What the Reading test looks like
You have 60 minutes for 40 questions across three passages, and there is no extra time to transfer answers on paper. The passages get harder as you go, so the third usually needs the most time. In Academic Reading the texts come from books, journals and magazines. In General Training the first sections are short everyday and workplace texts such as notices, timetables and job information, followed by one longer general passage.
Because GT texts are easier, General Training needs more correct answers for the same band. For example, band 7 in Academic Reading needs roughly 30 out of 40, while GT needs noticeably more.
The question types you will meet
- TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN (or YES / NO / NOT GIVEN for opinions)
- Matching Headings to paragraphs
- Matching Information: which paragraph contains a given detail
- Matching features, such as linking statements to researchers
- Summary, sentence, note and table completion, sometimes with a word box
- Multiple choice with one or more answers
- Short-answer questions with a word limit
Our 52 Reading practice sets cover all of these for both tracks, and every answer comes with an explanation that shows the line in the passage that proves it.
A 60-minute timing plan
- Passage 1: about 17 minutes. Move quickly; these marks should be safe.
- Passage 2: about 20 minutes.
- Passage 3: about 23 minutes, the hardest text, often with headings or opinion questions.
If a question has taken two minutes and you are still unsure, flag it and move on. On the computer-delivered test, the flag for review button does exactly this, and our practice screens have the same feature.
The two traps that cost the most marks
NOT GIVEN
Students confuse FALSE and NOT GIVEN more than anything else. FALSE means the passage says the opposite. NOT GIVEN means the passage does not say either way. The trap is using your own knowledge: if a passage on solar energy does not mention Gujarat's solar parks, the statement "Gujarat produces solar power" is NOT GIVEN, even though you know it is true.
Matching Headings
Headings test the main idea of a paragraph, not a single word. Distractor headings often repeat a word that appears in the paragraph. Read the first two sentences and the last sentence of each paragraph, then decide what the whole paragraph is doing: describing a problem, comparing, giving a solution or explaining a cause.
Building reading stamina in Ahmedabad
Many Ahmedabad students are fluent in conversation but rarely read long English texts, especially those who studied in Gujarati medium or whose college work is mostly formulas and diagrams, as in engineering and pharmacy. IELTS Reading rewards sustained concentration on unfamiliar topics, so build that habit outside the test:
- Read one long English article a day, from science, history or business, rather than short news snippets.
- If you take the metro or BRTS to college in Vastrapur or Navrangpura, use the ride for a short GT-style text on your phone.
- Students at institutions such as Gujarat University, Nirma or CEPT can use their own libraries' journals and magazines as free practice material: read a page, then summarise each paragraph in six words.
The aim is to make 900 words of academic English feel ordinary.
How to practise Reading on IELTS Learning
- Start with single question-type practice until your accuracy on each type is steady.
- Move to full timed passages, then full 60-minute sets.
- Use the highlighter on keywords and the notes tool for paragraph summaries, just as you might on test day.
- Review every wrong answer in your Mistake Notebook, and write down why you chose it.
Free sample Reading sets are on the practice tests page, so you can try them before subscribing.
A good review habit is to sort every wrong answer into one of three causes: you did not find the right part of the passage, you found it but misunderstood it, or you understood it but ran out of time. Each cause has a different fix. The first needs better scanning for names, dates and keywords, the second needs vocabulary and careful reading of qualifiers like "some", "most" and "rarely", and the third needs the timing plan above.
Charged sets for band 7+
If you already score 6.5 or 7, ordinary practice may stop stretching you. Our Charged Reading sets use denser passages, closer distractors and more NOT GIVEN and heading questions where the difference between options is subtle. They are designed for students whose target, often for postgraduate study or professional registration, is band 7 or higher.
Regular IELTS Reading practice, reviewed carefully, is the most reliable way to move up a band. Register free to save your results.