IELTS Reading: Strategies for Every Question Type
60 minutes, 3 passages, 40 questions – the Reading section is a race against time. Learn the techniques to answer quickly and accurately.
Why practice with ScoreUp Pro
- Mock exams in the official IELTS format — the same parts, item counts and timing as the real exam
- Writing graded by AI against the official criteria, with feedback in your language
- Reading and listening scored instantly, every answer explained
- 3 exam sections free, no card needed. Practice stays free.
The IELTS Reading section is a 60-minute test consisting of 3 passages and 40 questions, requiring approximately 1.5 minutes per question. In the Academic version the passages are long scholarly texts drawn from science, history, and society; in the General Training version they range from short everyday texts and work-related notices to one longer general text. Question types include True / False / Not Given, Matching Headings, Multiple Choice, Sentence Completion, Matching Information, and Summary Completion — all rewarding the ability to skim and scan efficiently rather than read every word.
Key Techniques
Skimming & Scanning
Don't read every word! Skim for an overview, scan for specific answers.
Read Questions First
Read the questions BEFORE the text. This way you know what to look for.
Time Management
20 minutes per passage. If you're stuck, mark it and move on.
Never Leave Blanks
Always guess! IELTS has no penalty for wrong answers.
All Question Types Explained
True / False / Not Given
HardEvaluate statements about the text
Strategy: Find the relevant section. Compare carefully. False = contradicts the text. Not Given = not mentioned.
Matching Headings
MediumMatch headings to paragraphs
Strategy: Read the first and last sentence of each paragraph. Look for the main idea. Eliminate obviously wrong options.
Multiple Choice
MediumChoose one correct answer from several options
Strategy: Read all options. Eliminate wrong ones. Note: The correct answer is often paraphrased.
Sentence Completion
EasyComplete sentences with words from the text
Strategy: Pay attention to word count! Find the relevant section. Copy the words exactly.
Matching Information
HardMatch information to specific paragraphs
Strategy: Read the statements first. Then skim through the paragraphs. One paragraph may appear multiple times!
Summary Completion
MediumFill gaps in a summary
Strategy: Read the entire summary. Find the relevant text section. Pay attention to word form.
Understanding True / False / Not Given
The trickiest question type! Here's how to distinguish the three options:
TRUE
The statement matches the text (even if different words are used).
Text: "The study was conducted in 2019." → Statement: "Research took place in 2019." = TRUE
FALSE
The text says the OPPOSITE of the statement.
Text: "Coffee consumption has increased." → Statement: "Coffee consumption has decreased." = FALSE
NOT GIVEN
The text says NOTHING about it – neither yes nor no.
Text: "Coffee is popular in Italy." → Statement: "Coffee is popular in Germany." = NOT GIVEN (Germany isn't mentioned)
Why a correct answer scores zero
Every Reading answer is worth one mark, and the form of the answer is checked as strictly as its content. These are the published marking rules that turn a right idea into a wrong answer, each with an example.
Over the word limit
An answer longer than the instruction allows is marked wrong, even when the key word is right. Articles such as “the” count as words.
Write ONE WORD ONLY.
Hartwell turned its old railway station into a ______.
A word the question already prints
Do not copy a word that stands right next to the gap. An answer that repeats a word from the question is marked wrong.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER.
The reading hall has space for ______ visitors.
Misspelled words
A misspelled answer is marked wrong, even if it sounds right. British and American spellings are both accepted.
Write ONE WORD ONLY.
The building kept its ______ roof.
Numbers: digits or words
Both are accepted, and a number written in words counts as one number, not as several words.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER.
The reading hall has space for ______ visitors.
Brackets in the answer key
Words in brackets are optional: the answer is right with them and without them. A slash separates alternative answers.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS.
Which room became the reading hall?
Answer key: (the) waiting room
Singular or plural
The answer key marks an optional plural with “(s)”. Where it does not, only the form in the key is listed, so “bicycle” does not count for “bicycles”.
Write ONE WORD ONLY.
