Welcome to IELTS Reading

IELTS Reading can feel intimidating at first. 60 minutes, 3 passages, 40 questions. But the test has its own internal logic: every answer is hidden in the passage, you just need to find it. Once you understand how the test is built and what kind of thinking it demands, everything clicks. This lesson teaches you the rules of the game.

Test format

Academic IELTS Reading lasts 60 minutes. In that time you read 3 different passages and answer 40 questions. The passages get harder as you go:

• Passage 1. 600-800 words, the easiest passage, everyday or general topics
• Passage 2. 700-900 words, mid-level, academic or professional topics
• Passage 3. 800-1000 words, the hardest passage, an academic article with complex sentences and vocabulary

Each passage has 13-14 questions. 40 questions in total.

Academic vs General Training

IELTS comes in two versions and the Reading section is different in each:

• Academic IELTS. For university, postgraduate, and professional registration. Passages are academic articles: history, science, anthropology, business and so on. For example: "The impact of climate change on European agriculture."
• General Training. For immigration and work visas. Passages are practical everyday topics: housing rentals, job ads, employment rights, brochures.

In this course we focus on Academic IELTS. If you're taking General Training, most strategies are identical. Only the passage type changes.

Question types, quick overview

IELTS Reading uses around 8 main question types. Fact-verification, matching, multiple choice, gap-filling, and a few others. A typical passage mixes 3-4 of them. You don't need to memorise the full list now. Lessons 6-11 cover each type in dedicated detail, with the trap patterns specific to each. For now, just know they exist.

Scoring and band conversion

40 questions = 40 raw points. Each correct answer is worth 1 point. Wrong answers don't lose you points.

Academic IELTS raw-to-band conversion:

1. Band 9.0, 39-40 correct
2. Band 8.5, 37-38
3. Band 8.0, 35-36
4. Band 7.5, 33-34
5. Band 7.0, 30-32
6. Band 6.5, 27-29
7. Band 6.0, 23-26
8. Band 5.5, 19-22
9. Band 5.0, 15-18

The answer sheet and timing

During the test you transfer your answers to a separate answer sheet. This transfer time is NOT separate from the 60 minutes. It's included. This matters because many people get absorbed in the passages, leave transferring to the last minute, and run out of time.

Recommendation: find your answer, transfer it immediately. Not after each passage. After each question. This minimizes time loss and removes the risk of forgetting.

The right mindset

IELTS Reading is a speed-and-search test, not a comprehension test. This distinction matters.

So approach the passage with a "detective searching" mindset, not a "reading an academic article" mindset. The question tells you what to look for. The passage holds the answer. Your job: read fast, find the spot, answer accurately.

The course plan

You have 14 lessons ahead. They split into 3 groups:

1. Core skills. Skimming, scanning, paraphrasing, vocabulary in context, paragraph logic
2. Question-type masters. TFNG, matching, multiple choice, completion, etc.
3. Strategy and test day. The 20-minute drill, spotting traps, mock-test approach

After each lesson there are practice passages (further down the page). Passages target different question types. Repeat any passage as many times as you want. Repetition is the most useful thing in IELTS prep.

Summary

• IELTS Reading is 60 minutes, 3 passages, 40 questions.
• Passages get harder. Manage your time with the 15-20-25 split.
• Academic IELTS uses academic passages; General Training uses practical ones.
• Each question is 1 point; 39-40 correct = band 9. No deduction for wrong answers.
• Transfer answers immediately. After each question, not at the end.
• IELTS is not a reading test. It's an information-finding test. Approach it like a detective.

In the next lesson we start with skimming and scanning, the two most-used skills on IELTS. Move on whenever you're ready.