Overview of the IELTS Reading Exam
The IELTS reading exam has three sections and each section has 13-14 questions. The total number of questions is 40 and each question carries the same one point. The IELTS General reading exam is quite different from the IELTS Academic reading exam. The IELTS Academic reading has three long passages and each passage has 13-14 questions. However, the IELTS General reading has 5 passages: two passages for section 1, two passages for section 2, and one long passage (like the academic passages) for section three. Here is the breakdown of IELTS Academic and General reading exam
Table of Contents
IELTS Academic Reading

- Number of Passages:
- 3 long passages.
- Text Source:
- Taken from books, journals, magazines, and newspapers.
- Topics are more academic, scientific, or analytical.
- Number of Questions:
- 40 questions in total.
- Question Types:
- Multiple choice, matching headings, sentence completion, summary completion, True/False/Not Given, etc.
- Time:
- 60 minutes (no extra time for transferring answers).
- Scoring:
- Raw scores (out of 40) are converted to band scores (1 to 9).
- Difficulty Level:
- Higher level of complexity, suitable for academic settings.
IELTS General Training Reading
- Number of Passages:
- 3 sections:
- Section 1: 2 short texts (real-life scenarios, e.g., advertisements or notices).
- Section 2: 2 short workplace-related texts.
- Section 3: 1 long text (similar to Academic Reading, but simpler).
- 3 sections:
- Text Source:
- Taken from advertisements, official documents, manuals, newspapers, or workplace materials.
- Topics are practical and social.
- Number of Questions:
- 40 questions in total.
- Question Types:
- Multiple choice, matching, sentence completion, True/False/Not Given, etc.
- Some questions are focused on practical comprehension.
- Time:
- 60 minutes (no extra time for transferring answers).
- Scoring:
- Raw scores (out of 40) are converted to band scores. Band score thresholds are slightly different from Academic Reading.
- Difficulty Level:
- Easier and more practical compared to Academic Reading.
Common Features
- Time: 60 minutes for both tests.
- Questions: 40 in total.
- Skills Assessed: Understanding main ideas, locating information, reading for detail, recognizing opinions, and inferring meaning.
IELTS Question Types
Subjective Questions
These questions require test-takers to produce answers rather than selecting from provided options. They focus on specific details or paraphrased ideas from the text. The answers required to fill in the space are already provided in the passage. Test-takers are required to look for the answers and not change the format of the answer. That is, the answer must maintain its format as given in the passage.
For instance, if you can, provide customers with useful __________________ about your products and services. let’s say the answer is updates, which is provided in the passage. It is not advisable to change the answer to update or information because that is not what is provided in the passage.
Subjective questions are of different categories. In the IELTS, we have short answer, sentence completion, summary, and tables and diagrams
1. Short Answer Questions
- What to do: Write a short answer (usually one) based on the text. For this type of question, the instruction provides the number of words required to fill the space, which is usually one word. By “short answer”, it means, a question type that ask test-takers to fill in the space with only one word.
- Example:
Question: Where did the author conduct the study?
Text: The author conducted the study in Iceland.
Answer: Iceland. - Key Tip: Stick to the word limit; avoid unnecessary words. If the instruction ask test-takers to write only one word, writing more than one word automatically make the test-taker to get the answer wrong,
2. Sentence Completion
- What to do: Complete a sentence using information from the text.
- Example:
Text: The company implemented a new recycling strategy.
Question: The company implemented a new ______ strategy.
Answer: recycling. - Key Tip: Ensure grammatical correctness and stay within the word limit.
3. Summary Completion
- What to do: Fill in blanks in the summary. In a summary question, the question is usually taken from one or two paragraphs. As test-takers, you need to locate the paragraph(s) first, before searching for the answers in the paragraph(s).
- Example:
Text: Renewable energy has grown rapidly, with solar power leading the way.
Summary: Renewable energy, especially ______ power, has grown rapidly.
Answer: solar. - Key Tip: Words may be taken directly from the passage or chosen from a given box.
4. Table/Diagram/Flowchart Completion
- What to do: Fill in information in tables, diagrams, or flowcharts using data from the text.
