IELTS Academic Reading
Three long passages with 40 questions in 60 minutes. The screen splits into text and questions, and you can highlight and make notes. Marked instantly with an estimated band.
- Texts
- 3 long texts
- Questions
- 40
- Time
- 60 minutes
- Band 7
- About 30/40
Practice tests
Academic Reading Practice Test 1
40 questions · 60 min
IELTS Academic Reading - Practice Test 2
40 questions · 60 min
IELTS Academic Reading format
Academic Reading has three long texts, 2,150 to 2,750 words in total, with 40 questions in 60 minutes. The texts come from books, journals, magazines and newspapers, and are written for a general reader, not a specialist. The 40 questions are spread across the three texts.
| Part | What you read |
|---|---|
| Section 1 | One long text on an academic topic of general interest |
| Section 2 | One long text on a different academic topic |
| Section 3 | One long text, often with an argument or discussion |
You take Reading on computer, so you type your answers straight in. There is no extra time to transfer answers at the end: the 60 minutes include everything.
Question types
There are 11 official question types, and each test uses a mix of them. Each correct answer is worth one mark, whatever the type.
Multiple choice
Choose the correct answer from A-D, or choose two or three answers from a longer list. The question tells you how many to pick.
- Read the question stem first and find the part of the text it refers to.
- Rule out options that are true but do not answer the question, and options that use words from the text with a different meaning.
- The questions follow the order of the text, so use the previous answer to locate the next one.
Identifying information: True / False / Not Given
Decide whether each statement agrees with the facts in the text. True: the text says the same thing. False: the text says the opposite. Not Given: the text says nothing about it either way.
| Answer | Statement | Why |
|---|---|---|
| True | The railway carried people as well as goods. | The text states this, in different words. |
| False | The railway carried only coal. | The text directly contradicts it. |
| Not Given | The railway was profitable in its first year. | The text never mentions this, so you cannot tell. |
False vs Not Given: answer False only when the text clearly says the opposite. If you would need to guess or use your own knowledge, the answer is Not Given.
- Underline the words in each statement that make it specific: numbers, dates, "only", "all", "always", "never".
- Judge only what the text says, not what you know about the topic.
- The statements follow the order of the text.
Identifying the writer's views: Yes / No / Not Given
The same idea as True / False / Not Given, but about the writer's opinions or claims, not facts. Yes: the writer holds this view. No: the writer holds the opposite view. Not Given: you cannot tell what the writer thinks.
| Answer | Statement | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Banning cars from city centres is a bad idea. | It matches the writer's opinion. |
| No | Car-free city centres are good for cities. | The writer believes the opposite. |
| Not Given | Most cities will ban cars within ten years. | The writer gives no view on this. |
- Look for opinion language: "I believe", "it is wrong to", "surprisingly", "unfortunately".
- Separate the writer's own view from views the writer only reports from other people.
- Write Yes/No, not True/False: the wrong word is marked wrong.
Matching information
Find which paragraph contains a given piece of information, such as a reason, an example or a description. A paragraph can be used more than once, and some are not used at all.
- These questions do not follow the order of the text, so do them after questions that do.
- Look for the detail, not the main idea: the information is often one sentence inside the paragraph.
- Expect paraphrase: "a reason for a decline" might appear as "this explains why numbers fell".
Matching headings
Choose the heading that best sums up the main idea of each paragraph or section, from a list with more headings than paragraphs. A typical text is a passage on the history of glass-making, where each paragraph covers one stage.
- Read the paragraph first, decide its main idea in a few words, then find the matching heading.
- Do not match on one shared word: a heading that repeats a word from the paragraph is often a trap.
- Cross out headings once used, unless the instructions allow reuse.
Matching features
Match statements to a list of options, such as people, places, dates or theories. For example: match each research finding to the scientist who made it.
- Find every place each option (name, date) appears in the text before you match.
- Some options may be used more than once, and some not at all: read the instructions.
Matching sentence endings
Complete each sentence by choosing the right ending from a list. There are more endings than sentences.
- The sentence beginnings follow the order of the text.
