Introduction To IELTS Reading Test: Full IELTS Reading Overview For Beginners

Hello students, and a warm welcome to you all! This easy guide is made to give you all the important information and tips you'll need to do well in the IELTS Reading module. We are happy to have you with us on this learning journey!

The Purpose of The IELTS Reading Test

So, why is the test important? The answer is simple - to check your ability to understand written information. This makes sure that only students who can understand English well enough to live in an English-speaking place can go abroad. It is, in other words, for your own good.

Now let us look at the IELTS test format.

The Test Format Overview

Duration: The reading test is 60 minutes long. One important thing you should know is that here you do not get extra time to write your answers on the answer sheet. Time management is important as you must finish it within the one hour given.

Number of Questions: You will have to answer a total of 40 questions.

Test Sequence: The order of the test sections is different depending on how you take the exam. In the computer-delivered IELTS (CD IELTS), the order is Listening, Reading, and Writing (LRW). In contrast, the paper-based test follows the order of Writing, Reading, and Listening (WRL).

Types of Texts: The test includes three reading passages, each with different types of questions. The first two passages are usually descriptive texts, which are often factual and informative, talking about everyday or job-related topics. The third passage is usually argumentative, presenting a more complex and abstract topic.

A Summary Of The Differences Between Academic and General Training Test

You may already know that there are two types of IELTS tests. The Academic and General IELTS tests are very different in their structure, difficulty level, and marking:

• Structure:

  • Academic: Has three passages with 13 or 14 questions for each passage.
  • General Training: Has three sections. The first two sections have two or more shorter texts, while the third section has one longer text.

• Difficulty Level:

  • Academic texts are more difficult, dealing with complex and abstract topics. In contrast, General Training texts are easier and more practical.
  • However, the academic test is marked much less strictly than the general test. (more about that ahead)

The two types of IELTS reading tests are still similar in terms of the skill they are testing. (more of this in a section ahead)

Band Score Calculation

The IELTS Reading section, for both Academic and General Training, is graded on a scale from 0 to 9, and your final score is changed into a band score. Here's how it works:

• Correct Answers: Your raw score in the Reading Test is based on the total number of questions you answer correctly. There is no penalty for wrong answers, so it’s wise to try all questions.
• Conversion: The raw score is then changed into a band score. This change can vary slightly depending on how hard the test is.

Score	IELTS Academic Reading Raw Score	IELTS General Training Reading Raw Score
9.0	40-39	40
8.5	38-37	39
8.0	36-35	37-38
7.5	34-33	36
7.0	30-32	34-35
6.5	29-27	32-33
6.0	26-23	30-31
5.5	22-19	27-29
5.0	18-15	23-26
4.5	14-13	19-22
4.0	12-10	15-18
3.5	9-8	12-14
3.0	7-6	9-11

Note: The test is usually not marked by a teacher.

The Types of Passages

The test includes different kinds of passages to check a wide range of reading skills. These passages are taken from various sources, mainly magazines and newspapers, and can be categorized separately for both the Academic and General Training versions of the test:

Academic IELTS Reading Test

1. Descriptive Passages: These passages describe processes, places, events, or objects. They often require the ability to understand details.
2. Analytical Passages: These involve understanding arguments, opinions, or viewpoints. The reader needs to understand, compare, and analyze different ideas.
3. Factual Information: These passages provide facts and details on a specific topic, requiring the reader to understand and remember information.
4. Discursive Passages: These include discussions or arguments on general topics, requiring the reader to follow lines of thought.

General Training IELTS Reading Test

1. Social Survival: These passages focus on everyday English texts, like notices, advertisements, and schedules, testing the ability to understand the main point and specific details.
2. Workplace Survival: These are related to the workplace, like job descriptions, contracts, and staff development materials, checking the reader's understanding of workplace language.
3. General Reading: Longer texts on general topics, both factual and descriptive, often from newspapers, magazines, and books. These test a wider range of skills, like skimming and understanding arguments.

The Types Of Questions

The test includes different types of questions to check different reading skills. Both the Academic and General Training versions of the test have these question types, although the specific content and focus of the passages differ. Here are the common question types:

1. Multiple Choice Questions: These require choosing the correct answer from several options. They test a range of skills, from finding details to understanding the main idea or the writer’s opinion.

2. Identifying Information (True/False/Not Given): In this type of question, you must decide if information in the statement is true, false, or not mentioned in the text. This tests your ability to understand specific details and arguments in the text. A slight variation of this is the 'Yes/No/Not Given' question type where you assess the writer's views or claims.

3. Matching Information: You need to match information (often names) from the questions to specific parts of the text. This tests your ability to tell apart different views in a passage.

4. Matching Headings: This type of question involves matching headings to paragraphs or sections of the text. It tests your ability to understand the main idea of each paragraph or section.

5. Matching Features: You match a set of statements or information to a list of options. This type of question is much more common in the General reading test than the Academic one.

6. Summary Completion: Involves filling gaps in a summary, note, table, or flow-chart. This tests understanding of the main ideas or details. A variation of this type of question is where the gaps are not part of sentences, but of pictures. This type is called 'Diagram Label Completion'.

Practicing reading question types can help you become more familiar with the format and improve your skills.

Note that some types of questions are no longer seen in the IELTS exam, such as sentence completion or short answer questions, so I've decided to leave them out of the list.

The Skills Being Tested

The test checks different reading skills that you need for studying and daily life. Both the Academic and General Training tests focus on the same key skills, even though they have different content. Here's what they test:

1. Understanding Main Ideas: You need to find the main point or main argument in a passage. This is often checked with multiple choice questions or by asking you to match headings to paragraphs.

2. Paying Attention to Details: It's important to understand specific information, like facts and arguments, in the text. You'll find questions like True/False/Not Given or matching information to test this.

3. Reading Between the Lines: Sometimes, you need to understand what is suggested but not directly said, or figure out what the writer thinks. This is tested with Yes/No/Not Given questions.

4. Putting Information Together: You should be able to combine information from different parts of the text. This skill is checked with summary completion and matching features questions.

5. Analyzing the Text: This is about understanding the text deeply and seeing different points of view, especially in questions where you have to match different viewpoints.

6. Scanning and Skimming: These are quick reading skills to find specific information or get a general idea of what the text is about. These skills are useful for all types of questions. This is also a crucial skill for saving time and can help you finish the test.

7. Understanding Visual Information: Sometimes, you'll need to understand and link information shown in diagrams. This is especially important for Diagram Label Completion questions.

Improving these skills can help you score well in the test and are also very useful for understanding and communicating effectively in your studies and work.

Note: In all of these skills, your level of vocabulary (both common and less common words) is important.

Conclusion

I hope this article has given you a clear understanding of the IELTS Reading (academic and general) test. The IELTS reading module can be a challenging one. Next, we will look at 10 important tips for IELTS reading success. This will answer many questions such as:

• Should you read the questions before you start reading?
• How to deal with the different types of reading questions and passages?
• Should I focus more on improving my English language or skills?
• Is it a good idea to write down answers to the questions while trying them?
• Are Cambridge IELTS books the best source of reading tests?
• How to manage time well?
• How to learn useful vocabulary for the reading test?

Stay tuned!