- Example:
Year | Energy Source | Growth Rates |
2020 | Solar | __________ |
_____________ | Coal | 7.5% |
Key Tip: Follow instructions on the number of words allowed.
Objective Questions
These involve selecting answers from provided options.
1. Multiple Choice (Single Answer)
- What to do: Choose one correct answer from four options.
- Example:
Text: The building was constructed in 1876. (Note that the text could be over 200 words. This is just an illustration)
Question: When was the building constructed?
A. 1875
B. 1876
C. 1877
D. 1880
Answer: B
2. Multiple Choice (Multiple Answers)
Multiple answer questions require test-takers to pick more than one answer from the text. The instruction will specify the number of correct answers to pick.
- What to do: Select two or more correct answers from five or more options.
- Example:
Text: Benefits of the new policy include reduced costs and faster service.
Question: Which benefits are mentioned?
A. Faster service
B. Improved accuracy
C. Reduced costs
D. Better customer experience
Answer: A, C - Key Tip: Check how many answers are required. For example: “Choose TWO letters.”
Matching Questions
These involve pairing items from one list with corresponding items from another. The matching questions in the IELTS are of two types: matching heading and matching features
1. Matching Headings
Matching headings require that candidates match the correct headings to every paragraphs. Look at the question below:
The text has seven sections, A-G. Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings below. Write the correct number, i-ix, in boxes 1 – 7 on your answer sheet. |
List of Headings
i. Why the ferry crossing has always been difficult
ii. Building the bridge
iii. An advantage of the design for the bridge
iv. The growing popularity of the bridge
v. Opposition to building a bridge
vi. Benefits and disadvantages the Humber has brought
vii. Proposed alternatives to ferry services
viii. How the bridge has contributed to the region’s
ix. Rising demand for river transport
1. Section A
2. Section B
3. Section C
4. Section D
5. Section E
6. Section F
7. Section G
Crossing the Humber Estuary
A. For thousands of years, the Humber, an estuary formed where two major rivers, the Trent and the Ouse, meet- has been an obstacle to communications along the east coast of England, between the counties of Yorkshire to the north and Lincolnshire to the south. Before the arrival of the railways in the 19th century, water transportation was the most efficient means of moving heavy or bulk freight, and the Humber, situated at the heart of the waterway system associated with the two major rivers, was one of the chief highways of England its traffic brought prosperity to the settlements on its banks, particularly the city of Hull on its north bank, but the river itself tended to cut them off from some of their closest neighbors, as well as obstructing the progress of travelers moving north or south.
B. To cater for these local and, as time progressed, wider needs, ferries were provided across many of the streams flowing into the Humber, and in 1315, a ferry was established across the Humber itself between Hull and Lincolnshire. By 1800, this ferry had become fully integrated into the overland transport system, but the changes associated with the industrial revolution were soon to threaten its position, increased traffic encouraged speculators to establish rival ferries between Hull and Lincolnshire, notably a service between Hull and New Holland which opened in 1826. This crossing was considerably shorter than on the existing Hull to Barton service, which closed in 1851, unable to cope with the increased competition from the rival service.
C. The New Holland ferry service then grew into a major link between the north and south banks of the Humber, carrying passengers and cattle and goods bound for Hull Market. In 1968, there was briefly a ferry service from Grimsby to Hull involving Hovercrafts. This did not last long as the hovercrafts could not cope with the demands of the River Humber. The ferry service between Hull and New Holland ended with the opening of the Humber Bridge in 1961.
D. The bridge was the outcome of over 100 years of campaigning by local interests for the construction of a bridge or funnel across the estuary. The first major crossing proposal was a tunnel scheme in 1872. This scheme was promoted by Hull merchants and businesses dissatisfied with the service provided by the New Holland ferry crossing .Over the next 100 years a variety of services were provided by the New Holland ferry crossing. Over the next 100 years, a variety of proposals were put forward in an effort to bridge the Humber, in 1928, a plan was drawn up by Hull City Council to build a multi-span bridge four miles west of Hull. However the scheme was dropped after being hit by the financial woes of the Great Depression of the late 1920s and early 1930s.
