5 tips for IELTS Reading

Test takers are given 1 hour to read and answer the 40 questions in the reading test.  Most people will not have time to read all the passages in detail and answer the questions.  Here are some tips to help improve your test score.

·         Read the questions first –Instead of reading the passage in details and trying to remember everything. Finding out what you need to watch out for while reading the passage may help speed things up for you.

·         Skim and Scan – you aren’t being tested on how well you understand the passage.  Skimming thru the passage, so as to have an idea of what the passage is about; then scanning for the answers may give you enough time to even recheck your answers before the time is up.

·         Follow instructions – a lot of our new students have this problem when taking our reading mock exam.  If the question states that you must not use more than 3 words in your answer, then make sure you use 3 words or less.  Another problem is answering True/False in a Yes/No question.  Mixing up those two types of answers will be considered as a wrong answer and it will not be awarded any points.

·         Grammar and spelling – the reading test will always considered the grammar and spelling of your answers.  Even when the question states that you can only use a certain number of words, make sure that you are using proper grammar. 

·         Practice – knowing the first 4 tips will not guarantee that you would do it properly on test day.  Practice makes perfect.  Practice reading newspaper and magazine articles as well, since the IELTS reading passages are very much like or taken from newspaper and magazine articles.


For other tip, check out the Reading Category