IELTS Reading Tips

The second part of the IELTS test is IELTS reading. This part is of 60 minutes duration, and consists of a total of 40 questions. Each section contains one long text. The reading exam for academic and general training is graded on the same level. Some candidates find it difficult to achieve the target band score in the IELTS reading section. This blog will give you some IELTS reading tips to help you perform better in IELTS Reading section.

What you need to learn about IELTS reading

There are three parts in the IELTS reading test, which means you need to read three different texts in each part. For each section, there are several questions and you get 60 minutes to read the texts and answer all the questions. This exam tests your ability to read and comprehend generic passages written in English.

Here are the general types of questions in the reading test that you can get-

• True or False type questions
• Multiple-choice questions
• Matching tasks
• Gap filling tasks
• Sentence completion tasks
• Short-answer questions
• Chart, table or diagram completion tasks

Useful IELTS Reading tips

Follow the below mentioned IELTS reading tips and improve your score in IELTS Reading section-

1. Use your time judiciously

Test-takers spend a lot of time writing the responses first in the booklet and then writing them again in the response sheet. And then they figure out that they don’t have enough time to transfer all their responses to the answer sheet at the end. Think what a waste all the responses would be as the candidate could not write them down where it counts!

What we are telling you to do is to manage your time properly. Read the instruction manuals and questions easily and keep the answer sheet somewhere comfortable so that you can write all the responses as you proceed with the exam. Also, do take as much mock tests as you can so that you can practice your time-management skills. It will also help you in knowing your strengths and weaknesses. You’re also going to know what to do for each assignment and how to answer each question form. This way, you’ll learn how to split your time in the best way and won’t worry too much about the clock running. Once you take the real test, you would have learnt how to manage the test.

2. Read the questions carefully

Do make sure you read the instructions and examples carefully. Most of the things look the same, so after some practice tests, you should recognize them at first sight. Nonetheless, you need to pay special attention to some information and answer your questions accordingly.
There are some tricky questions in the paper. With a proper reading, you will be able to tackle these tricky questions quite comfortably. Always go through the answer choices carefully. Avoid making any errors.

3. Get better at scanning the text

Scanning is a method of reading that helps you to find information more quickly. You don’t need to read the entire text word for word while scanning. In a wave like motion, you move your eyes across the text smoothly and scanning the passage for the required information.

You need to go through the questions first and select some keywords. Then scan through the passage to find the answer of those questions. Scanning helps you to find the answers and numbers quite quickly through the passage. But do make sure that you scan properly and do not end up making any mistake.

4. Improve your vocabulary

We recommend you to attempt your reading section in one-go without using or looking up any word through dictionary while practising. Once you have completed your mock test, you can go back to text and look up the meaning of words which you have found to be difficult. Also, do note down these difficult words and their meanings in your notebook. You should keep on revising these words. Having a good vocabulary helps you to better understand the texts written in English.

5. Improve your reading speed

The only way to improve your reading speed is to read as much as you can. The more you read on diverse subjects or topics, the better you get. It is a good idea to read texts and articles that are more like the texts which appear in IELTS exam. Read some scientific, political or economic articles published in English newspapers and magazines. You can also read great articles on internet as well. All these IELTS reading tips will do wonders for your comprehension skills. This way you English reading skills will be improved for the entire lifetime.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed the IELTS reading tips mentioned above. There are about 14 different kinds of questions and you need to answer them properly. Begin to work on your weak areas. Follow these IELTS reading tips along with proper preparation and you can get the desired band score in IELTS reading section.