- Check that the full sentence matches the meaning of the text, not just the grammar.
- Several endings may fit grammatically; only one fits what the text says.
Sentence completion
Fill each gap with words taken from the text, within the word limit given, for example "NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS".
- Obey the word limit exactly: going over it makes the answer wrong even if the words are right.
- Copy the words from the text with the correct spelling.
- Check that the completed sentence is grammatical.
Summary, note, table and flow-chart completion
Complete a summary or a set of notes, a table or a flow chart about part of the text, for example a summary of the method used in a study, with gaps for key terms. You either take words from the text or choose from a box of options.
- Find the part of the text the summary covers: it is usually one or two paragraphs.
- Predict the kind of word each gap needs (noun, number, adjective) before you look.
- If there is a box of options, remember they are usually paraphrases, not copied words.
Diagram label completion
Label a diagram using words from the text, for example the parts of a machine or a natural process, such as a water filter.
- Find the paragraph that describes the object or process, then follow it step by step on the diagram.
- Use the labels already given on the diagram to find your place in the text.
Short-answer questions
Answer questions about facts in the text, usually who, what, where, when or how many, within a word limit.
- The answers follow the order of the text.
- Use words from the text and keep within the word limit.
- A number can be written in figures, which saves words.
Band scores: how many correct answers you need
Your raw score out of 40 is converted to a band. IELTS publishes these approximate figures. The exact conversion varies a little between test versions.
| Band | Correct answers out of 40 |
|---|---|
| 5 | 15 |
| 6 | 23 |
| 7 | 30 |
| 8 | 35 |
General Training uses a different scale and needs more correct answers for the same band: see General Training Reading.
How to plan your 60 minutes
| Section | Suggested time | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Section 1 | 17 minutes | Settle in and bank marks quickly. |
| Section 2 | 20 minutes | Keep a steady pace. |
| Section 3 | 20 minutes | Often has opinion questions, which take longer. |
| Final check | 3 minutes | Fill any blanks and check spelling. |
- Skim each text for 2 to 3 minutes to get the topic and structure, then go to the questions.
- If a question takes more than 2 minutes, guess, flag it and move on.
- In our test player you can highlight text and add notes, just as on the real computer test. Use highlights to mark where each answer came from.
Common mistakes
- Reading the whole text in detail before looking at the questions, then running out of time.
- Using your own knowledge instead of what the text says, especially in True / False / Not Given.
- Choosing False when the answer is Not Given because the statement "feels" wrong.
- Going over the word limit in completion questions, or misspelling words copied from the text.
- Matching headings on a shared word rather than the main idea of the paragraph.
- Leaving answers blank: there is no penalty for a wrong answer, so always answer every question.
How to practise here
Take the Academic Reading tests above on a screen that works like the real computer test, then see your estimated band and every answer explained. Once you are consistent, sit a full mock test to practise Listening, Reading and Writing back to back.
See the IELTS Academic overview for how Reading fits with the other sections, and Academic Writing for the next part of the test.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between True/False/Not Given and Yes/No/Not Given?
True/False/Not Given asks whether a statement matches the facts in the text. Yes/No/Not Given asks whether it matches the writer's opinions or claims. The logic is the same, but you must write the words the question asks for.
How many correct answers do I need for band 7 in IELTS Academic Reading?
About 30 out of 40. IELTS publishes approximate figures: about 23 for band 6, 30 for band 7 and 35 for band 8. The exact number varies slightly between test versions.
Do I get extra time to transfer my answers?
No. Reading is taken on computer and you type answers directly, so the 60 minutes include everything.
Does spelling count in IELTS Reading?
Yes. A misspelled answer is marked wrong, so copy words from the text carefully.
Do I need to know about the topic of the texts?
No. The texts are written for a general reader and every answer is in the text. Using your own knowledge can lead you to wrong answers.
Is there negative marking in IELTS Reading?
No. A wrong answer scores the same as a blank one, so answer every question.
Is Academic Reading harder than General Training Reading?
The Academic texts are longer and more complex, but General Training needs more correct answers for the same band. Compare the two on the General Training Reading page.
