The IELTS exam has two versions. You will either take the Academic Test or the General Training Test. The reading section in each version is different. Let’s look at the differences!
Table of Contents
Academic Test:
- The readings have academic topics, similar to what you would see in university.
- The sources may include scientific journals, books, or newspapers.
- The topics and questions may be a bit abstract.
General Test:
- The topics are about daily life in an English-speaking country.
- The sources may include advertisements and work-related information.
Now, let’s go through each question and focus on skills you will need for each one, as well as helpful tips! (Note that the phrase “spotting information” is used as a synonym for “finding information”)
In general, you should always read the questions before reading the passages. This will help you read with a goal, instead of reading without knowing what to look for. Before we look at the specific types of questions, make sure you are familiar with some important terms.
- Scanning – This means that you are searching for a specific word or phrase in your passage. This can be helpful when you need to locate something quickly in your passage, based on your question.
- Skimming – This means that you are reading quickly to understand something about a topic in your passage. This type of reading will help you get a good idea of the topic.
- Process of Elimination – This means that you can eliminate options while answering. So, if you have four answer options, you can eliminate them as you answer, leaving you with one or two answers to choose from. This is not always possible for each question, but it can be helpful for difficult questions.
Now let’s have a look at various IELTS reading question types and tips to attempt those
Matching Questions
1. Matching Headings
Overview:
You will see a list of headings that match with the main ideas in the text. You need to match the headings to the main ideas.
Skills:
- Understanding the main idea of the text instead of the details.
- Reading for the overall “gist” of the passage. This means that you may need to skim read to understand the concepts.
Helpful Tips:
- This is a bit difficult because the answers don’t come in order, so you cannot use the text’s order as a guide.
- There are usually more headings than questions. So, you will probably not use all of the headings.
Click here to get a detailed guide and practice matching heading questions
2. Matching Paragraph Information
Overview:
You will read pieces of information (like examples or details) and decide which paragraph in the text contains the information.
Skills:
- Understanding specific supporting details in the text.
- Understanding synonyms. Keep in mind that the words in the questions do not necessarily appear in the text, so it’s important to remember synonyms.
Helpful Tips:
- Think about the synonyms as you answer the questions.
- Scan the passage specifically for the key words (or their synonyms) that you find in the answers.
- Sometimes, not all paragraphs will be used. You might even use one paragraph more than once! Make sure you read the directions.
3. Matching Features
Overview:
You will see specific features (like names or facts) and match it with information in the passage.
Skills:
- Understanding specific supporting details in the text. So, you will probably need to skim read certain areas.
- Remembering synonyms. Keep in mind that the words in the questions do not necessarily appear in the text.
Helpful Tips:
– Think about the synonyms as you answer the questions.
- Scan the passage specifically for the key words (or their synonyms) that you find in the answers.
4. Matching Sentence Endings
Overview:
You will see the first half of a sentence, and you will need to match it with the correct second half. You must complete the sentence using the information in the passage.
Skills:
- Finding specific information in the passage.
- Using synonyms and understanding them.
Helpful Tips:
- Remember your grammar! Sometimes, certain answers will not make sense grammatically, so you can eliminate them as you answer.
- There are usually more endings that you will use, so you won’t be able to use Process of Elimination.
Identification Questions
5. True False Not Given
Overview:
You will see statements that you need to identify as TRUE/FALSE or NOT GIVEN. You may also see this as YES/NO/NOT GIVEN. You need to understand which information is in the passage, which is not in the passage, and which is not included.- If an answer is “TRUE” OR “YES”, that means the information is in the passage.
- If an answer is “FALSE” OR “NO”, that means the opposite of the statement is in the passage.
- If an answer is “NOT GIVEN”, that means the information is not in the passage at all.
Skills:
- Using logic to understand the meaning of the statements and spot the information in the text.
Helpful Tips:
- The questions follow the order of the text, so the answers come in order!
- Make sure that you do not confuse “NO” with “NOT GIVEN”.
- These questions can be difficult. If you are not sure of an answer, try paraphrasing it in different words. Thinking about it with synonyms might help
Click here to get a detailed guide and practice True False Not Given questions.
6. Multiple Choice
Overview:
You will see a question with a selection of options (usually three or four, in letter format from A – D). The format can be a question or finishing a sentence with the correct option. You need to select the correct option from your list.
Skills:
- MCQs test your reading comprehension skills and your ability to correctly spot the information in the text.
- Scanning and skimming certain areas of the text to find your answers.
Helpful Tips:
- The questions usually use synonyms of words found in the text.
- The questions follow the order of the text, so the answers likely come in order!
