At a glance
| Part | Text | Questions | Suggested time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passage 1 | Usually descriptive and factual | 13 | About 17 minutes |
| Passage 2 | Often a discussion or report | 13 | About 20 minutes |
| Passage 3 | Longest and most argued, often with a writer’s opinion | 14 | About 23 minutes |
1Where students actually lose marks
It is rarely vocabulary. Most lost marks come from answering with general knowledge instead of the text, from missing a small word like "only" or "some", and from spending twelve minutes on one hard question. A question you cannot crack in a minute should be skipped and revisited.
True, False, Not Given and Matching Headings cause the most trouble, so they are the first two lessons in this section.
2A simple method for every passage
- Read the questions first, so you know what you are looking for.
- Skim the passage for about two minutes to understand what each paragraph is about.
- Answer question by question, underlining the line that proves each answer.
- Write answers on the answer sheet as you go. There is no transfer time in Reading.
Lessons in this section
Up next
True, False, Not Given
The question type students lose most marks on
Written by the AdmitVerse team. Last reviewed on . AdmitVerse is not affiliated with IELTS, the British Council or IDP. For official rules and test dates, see ielts.org.