As well as books, the library lends out ______.
Answer key: bicycles
Sources: Cambridge English IELTS Academic FAQs, IDP guidance on IELTS Reading and Listening, and the answer keys of the official sample tests. The passage and the questions are ours, written in the official format.
Three worked examples
One short passage of ours and three of the official question types. Read the passage first, then each solution.
Passage (ours, in the exam format)
A In 1998 the town of Hartwell turned its old railway station into a public library. The building kept its iron roof, but the waiting room became a reading hall with space for 120 visitors.
B At first the library opened only on weekdays. Since 2015, volunteers have run a Saturday reading club for children, and the library now lends out bicycles as well as books.
True / False / Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?
TRUE — if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE — if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN — if there is no information on this
- The library was opened in a former railway station. → TRUE
- The library has always opened on Saturdays. → FALSE
- The library charges a fee for lending bicycles. → NOT GIVEN
Statement 1 says the same thing in other words (“a former railway station”): TRUE. Statement 2 is contradicted by “at first … only on weekdays”: FALSE. The text says nothing about fees, so statement 3 is NOT GIVEN, however likely it sounds. Leave your own knowledge out.
Matching headings
List of Headings
- i A new use for an old building
- ii The cost of the renovation
- iii More services over time
- iv A history of the railway
Example: Paragraph A → i
Paragraph B → iii
The Example has already used heading i, so it is gone. Paragraph B describes what the library added over the years: iii. Heading iv repeats a word from paragraph A (“railway”) but not its topic, and no paragraph mentions a cost (ii). The list always holds more headings than paragraphs.
Summary completion: two kinds
Choose the correct letter, A–D.
Since 2015, (1) ______ have run a Saturday reading club for children.
A teachers · B volunteers · C librarians · D parents → B
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text.
As well as books, the library lends out (2) ______. → bicycles
In (1) the words come from a list, so the answer is the letter B, not the word. In (2) the answer is copied from the text and must fit the limit: “bicycles”, not “the bicycles” (two words) and not “bicycle” (another form).
Check yourself: 5 questions
All five are about the passage above. Write your answer first, then open the solution.
1 · TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN
The library’s iron roof was replaced.
Show answer
FALSE
The text says the building kept its iron roof, which contradicts “replaced”.
2 · TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN
The bicycle service began in 2015.
Show answer
NOT GIVEN
The text dates the reading club to 2015 and says the library “now” lends bicycles. It never says when the bicycles came.
3 · Write ONE WORD ONLY.
At first, the library opened only on ______.
Show answer
weekdays
“weekdays” is copied from the text and is one word. “the weekdays” would be two words, over the limit.
4 · Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS.
Which room became the reading hall?
Show answer
waiting room
Two words fit the limit. “the waiting room” is three words, so it scores zero.
5 · Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER.
In which year did the station become a library?
Show answer
1998
“1998” is enough. “in 1998” adds a word the question already prints (“In which year”).
Academic vs. General Training Reading
Academic
- 3 long academic/scientific texts
- Topics from science, history, society
- More complex vocabulary
General Training
- Section 1: Short everyday texts (ads, notices)
- Section 2: Work-related texts
- Section 3: One longer general text
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I read the entire passage first?
No! That takes too much time. Read the questions first, then search for specific information in the text. For some question types (True/False/Not Given), you only need to find the relevant section. Skimming and scanning are your most important techniques.
What is the difference between False and Not Given?
FALSE: The text says the opposite of the statement. NOT GIVEN: The text says nothing about it (neither agrees nor disagrees). This is the trickiest distinction in IELTS! Pay attention to whether the information is actually in the text or if you're just assuming it.
How much time per passage?
About 20 minutes per passage. Passage 1 is usually easier – try to save time there for the harder Passages 2 and 3. If you get stuck on a question, mark it and move on. You can come back at the end.
Do I need to worry about capitalization in answers?
Usually no – capitalization is typically not marked. BUT: Pay attention to the exact word count! "Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS" means maximum 3 words. Articles like "the" count too!