E. Government approval for the construction of a suspension bridge was finally granted in 1959, although it was not until 1973 that work finally began. The reasons why a suspension bridge was chosen were twofold. Firstly, the Humber has a shitting bed, and the navigable channel along which a craft can travel is always changing; a suspension bridge with no support piers in mid-stream would not obstruct the estuary. Secondly, because of the geology and topography of the area, the cost of constructing a tunnel would have been excessive.
F. Work on the construction proceeded for eight years, during which time many thousands of tonnes of steel and concrete were used and upwards of one thousand workers and staff were employed at times of peak activity. The designers had been responsible for two other major suspension bridges in Britain but, with a total span of 2.220 m, or almost a mile and a half, the Humber was going to be the longest suspension bridge in the world. Nowadays designers have computers, but back then everything was done with slide rules and calculators. The towers were concrete rather than the usual steel, since concrete was cheaper and would blend in better with the setting. The bridge was designed to stand for 120 years.
G. Malcolm Stockwell, the bridgemaster, recalls that when the bridge first opened, there wasn’t a great deal of interest in it. Then children started visiting, and he remembers their astonishment at seeing the control room and all the lights. People who lived in towns on opposite banks a mile apart started crossing the river- a journey that previously might as well have been to the moon. The bridge brought them together.
H. The bridge opened up, both socially and economically, two previously remote and insular areas of England, and the improvement in communication enabled the area to realize its potential in commercial, industrial and tourist development. The bridge has saved many millions of vehicle miles and many valuable hours of drivers’ and passengers’ time – an important factor not only for the drivers and operators of commercial vehicles, but also for tourists and holidaymakers who would have had to travel around the estuary to reach destinations in the region. The words of Malcolm Stockwell,’Although it can’t beat the Golden Gate Bridge San Francisco for setting, far outstrips it for sheer elegance and as a piece of engineering’.
To answer this question, we need to read the first section and choose our answer from the list of answers in Roman Numeral (i – ix). You answer must be written in Roman Numeral.
2. Matching Features
The matching features is like the matching heading where the matching paragraphs to the appropriate questions
Days out for the family
A. Carrickfergus castle
Considered to be Northern Ireland’s oldest castle, Carrickfergus has seen more than 800 years of military occupation since its foundations were laid, During summer, traditional feasts are served, and fairs and craft markets provide an extra attraction. The history of the castle is explained and brought to life with exhibits and guided tours.
B. Glamis Castle
Shakespeare used Glamis as the background when he wrote one of his best-known plays, Macbeth and the Queen Mother Grew up here. It is also rumoured to have a secret chamber in the castle. There are many ghost tales associated with this castle, which will capture the imagination of younger visitors.
C. Tintagel Castle
High up on the cliff tops, Tintagel Castle is the legendary home of king Arthur. The visitors guide on sale at the reception is well worth of the money, as it can help you to visualise what it would have been like hundreds of years ago. you can park in the village car park and walk the half mile to the castle , or take the shuttle bus.
D. Pickering Castle
Built by William the conqueror, this is a great castle for children to run around in. There are lots of special events too, including a chance to come along and see some plays which are put on during the summer months. Nearby Hemlsley Castle is also worth a visit.
…….
Questions 8-14
Look at the description of six castles A-F. For which castle are the following statements true?
Write the correct letter A-F , in boxes 8-14 on your answer sheet.
NB you may use any letter more than once.
8. At certain times of the year you can eat special meals here.
9. Children can get dressed up here
10. There is another castle in the same area.
11. A lot of stories are told about this place.
From the above, we are going to match the appropriate paragraph (letters) with the appropriate question. This question is called matching features because it requires that test-taker match the questions (features) with the appropriate sections (paragraphs)
True/False/Not Given Questions
- What to do: Decide if statements are:
- True: The statement agrees with the text.
- False: The statement contradicts the text.
- Not Given: The statement is not mentioned in the text.
- Example:
Text: Solar energy production increased by 20% last year.
Question: Solar energy production decreased last year.
Answer: False - Key Tip: For Not Given, do not assume anything beyond what is explicitly stated in the text.
There are three approaches or reading strategies we can adopt to answer the IELTS reading questions: Hunting method, modified scholar method, and progressive reading. To read more about the IELTS reading strategies, please click.