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IELTS General Reading

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Updated on Sep 29, 2024, 14:57

The IELTS General Reading test is one of the four components of the IELTS exam. It is a 60-minute test that assesses your ability to understand English texts on everyday topics. You'll read 3 passages and answer 40 questions in various formats.

 

The format and pattern remain the same as the Academic version, but the question types and passages featured differ. 
 

On this page, we'll break down the exam format, explore the different question types, and provide valuable tips to help you improve your reading skills.

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1. IELTS General Reading Pattern

The IELTS General Training Reading test follows a specific format designed to assess your ability to handle different kinds of reading materials in everyday situations.

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2. IELTS General Reading

When preparing for the IELTS General Reading test, it is crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of the test format, question types, and useful strategies to maximise your performance.

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3. IELTS General Reading Tasks

Here, we’ll cover all the question types you'll face for IELTS General Reading Tasks. While some question types are similar to those in the Academic test, the passages and topics in General Reading are more focused on everyday life, work, and social issues. 

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4. IELTS General Reading Band Score

The IELTS General Reading test is scored on a band scale from 0 to 9, with 0 being the lowest and 9 being the highest. 

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1.

IELTS General Reading Pattern

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The IELTS General Training Reading test follows a specific format designed to assess your ability to handle different kinds of reading materials in everyday situations. You'll be tasked with answering 40 questions within a 60-minute timeframe. Unlike the Academic Reading test, the General Training Reading emphasises practical skills.

 

Duration60 minutes 
Number of Sections3 sections, with 3 passages(total text length: 2150–2750 words)
Number of Questions40
Marking1 mark for each right answer, no negative marking

 

The test is divided into three sections, each presenting a slightly higher level of difficulty compared to the last.  Aim to spend about 20 minutes per section. If you finish the first section quickly, use the extra time to tackle the subsequent sections.
 

To effectively gauge your reading skills across different contexts, the test utilises a variety of passage types.

 

Section 1:  In this section, you might find a few short texts about everyday life in an English-speaking country. You'll have to pick out key information from notices, ads, and schedules. The content covers everyday life, work, education, and social issues using simple and straightforward language. 
 

Section 2:  In this section, you'll find two work-related texts that are more work-related. These could be job descriptions, contracts, or training materials. The language is a bit more complex than Section 1 but still manageable.
 

Section 3:  This section is where things get a bit more challenging! You’ll find one long and detailed text on a general interest topic. The language is more detailed and instructive, explaining how to do something. It's more complex and longer than the texts in Sections 1 and 2, often sourced from newspapers, magazines, books, and online articles.

 

Each section is followed by a set of questions designed to evaluate various reading skills. The test includes several types of questions:
 

  • Multiple Choice Questions
  • True or False or Not Given
  • Flow Chart Completion
  • Matching Headings
  • Sentence Completion
  • Summary Completion
  • Identifying information
     

Let’s explore the IELTS General Reading Test in detail.

2.

IELTS General Reading

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When preparing for the IELTS General Reading test, it is crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of the test format, question types, and useful strategies to maximise your performance.
 

The IELTS General Training test is best for you if you’re seeking to immigrate or apply for courses that are below degree level. The test assesses your ability to handle different kinds of reading materials in everyday situations.


In the IELTS General Reading test, the passages are sourced from advertisements, instruction manuals, company guidelines, newspapers, and more.

 

Also, the passages featured in the IELTS General test are in an increasing difficulty order, meaning it starts with an easy passage and ends with a slightly complex one.

 

At a glance: 

 

AspectIELTS General Reading
Passage Sources
  • Company Handbooks
  • Instruction Manuals
  • Ads 
Passage FocusEveryday Situations
Assessment CriteriaAssesses your ability to interpret and apply information from general texts in an everyday context

 

 

Below are the task/question types asked for the General reading exam. 

 

IELTS General Reading: Question Types 

 

  • Flow chart completion
  • Identifying information
  • Matching information
  • Matching features
  • Matching headings
  • Note completion
  • Sentence completion
  • Short-answer questions
  • Summary completion
  • Identifying information (true, false, not given)

 

Also Read: IELTS General Reading Practice Tests 

3.

IELTS General Reading Tasks

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Here, we’ll cover all the question types you'll face for IELTS General Reading Tasks. While some question types are similar to those in the Academic test, the passages and topics in General Reading are more focused on everyday life, work, and social issues. 
 

Remember, even though some question types may be the same, the content and level of difficulty will vary depending on the test type.

