IELTS Reading: Academic and General Training

The IELTS Reading module is one of the four sections of the IELTS test, designed to assess your reading comprehension skills. The module differs between the IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training tests, but the underlying structure, question types, and timing are similar. This section evaluates your ability to understand written English, extract relevant information, and interpret details, opinions, and arguments.
In this guide, we will explore what the IELTS Reading module is, how it works, the types of questions included, and how scoring is calculated for both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training versions.

What is the IELTS Reading Module?

The IELTS Reading module assesses your ability to understand and process written texts. The test is divided into two versions:

IELTS Academic Reading: Designed for individuals applying for higher education or professional registration. The texts are more complex, often taken from books, journals, magazines, and newspapers, with a focus on academic topics.

IELTS General Training Reading: Suited for individuals seeking immigration or work opportunities. The texts are more practical and social, often drawn from advertisements, company handbooks, and public notices, with a focus on everyday English.

The Reading module is 60 minutes long and consists of 40 questions. You are required to read passages and answer questions that test your ability to:

  • Identify the main ideas
  • Understand specific details
  • Interpret inferences and implied meanings
  • Recognize the writer’s opinion, attitude, or purpose
  • Follow the development of an argument

How the IELTS Reading Module Works

The IELTS Reading module lasts 60 minutes, and you will not receive extra time to transfer your answers to the answer sheet (for paper-based tests). Therefore, effective time management is crucial.

The module consists of three sections or passages, each increasing in difficulty. These passages are followed by a series of questions that require you to demonstrate various reading skills, such as skimming for the main idea, scanning for details, and identifying the author’s opinion or the tone of the text.

IELTS Academic Reading features texts that are more challenging, taken from academic sources or topics that reflect higher education environments.

IELTS General Training Reading includes materials relevant to daily life, work-related texts, and more general content.

IELTS

Types of Questions in the IELTS Reading Module

The IELTS Reading module includes a variety of question types designed to test different reading skills. The types of questions are the same for both Academic and General Training versions, though the content of the passages may differ.

Multiple Choice: You will select the correct answer from a list of options. This type tests your ability to identify specific details, main ideas, or the author’s viewpoint.

Identifying Information (True/False/Not Given): You will determine whether information in the passage matches the statements provided, is not present, or contradicts the passage.

Identifying the Writer’s Views/Claims (Yes/No/Not Given): You will decide if statements about the writer’s opinion or claims are true, false, or not given based on the passage.

Matching Information: You will match specific pieces of information to paragraphs within the text, such as facts, examples, or descriptions.

Matching Headings: You will choose the correct heading for each paragraph or section from a list of headings.

Matching Features: You will match items from one set of information (e.g., names, dates) with another list in the passage.

Matching Sentence Endings: You will complete sentences by choosing the correct ending from a list of options.

Sentence Completion: You will complete a sentence using information directly from the text, ensuring correct grammar and spelling.

Summary, Note, Table, or Flowchart Completion: You will fill in the gaps in a summary or chart using words from the passage.

Diagram Labelling: You will label parts of a diagram based on information from the text.

Short-Answer Questions: You will answer questions in a few words using information from the passage.

How IELTS Reading is Scored

The IELTS Reading module is scored out of 40, and your raw score (the number of correct answers) is converted into an IELTS band score on a scale of 1 to 9. Each correct answer earns one point, and there is no penalty for incorrect answers, so it’s beneficial to attempt all questions.

IELTS Academic and General Training Reading Scoring:

Although the scoring mechanism is the same, the difficulty of the texts varies between Academic and General Training tests. As a result, the number of correct answers required for a particular band score differs slightly.

IELTS Academic Reading Band Scores:

  • Band 9: 39-40 correct answers
  • Band 8.5: 37-38 correct answers
  • Band 8: 36-35 correct answers
  • Band 7.5: 34-33 correct answers
  • Band 7: 32-30 correct answers
  • Band 6.5: 29-27 correct answers
  • Band 6: 26-23 correct answers
  • Band 5.5: 22-19 correct answers
  • Band 5: 18-15 correct answers
  • Band 4.5: 14-13 correct answers
  • Band 4: 12-10 correct answers
  • Band 3.5: 9-8 correct answers
  • Band 3: 7-6 correct answers
  • Band 2.5: 5-4 correct answers

IELTS General Training Reading Band Scores:

  • Band 9: 40 correct answers
  • Band 8.5: 39 correct answers
  • Band 8: 37-38 correct answers
  • Band 7.5: 36 correct answers
  • Band 7: 34-35 correct answers
  • Band 6.5: 32-33 correct answers
  • Band 6: 30-31 correct answers
  • Band 5.5: 27-29 correct answers
  • Band 5: 23-26 correct answers
  • Band 4.5: 19-22 correct answers
  • Band 4: 15-18 correct answers
  • Band 3.5: 12-14 correct answers
  • Band 3: 9-11 correct answers
  • Band 2.5: 6-8 correct answers
IELTS

Key Differences Between IELTS Academic and General Training Reading

IELTS Academic Reading: The texts are longer and more complex, focusing on topics related to academic disciplines, scientific research, and professional contexts.

IELTS General Training Reading: The passages are generally shorter and focus on practical, everyday topics such as social interactions, workplace instructions, and general information.

The IELTS Reading module plays a crucial role in assessing your ability to understand written English in various contexts. Whether you are taking the IELTS Academic or IELTS General Training test, it’s essential to practice reading different types of texts and familiarize yourself with the question types. By understanding the structure, working on time management, and using effective reading strategies, you can improve your chances of achieving a high score in this section of the IELTS exam.

Contact Us

Achieve the Scores You Desire.

Start your language journey from here!