tip #3. Do not get stuck if you can’t find the answer. If you spend too much time on the question you cannot answer, you are likely not to finish in time. Simply skip it and return to it later.

Tip #4. Do not leave blank answers. You have to answer all 40 questions. You will not get any penalties for choosing the wrong answer. If you are not sure, try any option that seems most appropriate. Chances are you can get it right.

Tip #5. Complete the answer sheet after each part. Once you are done with the first text, for example, transfer your answers. Then, proceed to the next task. This will help you save time and finish your test before it’s too late.

You will learn more useful tips and tricks in our complete IELTS Academic Writing self-study course with video lessons on all parts of the test, including reading strategies, sample tasks, feedback from IELTS experts, and a detailed self-study plan from 1 week to 2 months. Register for a free trial now or buy the full course and get access to all parts of the IELTS preparation.

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