What the Reading module looks like
You have 60 minutes for 40 questions across three sections. There is no extra time to transfer answers, so on paper you write straight onto the answer sheet, and on computer you type into the boxes as you go.
- Academic Reading uses three long passages from books, journals and magazines, often on science, history or social topics.
- General Training Reading starts with short everyday texts such as notices and advertisements, moves to workplace documents, and ends with one longer general text.
Both versions are marked out of 40, but General Training needs more correct answers for the same band. As a rough guide, band 7 in Academic Reading needs around 30 correct.
The question types you will meet
Our 52 Reading sets cover every major type, each with explanations:
- TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN (facts) and YES/NO/NOT GIVEN (the writer's opinions)
- Matching Headings to paragraphs
- Matching Information: which paragraph contains a detail
- Summary completion, with or without a word box
- Multiple choice, sentence completion and short answers
- Diagram, table and flow-chart completion
Common traps, and how to avoid them
NOT GIVEN. The most common mistake is answering FALSE because a statement "feels wrong". FALSE means the passage says the opposite. NOT GIVEN means the passage simply does not say. If you have to use your own knowledge to decide, the answer is probably NOT GIVEN. Many students from Chittagong who studied science subjects are tempted to apply what they know about a topic; in IELTS, only the passage counts.
Matching Headings. Do not match on a single shared word. A paragraph about shipping costs may mention "ports" without being about ports. Read the first two sentences and the last sentence, decide the main idea in your own words, then look at the headings.
Word limits. "NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS" means exactly that. Writing three words is wrong even if the meaning is correct.
Spelling. Words copied from the passage must be spelt as they appear.
Order. Most completion and TRUE/FALSE questions follow the order of the text; Matching Information and headings do not.
A timing plan that works
Treat the clock as part of the test:
- Passage 1: about 17 minutes.
- Passage 2: about 20 minutes.
- Passage 3: about 23 minutes, as it is usually hardest.
If a question is taking more than about 90 seconds, flag it and move on. On our computer-style screens you can use the flag-for-review button and the question navigator exactly as you would in the computer-delivered test. Never leave a blank: there is no penalty for a wrong answer.
On the computer-delivered test, the passage and questions sit side by side, so practise scrolling and highlighting on screen rather than only on paper. If you are taking the paper test, practise writing answers neatly in capitals, because unclear handwriting can cost marks.
Practising Reading around life in Chittagong
Reading is the easiest module to fit into a busy week, because it needs no headphones and no speaking. A few ways students here make it work:
- On the shuttle train to the University of Chittagong, do one passage of Matching Headings on your phone, timed at 20 minutes.
- Between lectures at CUET or a medical college, do a single set of TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN and check the explanations.
- After a shift in Agrabad or the EPZ, read one English article from a quality international newspaper or science magazine and write down five useful words.
Students who studied in Bangla medium often read accurately but slowly. Speed comes from volume: a passage a day for six weeks makes a visible difference. Students from English-medium schools are often fast but careless with NOT GIVEN, so their practice should focus on checking evidence.
Use the right tools for practice
This is how to make IELTS Reading practice in Chittagong count:
- Highlighter and notes: mark keywords in the passage as you would on test day.
- Mistake Notebook: every wrong answer is saved automatically; review it weekly by question type.
- Charged sets: once you are scoring 30+ regularly, move to these harder passages with tighter wording and more distractors, built for band 7+ targets.
- Vocabulary flashcards: add words from passages and revise them with spaced repetition.
Start with a free set
You can try free sample Reading sets on our practice tests page without a card. Use the Band Score Calculator to convert your raw score into a band, and see how far you are from your target.