IELTS Reading Tips: An Overview

The International English Language Testing System, popularly known as IELTS, is predominantly taken by any individual seeking to study, work or immigrate abroad in a primarily English-speaking nation. The reading section of the IELTS exam is developed to evaluate the different aspects of reading aptitudes, such as understanding and reading the primary idea, summary, recognition of the writer’s thoughts/opinion, and being able to examine the same. Moreover, students will get 60 minutes to solve the IELTS exam reading section, where they need to solve 40 questions, notwithstanding their IELTS version. In this article, we will talk about some topic-wise IELTS reading tips and tricks. 

IELTS reading section: Topic-wise tips and strategies 

Below is a brief overview of topic-wise tips and strategies you must remember for the IELTS reading section to score a band of 8 and more. 

Matching Sentence Halves

• Skim through all the instructions carefully.
• Take some time to comprehend the incomplete sentences and highlight keywords.
• Determine how you can complete the sentences. Contemplate whether it could be a noun, verb, or adjective.
• Next, look at the sentence completion options and match any apparent ones.
• Find the correct section of the text that you believe has the answer using paraphrases and synonyms to help.
• Browse that section thoughtfully to obtain the full meaning.
• Correspond the sentences with the right answer.
• Repeat the above three steps until all sentences are matched.

Pro Tip: Many test-takers perform badly in this topic because they match key points to the given paragraph to find the answer. It is incorrect, instead matches up connotations. The paragraph usually uses paraphrases and synonyms but conveys the same meaning differently.

Matching Statements To Names

• Begin by reading the questions carefully. 
• Skim through the list of terms, check the text, and highlight the names, as they might appear more than once.
• Search again at the terms that come only once and thoughtfully read the details surrounding the name.
• Match the term to one of the statements. Words that come just once are normally more effortless to match than the other words. Think about matching connotations through synonyms rather than searching for matching keywords.
• Strike out the term’s as you match them to avoid chaos
• Return to the list of the words and repeat the process until all words are matched. 

Pro Tip: If questions do not follow the text order, try scanning backward and forwards.

Matching Headings to Sections

• Browse through the instructions thoughtfully.
• Read every paragraph by skimming each paragraph’s introductory and concluding sentences.
• Mark each paragraph in your terms, outlining what it is about.
• Next, go through the headings carefully, highlighting any meaningful keywords.
• Correspond any headings to sections that are now evident.
• Subsequently, search for synonyms in the sections that can assist you in matching the headings to the appropriate paragraph.
• Compare the implications of headings to comprehend the difference between the sections left.
• If you still cannot figure out the meaning, leave it for some time and come back later to try again.

Pro Tip: Do not use keywords to match titles to paragraphs; always check for meaning!

True/False/Not Given

• Take time to comprehend the question and skim through the statements.
• Think of paraphrases and synonyms for words in the paragraphs.
• Skim through the sections and use the statements’ synonyms, keywords, and paraphrases to locate the paragraph with the appropriate data.
• Read that paragraph thoughtfully and spotlight the part you think verifies your answer. It can help if you need to review your answers later.
• Repeat until all paragraphs are completed.

Pro Tip: Be mindful not to browse mindlessly to locate the answer. You must read the paragraph thoughtfully to review the facts.

Table Completion

• Take some time to understand the instructions and the given table.
• Read through the text to discover the paragraphs with the answer. 
• Use table titles, other keyphrases in the table, and synonyms and paraphrases of those keywords to help.
• Browse through the paragraph thoughtfully to determine the answer. Duplicate the words precisely as they are presented in the spaces provided.

Pro Tip: Watch out for documenting the incorrect number of words or spelling the terms incorrectly.

IELTS Reading Section: Other Important Strategies

Apart from the topic-wise tips, here are some general strategies to help you score better in your IELTS reading examination. 

Browse all the questions first

This strategy is a game-changer when speaking of the IELTS reading examination. You will get 60 minutes to solve 40 questions attached to 3 texts. Since there is a time crunch, you cannot take long to read the complete text slowly. Rather, it is better to skim through the questions first, as it helps you get an overview of what to look for in the passage and saves precious time. 

Don’t make reading your only preparation strategy

While being an avid reader is excellent, reading numerous books or journals does so much to equip you for the IELTS test reading section. In addition, the IELTS test reading section is designed to examine your capability to remember vital information. So, unless you’re thoughtfully examining everything you skim through, you won’t be thoroughly ready to ace the reading section. One beneficial exercise is to create questions for yourself when you find an article that engages you and read it. This way, you can get a better hang of how to solve questions in the final exam. 

Key Takeaways 

• The IELTS test reading section can be daunting for many test takers. Nevertheless, thorough preparation and time management usually work as a game changer between an average score and a great one.

• To better ace your IELTS reading section, it is advisable to keep practicing and solve as many sample papers as possible. 

Visit our website to learn more about some effective IELTS reading tips with sample questions to strengthen your preparation!

Question 1: Is the IELTS reading section difficult?

Answer 1: The IELTS reading section can be exceptionally challenging for test-takers who fail to practice thoroughly or manage time optimally. 

Question 2: Do test-takers get extra time to solve the IELTS reading section?

Answer 2: No extra time is offered to test-takers to complete the IELTS reading section. 

Question 3: Which question type in the IELTS reading section is the most challenging to complete?

Answer 3: According to many candidates, the true/false/not given question type is the most tricky question type in IELTS reading.