- Use Process of Elimination to get rid of answers as you work.
7. List Selection
Overview:
You will see a question and a list of possible answers, similar to the Multiple Choice Question. However, this question will tell you how many answers you will need to select (ex: Which FOUR of the following skills are mentioned?). So, you will need to select more than one answer.
Skills:
- Scanning the text for specific ideas and key words
- Comprehending details in the text, so that you can correctly answer the question.
- Focusing on supporting details rather than the main idea.
Helpful Tips:
- Read the potential answers before you read the text. When you read the answers, remember the key words in each option. Read the passage for those key words, which will help you answer the question quicker.
8. Choosing a Title
Overview:
You must choose the best title for a passage, based on the information that you find in the passage.
Skills:
- Understanding the difference between the main idea and supporting details
- Understanding the purpose of a piece of writing
Helpful Tips:
- Study the difference between a general idea and a specific detail. For this question, you will need to know the main idea.
- For your reference, these questions usually come last! This is helpful, because you can use the knowledge gained from other questions to answer this question.
Completion Questions
9. Short Answer
Overview:
You will need to answer questions using information from the text with a short phrase or answer. The directions will tell you how many words you can use.
Skills:
- Looking for specific details in the text.
- –Comprehending information in the text to correctly answer a question.
Helpful Tips:
- Understand the question words (WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY) because they will help you understand how to answer the question.
- Once you understand the question, think about which grammar you will need to answer it correctly (Ex: Will you write a noun, verb, adjective, etc.?)
- Answers usually come in order, so you can use the text as a guide!
10. Sentence Completion
Overview:
You will need to complete unfinished sentences using words from the passage. The directions will tell you how many words you can use.
Skills:
- Scanning for specific information
- Understanding paraphrasing and synonyms
- Choosing the right word from the text
Helpful Tips:
- Think about your grammar! This will help you understand which type of word you need to look for.
- The answers usually come in the order that they appear in the text.
- Remember to double-check your spelling! This counts toward your score.
11. Summary Completion
Overview:
You will see a summary of a passage. You must use the original text to complete the summary. You may or may not have a word bank with words to choose from.
Skills:
- Scanning for specific information in the passage.
- Potentially choosing the correct words from a list of answers.
Helpful Tips:
- Usually, the answers appear in the order of the text, since it is a summary.
- The words must be grammatically correct, so you can eliminate words that do not make sense grammatically!
- Remember your parts of speech (nouns, adjectives, verbs).
12. Table Completion
Overview:
You will see a table with missing information. You will need to complete the table correctly, based on the information in the passage. Sometimes, you will have a word bank with words to choose from, and you might have more options than correct answers.
Skills:
- Understanding synonyms is very important, as the exact words from the passage are not used in the table often.
- Learning how to paraphrase information (taking information from the passage and putting it in the table)
- Finding specific information in the text
- Skim reading a specific area of the text for more detail.
Helpful Tips:
- Since you will see a table of compiled notes, the answers might not come in order.
- Even if you see the “exact” word or phrase in your word bank, make sure it still makes sense in your notes! A lot of the correct answers are synonyms of words in the text.
- Use any headings that are in bold or underlined to your advantage! This will give you a clue about where to look for the answer in the passage.
- Always double-check your answer to make sure that makes sense grammatically.
13. Flow Chart Completion
Overview:
You will see a flow chart with missing information. This is quite similar to the Table and Diagram completion questions, because you will need to correctly fill in the flow chart. You may or may not have a word bank. Flow Charts are typically considered to be one of the “most difficult” questions because the layout can be confusing.
Skills:
- Understanding synonyms presented in the flow chart and in the text
- Learning how to paraphrase information (taking information from the passage and putting it in the flow chart)
- Finding specific information in the text
Helpful Tips:
- Don’t let the layout or image associated with the flow chart confuse you! You may see arrows and different “steps” of a process. It is usually helpful to follow the steps and process in order.
- Always double-check your answer to make sure that makes sense grammatically.
14. Diagram Completion
Overview:
You will see one or more diagrams with incomplete labels. Using information in the passage, you need to fill in the missing words. The instructions will tell you how many words you can use.
Skills:
- Understanding synonyms presented in the diagram and in the text
- Learning how to paraphrase information (taking information from the passage and putting it in the diagram)
- Finding specific information in the text
Helpful Tips:
- Use any headings that are in bold or underlined to your advantage! This will give you a clue about where to look for the answer in the passage.
We have covered the most useful skills and tips for the IELTS reading questions. Keep in mind that preparation is key, especially when it comes to synonyms and vocabulary in general. Good luck preparing for your IELTS exam!
