IELTS Reading Test Overview

The IELTS reading section is a 60 minutes long reading comprehension test. You will be given 3 different texts and 40 questions to complete.

Let's go over some tips for the IELTS reading section.

Make sure you take several reading practice tests before taking the real exam. The key factor with these practice tests is that they are timed, so you will get an idea of how much time you are given when taking the exam.

Any reading in English will help you prepare for the reading section of the IELTS exam. Choose to read the newspapers, magazines or any book you might enjoy.

Each text within the reading section will have a time limit of 20 minutes; this includes your time for reading the text and answering all the questions.

If you haven't finished one section after 17-18 minutes, remember to make an intelligent guess at the remaining questions and move on to the next section.

Another quick tip is to read the question before you begin to read the text. This will give you an idea on what to look for before reading the text.

You will face 9 types of questions on the IELTS reading section. The following question types are part of the IELTS reading section:

• Multiple choice questions
• Completing sentences
• Writing short answers
• Matching headings to paragraphs
• Completing tables, charts or diagrams
• Matching causes and effects
• Completing a summary
• Choosing factors
• Identifying the writer's view

Make sure you are familiar with these types of questions before taking the IELTS.

That's it for today and we wish you best of luck on your IELTS exam!