How to read strategically in IELTS Reading

When to skim, scan or read closely, how questions paraphrase the passage, why answers go wrong and how to use your 60 minutes.

The first page of the IELTS Reading guide PDF

What's in the guide

7 pages in 6 parts. Find the part you need, then turn to its page.

The Reading test
60 minutes and 40 questions, and how Academic and General Training differ.
Page 3
Skim, scan, read closely
When each way of reading helps, and when you need to slow down.
Page 3
Paraphrasing
How a question says the passage's idea in other words, with an example.
Page 4
Why answers go wrong
Five common problems, from trusting a keyword to checking only the answer key.
Page 5
Managing your time
A starting plan for each passage, and what to do when you're stuck.
Page 6
Reviewing your mistakes
Five steps to find out why an answer was wrong.
Page 6

Tips from the guide

Use practice for your own test. Academic and General Training have different texts and different score tables.
Skimming and scanning show you where to look. You still need to read those sentences closely to answer.
Practise without a timer to learn, and with one to check you can do it under pressure. You need both.

Five reasons answers go wrong

Two students can get the same Reading score for very different reasons. Find yours, and practise that.

From page 5 of the guide.

Trusting a keyword
A word from the question is in the passage, so you choose an answer at once. But the sentence may hold an exception. Check that the whole sentence supports your answer.
Using what you already know
You know the topic well, but the answer has to come from the passage. Find the words in the text that support it.
Missing small words
Words such as only, always, rarely, might and primarily can change the meaning. Watch for amounts, conditions, comparisons and how sure the writer is.
Staying too long on one question
Getting stuck takes time from easier questions. Move on, and come back if you have time.
Checking only the answer key
You see which answers were wrong, but not why. Find the part of the passage that supports the right answer, and say why it fits.

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How long is IELTS Reading?

60 minutes for 40 questions. On paper, you write your answers on the answer sheet within the 60 minutes, with no extra time to copy them across. On computer, you enter them on screen.

How long should I spend on each passage?

The guide gives a starting point for Academic Reading: 15 to 17 minutes for Passage 1, about 20 for Passage 2 and 23 to 25 for Passage 3. Change it to fit your own pace.

Is the guide for Academic or General Training?

Both. It explains how the two tests differ, and most of the advice works for either. The timings are for Academic Reading.

Is the PDF free?

Yes. Enter your email and we send it to you at once. Your email also opens a free Leap English Pathways account, where you can practise IELTS and get a band for every reading and listening test. Every PDF on this site is open to that account. Pro adds feedback on every speaking and writing answer.