The Reading test in brief
You have 60 minutes for 40 questions across three passages. There is no extra time to transfer answers on the computer-delivered test, so your answers must be in place when the timer ends.
- Academic Reading uses three long texts from books, journals and magazines, often on science, history or social topics.
- General Training Reading has shorter everyday texts (notices, adverts), workplace texts (job descriptions, staff guidelines) and one longer general-interest passage.
For band 7, Academic candidates typically need around 30 correct out of 40. General Training needs more correct answers for the same band, so do not assume it is the easier option.
The question types you will meet
Our 52 Reading sets cover all the main formats, each with explanations:
- TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN (and YES / NO / NOT GIVEN for opinions)
- Matching Headings to paragraphs
- Matching Information: which paragraph contains a given detail
- Summary completion, with or without a word box
- Multiple choice with one or more answers
- Sentence, table, note and diagram completion
- Matching features, such as researchers to findings
Most questions follow the order of the passage. Matching Headings and Matching Information do not, which is one reason they take longer.
Two traps that cost the most marks
NOT GIVEN
The hardest skill here is not reading; it is not assuming. If the passage says a forest research project began in the 1990s, and the statement says it was the first of its kind, the answer is NOT GIVEN unless the text actually says "first". Students with strong general knowledge, and Dehradun has plenty from its schools and research institutions, sometimes fill gaps from what they know. The test only rewards what the passage states.
A useful check: FALSE means the passage says the opposite. NOT GIVEN means the passage says nothing about that point.
Matching Headings
Students often match a heading to a single word they spot in a paragraph. Headings describe the main idea of the whole paragraph, and the wrong options usually contain words from it. Read the first two and last sentences of the paragraph, decide its main point in your own words, then look for the heading that matches.
A timing strategy that works
Aim for about 17, 20 and 23 minutes on Passages 1, 2 and 3, since the last passage is usually hardest.
- Spend one minute skimming the passage for its structure.
- Read the questions, underline key words and predict synonyms.
- Scan for the right area, then read that section carefully.
- If a question takes more than about 90 seconds, flag it and move on.
- Leave two or three minutes at the end to return to flagged questions. Never leave a blank.
Our practice screens include the same flag, highlighter and notes tools as computer-delivered IELTS, so you can rehearse this exact method.
Practising Reading in a Dehradun routine
Reading is the easiest module to practise in short bursts, which suits a city where many students juggle college, coaching for other exams, or hotel shifts.
- Weekdays: one passage a day, timed at 20 minutes. A student commuting by bus from Clement Town or the ISBT area can review explanations on the phone, but do the timed passage itself at a desk.
- Weekends: one full 60-minute Reading test.
- Daily: 10 minutes of English reading outside IELTS: a newspaper editorial, a long-form article on the blog or a science magazine.
Many students from Garhwali- and Hindi-medium schooling read accurately but slowly, translating as they go. Speed comes from practice with unfamiliar topics, not from reading faster word by word. Work on recognising paraphrase: "decline" in the question may appear as "fell" or "dropped" in the text. Add these pairs to your vocabulary flashcards.
Reviewing mistakes properly
Every wrong answer goes into your Mistake Notebook. Once a week, sort them:
- Vocabulary: you did not know a key word. Add it to flashcards.
- Paraphrase: you missed that two phrases meant the same thing.
- Assumption: you used outside knowledge (common in NOT GIVEN).
- Time: you rushed or never reached the question.
The category with the most entries is your next week's focus.
Charged sets for band 7 and above
If you are regularly scoring 30 or more, standard sets may stop stretching you. Charged Reading sets use denser texts, closer distractors and more demanding paraphrase, the kind of difficulty that separates band 7 from band 8. Use them in the final weeks before a high-stakes test, such as a postgraduate application that needs 7.0 in each module.
Start practising today
Try the free sample Reading sets on our practice tests page, then check your band with the Band Score Calculator. For the full set library, Charged sets and explanations, register for Full Access: ₹999 for 2 months.