IELTS General Training format: Reading
Master Every Skill you need for the Reading part of your IELTS General Training test
Overview of the IELTS General Training Reading Paper
The IELTS General Training Reading test consists of three sections with texts that become increasingly challenging.
Section Breakdown:
- Section 1:
- Contains two or three short texts, or several shorter ones.
- Focuses on everyday topics, such as notices, advertisements, and timetables.
- Requires identifying key information needed for daily life in an English-speaking country.
- Section 2:
- Includes two texts related to work, such as job descriptions, contracts, staff training materials, or development resources.
- Section 3:
- Features one long, more complex text on a topic of general interest.
- Typically drawn from newspapers, magazines, books, or online sources.
- The writing style is descriptive (providing detailed information) and instructive (explaining how to do something).
Answering and Timing:
- All answers must be transferred to an answer sheet within the allocated 60 minutes.
- Unlike the Listening test, no extra time is provided for transferring answers.
- Spelling and grammar errors will result in a loss of marks.
Summary:
- Time Allowed: 60 minutes (including transfer time).
- Number of Sections: 3. Total text length is 2,150–2,750 words.
- Number of Questions: 40.
- Marking: Each correct answer earns 1 mark. The final score is reported as a band score from 1–9, in whole or half bands (e.g., 3 or 8.5).
This format assesses your ability to understand and interpret texts encountered in everyday life, work, and general contexts.
Types of question
What’s Involved?
This type of question presents either:
- A question with four possible answers, or
- The first half of a sentence with four possible completions.
You must choose the correct option (A, B, C, or D) and write your answer on the answer sheet.
In some cases, you may need to choose more than one answer from a longer list of options. Read the instructions carefully to determine how many answers are required.
Skills Tested:
This question evaluates a variety of reading skills, including:
- Detailed understanding of specific points.
- General comprehension of the main ideas in the text.
Number of Questions:
May Vary.
What’s Involved?
You’ll be given several statements and asked, “Do the following statements agree with the information in the text?” Write ‘True’, ‘False’, or ‘Not Given’ in the answer sheet.
- True: The statement agrees with the information in the text.
- False: The statement contradicts the information in the text.
- Not Given: The statement is not addressed or cannot be verified based on the text.
Avoid using any prior knowledge about the topic when answering these questions.
Skills Tested:
This question assesses your ability to locate and recognize specific information in the text.
Number of Questions:
May Vary.
What’s Involved?
You’ll be given statements and asked, “Do the following statements agree with the writer’s views or claims?” Write ‘Yes’, ‘No’, or ‘Not Given’ in the answer sheet.
- Yes: The statement matches the writer’s views or claims.
- No: The statement contradicts the writer’s views or claims.
- Not Given: The statement neither agrees with nor contradicts the writer’s views or claims.
Avoid using any outside knowledge about the topic when answering.
Skills Tested:
This question evaluates your ability to recognize opinions and ideas expressed by the writer.
Number of Questions:
May Vary.
What’s Involved?
You’ll match specific pieces of information to paragraphs or sections of the text. These are labeled with letters (A, B, C, etc.). Write the correct letter in the answer sheet.
- Not all paragraphs or sections will be used.
- Some paragraphs or sections may be used more than once, which will be indicated in the instructions.
Skills Tested:
This question tests your ability to:
- Scan the text to locate specific details.
- Identify information such as examples, reasons, descriptions, comparisons, summaries, or explanations.
Number of Questions:
May Vary.
What’s Involved?
You’ll match a list of headings, identified by Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc.), to paragraphs or sections of the text, labeled with letters (A, B, C, etc.).
- Each heading summarizes the main idea of a paragraph or section.
- There will always be more headings than paragraphs or sections, so some headings will not be used.
- Each heading can only be used once.
Skills Tested:
This question assesses your ability to:
- Identify the main topic of a paragraph or section.
- Distinguish between main ideas and supporting details.
Number of Questions:
May Vary.
What’s Involved?
You’ll match a list of statements or information to a group of features from the text, labeled with letters (A, B, C, etc.). For example, you might match descriptions of inventions to their inventors.
- Some features may not be used, and others may be used more than once, as indicated in the instructions.
Skills Tested:
This question evaluates your ability to:
- Recognize relationships and connections between facts.
- Identify opinions and theories in the text.
- Skim and scan for relevant details before reading closely for accuracy.
Number of Questions:
May Vary.
What’s Involved?
In this question type, you will complete sentences by matching the first half of a sentence, based on the text, with the most suitable ending from a list of options. These endings are labeled with letters (A, B, C, etc.).
- There are more sentence endings than beginnings, so not all will be used.
- The questions follow the same order as the information in the text.
Skills Tested:
This question assesses your ability to understand the main ideas in the text.
Number of Questions:
Variable.
What’s Involved?
You will complete sentences by filling in gaps using words from the text.
- Answers must adhere to the word or number limit provided in the instructions (e.g., “NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER”).
- Exceeding the limit will result in a loss of marks.
- Contracted words (e.g., “they’re”) are not tested.
- Hyphenated words (e.g., “check-in”) count as one word.
- The questions follow the same order as the information in the text.
Skills Tested:
This question evaluates your ability to locate specific details in the text.
What’s Involved?
You will complete a summary, set of notes, table, or flow chart based on information from the text. The summary typically covers part of the text rather than the entire passage and may appear as:
- A summary: A continuous text.
- Notes: Key points in bullet form.
- A table: Information divided into categories.
- A flow chart: A sequence of steps connected by arrows.
Answer Variations:
- Select words from the text to fill the gaps on the question paper. Adhere to the word limit (e.g., “NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER”) without altering the original words.
- Choose from a list of options, labeled with letters (A, B, C, etc.), and write the selected letter on the answer sheet.
Skills Tested:
This question evaluates your ability to understand details and main ideas within a specific part of the text. It also tests your ability to identify the type of word (e.g., noun, verb) needed to complete a gap.
Number of Questions:
Variable.
What’s Involved?
In this task, you’ll complete labels on a diagram based on descriptions provided in the text. Diagrams may depict:
- A machine or device.
- A part of a building.
- Other visual elements described in the text.
Key Points:
- Follow the word or number limit (e.g., “NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER”).
- Contracted words (e.g., “they’re”) are not tested.
- Hyphenated words (e.g., “check-in”) count as one word.
- Answers may not follow the text’s sequence but will typically come from one section.
Skills Tested:
This question tests your ability to understand detailed descriptions in the text and accurately relate them to the diagram.
Number of Questions:
Variable.
What’s Involved?
You will answer questions about factual details in the text by writing brief responses on the answer sheet.
Key Details:
- Answers must come directly from the text and adhere to the word or number limit (e.g., “NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER”).
- Numbers can be written as figures (e.g., 1, 2) or words (e.g., one, two).
- Contracted words (e.g., “they’re”) are not tested.
- Hyphenated words (e.g., “check-in”) count as one word.
- The questions follow the order of the text.
Skills Tested:
This question evaluates your ability to locate and understand specific details in the text.
Number of Questions:
Variable.