 

Before we start with the various question types that are asked in IELTS General Reading, it's important to grasp some key terms. Here are some:
 

  • Keywords: Important words(Focus points) for finding information in the passage
  • Skimming: Finding the gist and main ideas
  • Scanning: Quickly locating specific information within the passage.
  • Reading for detail: Understanding arguments, opinions, purpose, and implied meaning

 

IELTS General Reading Tips

 

  • Read the questions before reading the passages
  • Skim and scan the passages to get an idea of the content
  • Manage your time wisely (around 20 minutes per passage)
  • Practice, practice, practice! Read different types of texts, like news articles, books, and academic papers.
  • Improve your vocabulary by learning new words and phrases.
  • Don't get stuck on a single question –  better to move on and come back to it later if you have time.

     

And now, let's delve into the different question types.


 

Flow-chart Completion

 

In flowchart completion tasks, you are required to complete a given diagram or flowchart by filling in the missing information.
 

How to answer: 

 

  • Break down the flowchart into sections and figure out what it’s trying to tell you.
  • Read the questions carefully
  • Skim the passage to find phrases that match the clues in the questions. 
  • Once you identify the missing details, refer back to the question to make sure it matches what they're asking for.

 

Identifying information
 

In Identifying information, you are asked to find specific details in the text, like dates, names, places, or any factual information.
 

How to answer:

 

  • Scan the passage quickly to locate keywords related to the question.
  • Read the section carefully where you think the answer might be located.
  • Check if the information matches the question requirements precisely (e.g., singular/plural form, exact wording).

 

Matching Features 
 

 

In this task, you will be given statements alongside a set of features such as dates, locations, and characteristics like height, length, and colour. These features might also be possible answers to a problem statement given in the question.

 

These statements are straight from the passage itself. Your goal is to match up these features with the right statements by figuring out how they connect within the passage.
 

How to answer:

 

  • Begin by reading the questions and identifying key terms.
  • Scan the text to identify the main subject in each paragraph and try to note any relevant keywords.
  • If necessary, look for synonyms that can help link the keywords to the passages.
  • Finally, re-read the questions and make connections.

 

Matching Information 

 

Matching information is very similar to the Matching Features task type. In this task, you will be given statements that match the passage's correct paragraph. The statements can be descriptions, summaries, facts or explanations of different paragraphs. 

 

How to answer: 

 

  • Read the given set of statements and identify the keywords.
  • Skim through the passage to get an idea of the subject that is being discussed in each paragraph.
  • Locate the keywords in the passage to find references. 
  • Verify the context and finalise your answers. 


 

Matching Headings


 

In matching headings, you're given a list of headings or titles, and you have to match each to a paragraph or section in the text.

 

How to answer:
 

  • Skim through the paragraphs to get a sense of their main ideas.
  • Identify the main theme or purpose of each paragraph.
  • Match each heading to the paragraph that best represents its main idea.


 

Notes Completion
 

The notes completion task is similar to sentence completion. These questions involve completing notes or summaries with information from the passage.
 

How to answer:
 

  • Pay attention to the instructions (word limit, specific details required).
  • Scan the passage for keywords related to the missing information.
  • Fill in the notes or summary using the information that directly answers the question.


 

Sentence Completion

 

In sentence completion, you need to complete sentences using information from the passage.
 

How to answer:
 

  • Read the sentence stem carefully to understand what information is needed.
  • Locate the part of the passage that provides the missing information.
  • Ensure that your completed sentence is grammatically correct and fits logically with the rest of the passage.


 

Short-answer Questions


 

In this question type, You will be given a statement or question that requires you to complete it using information from the passage. Typically, you need to fill in a gap with a one or two words.
 

How to answer:
 

  • Focus on finding precise information in the text that directly answers the question.
  • Pay attention to any word limits provided (e.g., number of words or characters).
  • Write your answer clearly and directly, ensuring it matches the requirements (e.g., singular/plural form).


 

Summary Completion


 

In this question type, you're asked to complete a summary using information from the passage.
 

How to answer:
 

  • Read the summary and the options carefully to understand what information is required.
  • Scan the passage for keywords or phrases that match the summary.
  • Fill in the gaps, ensuring that the completed summary makes sense in the context of the passage.
4.

IELTS General Reading Band Score

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The IELTS General Reading test is scored on a band scale from 0 to 9, with 0 being the lowest and 9 being the highest. 
 

The General Reading test has 40 questions, and for each correct answer, you get one point. Your raw score is determined by the number of correct answers you get across all three sections. The raw score is then converted to the IELTS 9-band scale using a conversion table.  It's good to know that there's no negative marking for wrong answers in the IELTS exam, so it's worth giving every question a try, even if you are uncertain about the answer.

 

The band scores in the IELTS General Reading test reflect how well you understand and interpret everyday texts, like news articles, instructions, and advertisements. Also, the band score calculation for IELTS Reading is the same for both the Academic and General Training tests, but there might be slight differences in how the scores are converted to the band scale.
 

Here is the IELTS General reading score chart for your reference. 

