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IELTS Reading is one of the four components of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test, which is designed to assess a test taker's proficiency in the English language. The IELTS Reading test evaluates your ability to understand and interpret written texts in English. This test is meant to assess your reading skills in an academic context and is applicable for both academic and general training versions of the IELTS test.
Here's an overview of the IELTS Reading test:
Test Format:
The IELTS Reading test consists of three reading passages or texts.
In the Academic version of the test, these texts are taken from academic sources like textbooks, journals, or articles. In the General Training version, the texts are more every day and practical, such as advertisements, notices, or workplace-related documents.
There are a total of 40 questions in the test, with each passage followed by a set of questions.
Question Types:
The questions in the IELTS Reading test cover a range of question types, including multiple-choice, matching information, matching headings, sentence completion, summary completion, and True/False/Not Given or Yes/No/Not Given questions.
Each passage may have a mix of different question types.
Timing:
Test takers typically have 60 minutes to complete the entire IELTS Reading test.
It is advisable to allocate your time wisely, as the three passages vary in length and complexity. You may want to spend more time on the more challenging passages and questions.
Scoring:
Each correct answer in the IELTS Reading test earns you one point.
The total number of correct answers is converted into a band score on a scale of 0 to 9. Your overall Reading band score is determined by your performance in the test.
Skills Assessed:
The IELTS Reading test assesses various reading skills, including the ability to understand main ideas, supporting details, and implied meanings in texts.
It also evaluates your ability to locate specific information, make inferences, and recognise the writer's opinions, attitudes, and purposes.
Preparing for the IELTS Reading test typically involves practicing reading comprehension exercises, familiarising yourself with different types of reading texts and question formats, and improving your reading speed and comprehension skills. Many test takers find it helpful to use official IELTS practice materials and take practice tests to get a sense of the test's format and level of difficulty. Additionally, time management during the test is crucial to ensure you can complete all three passages and questions within the allotted time.
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If you take IELTS on Computer, you will do the tests in the following order on the same day: Listening, Reading and Writing, with the Speaking test before or after this test session.
If you take IELTS on Paper, you will do the tests in the following order: Writing, Reading and Listening. Depending on the test centre, the Speaking test can be done on the same day, or up to 7 days either before or after the test date.
The Listening, Reading, and Writing parts of the test are completed immediately after each other on the same day. In some test centres, you will sit the Speaking test on the same day, or up to 7 days before or after your test date.
If you take IELTS on computer, the Speaking test will be taken on the same day, either before, or after the other three parts of the test.
Pencil is recommended for the IELTS Listening, Reading, and Writing tests. This is because tests are scanned and work best with pencil. It also means that you can easily erase and rewrite words. If you forget to bring a pencil, the test centre will provide one for you.
If you take an IELTS on Computer test, the Reading, Writing and Listening parts of the IELTS test are completed on a computer, but the Speaking test is completed face-to-face with an IELTS examiner.
Yes. IELTS on computer provides a note-taking and highlight function. You can try these functions in the familiarisation tests here. You can also write notes on the login details sheet you receive at the beginning of the test.
Every IELTS test is carefully produced and tested to ensure a consistent level of difficulty across all the test versions. We want every IELTS test taker to have their true English-language ability reflected in their results, which is why we offer so many free and paid tools to help you practise and prepare.
Check out our preparation tools for tips and advice so that you can be as prepared as possible for your test date.
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