How IELTS Reading is built
You have 60 minutes for 40 questions across three sections. There is no extra time to transfer answers in the computer-delivered test, and on paper you must write your answers on the answer sheet within the 60 minutes. The texts get longer and harder as you go.
Roughly 30 correct answers out of 40 gives band 7 in Academic Reading. General Training needs more correct answers for the same band, because its early texts are easier. Use the Band Score Calculator to see exactly where you stand.
Academic vs General Training Reading
- Academic: three long passages from books, journals and magazines. Topics range from archaeology to agriculture. Peradeniya science and agriculture students often find the content familiar, but the speed demanded is still a shock.
- General Training: shorter everyday texts first (notices, adverts, timetables), then workplace documents such as job descriptions and staff policies, and finally one longer general-interest text. Nurses and hotel staff often find section two familiar in style.
Choose your track on IELTS Learning and your practice sets follow it.
The question types that cost the most marks
TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN (and YES / NO / NOT GIVEN). The classic trap is answering from your own knowledge. If the passage says a tea variety grows best at high altitude, and the statement says it is the most profitable variety, that is NOT GIVEN, however true it might be in the Central Province. Ask: does the text actually say this, say the opposite, or not say it at all?
Matching Headings. Students often match a heading to a single word they spot in the paragraph. Headings summarise the main idea. Read the first and last sentences of the paragraph, decide its purpose in your own words, then look at the list.
Summary completion with a word box. The words in the box are often synonyms of the text, and the grammar of the gap matters. If the gap needs a plural noun, cross out every adjective and verb.
Matching Information. Answers are not in order, so do this type last within its section unless the passage is short.
Multiple choice. Wrong options often use exact words from the passage. The correct one usually paraphrases.
A 60-minute timing plan
- Section 1: about 17 minutes. Do not overspend here just because it feels easy.
- Section 2: about 20 minutes.
- Section 3: about 23 minutes. It is the hardest, so give it the most time.
If a question stalls you for more than a minute, flag it and move on. On our computer-style screens you can use flag for review and the question navigator exactly as you would in the test.
Building reading speed as a Kandy student
Many students here read English for exams but not for pleasure, so long texts feel heavy. Small daily habits make a difference:
- read one feature article a day from an English-language newspaper or a quality international news site, and summarise it in one sentence
- if you are at Peradeniya, read the abstract and introduction of a journal article in your field, then one outside it
- on the bus or train, use Daily Vocabulary and flashcards rather than scrolling social media
- if you think in Sinhala or Tamil while reading, practise reading a paragraph and stating its main idea in English without translating
How to practise with IELTS Learning
The platform has 52 Reading sets for Academic and General Training, covering every question type, each with an explanation showing where the answer comes from in the text.
- Weeks 1–2: untimed sets focusing on one question type at a time. Read every explanation, even for answers you got right.
- Weeks 3–4: full timed sections, using the highlighter and notes tools.
- From week 5: full Reading tests inside complete mocks.
Every wrong answer goes into your Mistake Notebook automatically. Review it weekly and look for patterns: are most errors NOT GIVEN? Headings? Spelling in short answers?
Charged sets for band 7 and above
Once you are scoring around 30 correctly, standard sets stop stretching you. Charged sets use denser texts, closer distractors and tighter paraphrasing. They are designed for students aiming at 7, 7.5 or higher, such as doctors and postgraduate applicants who need strong scores in every module.
You can try free sample Reading sets now. Create your free account or explore the practice tests.