 

IELTS General Raw score

IELTS Band Score

15

4

23

5

30

6

35

7

 

Also Read: IELTS Band Score Criteria 2024

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FAQs

Q. What is the format of the IELTS General Reading test?

Ans. The IELTS General Reading test consists of three sections with a total of 40 questions. The sections include a variety of texts such as advertisements, manuals, newspapers, and magazines. The questions range from multiple-choice, identifying information, matching headings, and completing sentences.

Q. What types of questions are asked in the IELTS General Reading test?

Ans. The test features a mix of question types: multiple-choice, matching information, matching headings, matching features, matching sentence endings, sentence completion, summary completion, note completion, table completion, flow-chart completion, short-answer questions, and identifying writer's views/claims (True/False/Not Given).

Q. How can I pass the IELTS general reading?

Ans. To pass IELTS General Reading, practice regularly with past papers and familiarise yourself with different question types. Improve your vocabulary and reading speed. Utilise skimming and scanning techniques to find answers quickly, and practice time management to ensure you complete all questions within the allotted time.

Q. How to get 8.5 marks in IELTS reading?

Ans. To achieve an 8.5 in IELTS Reading, you need a high level of proficiency in reading English. Practice extensively with past papers, focus on accuracy, and improve your speed. Familiarise yourself with different question types, and develop strategies for skimming and scanning to locate information quickly.

Q. Is IELTS general reading difficult?

Ans. The difficulty of IELTS General Reading depends on your proficiency in English and reading comprehension skills. Many find it manageable with regular practice and familiarity with the test format. Understanding various question types and practising under timed conditions can significantly reduce difficulty.

Q. What is the general structure of reading IELTS?

Ans. The IELTS General Reading test consists of three sections with a total of 40 questions. These sections include various types of tasks such as multiple-choice, matching information, identifying information, and short-answer questions. The texts are sourced from notices, advertisements, company handbooks, and newspapers.

Q. What is 30 out of 40 in IELTS reading?

Ans.  Scoring 30 out of 40 in IELTS Reading typically corresponds to a band score of around 7.0. This indicates a good level of reading proficiency, where you understand complex texts and can effectively answer a variety of question types.

Q. How can I get IELTS general reading material?

Ans. You can obtain IELTS General Reading material from official IELTS websites, which offer free practice tests and sample questions. Additionally, bookstores provide study guides and practice books. You can also access a variety of IELTS General Reading practice tests available on our website to hone your skills. 

Q. How to score IELTS general reading?

Ans. To score well in IELTS General Reading, practice consistently with past papers and improve your reading speed and accuracy. Focus on understanding the various question types and develop effective skimming and scanning techniques. Regularly take timed practice tests to build confidence and efficiency.

Q. How to prepare for the IELTS general reading test?

Ans. Prepare for the IELTS General Reading test by practising with past papers and sample questions. Enhance your vocabulary and reading comprehension skills. Develop strategies for quickly locating information in texts and practice under timed conditions to improve your time management.

Q. Is IELTS general reading easier than academic?

Ans. Yes, the IELTS General Reading test is generally considered easier than the Academic Reading test. The texts in the General Reading test are more straightforward and related to everyday contexts, while the Academic Reading test includes more complex and abstract texts.

Q. How much time do I have to complete the General Reading test?

Ans. You have 60 minutes to complete the IELTS General Reading test. This time includes reading the texts and answering all 40 questions, so efficient time management is crucial to ensure you complete the test within the given timeframe.
 

Q. Can I use a dictionary during the IELTS general reading test?

Ans. No, you are not allowed to use a dictionary during the IELTS General Reading test. All answers must be derived from the information provided in the test texts, so it's important to be familiar with a wide range of vocabulary and reading strategies.

Q. What is the minimum score required to pass the General Reading test?

Ans.  There is no pass or fail in the IELTS General Reading test. However, different institutions and immigration bodies have specific band score requirements. It's important to check the score requirements for your specific purpose, whether for study, work, or migration.

Q. Can I skip questions and come back to them later?

Ans. Yes, you can skip questions and return to them later within the 60-minute time limit. It's often a good strategy to move on from difficult questions and come back to them if time permits, ensuring you answer as many questions as possible.

Q. Can I use my own paper to answer questions?

Ans. No, you must write your answers on the official answer sheet provided by the test centre. Make sure to transfer all your answers accurately and clearly within the allotted time, as only answers on the answer sheet will be graded.

Q. What happens if I don't finish the test in time?

Ans. If you don't finish the test in time, any unanswered questions will be marked incorrect. To avoid this, you should manage your time effectively and make sure you allocate time to transfer all answers to the answer sheet before the time runs out.

Q. How soon can I get my General Reading test results?

Ans. You will receive your IELTS General Reading test results 13 days after taking the test. The results will be available online, and a Test Report Form will be sent to you by mail. Some test centres may also offer to send results via SMS.