Master reading comprehension with practice passages, question analysis, and time management strategies for both Academic and General Training modules.
8/8 tests
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The IELTS Reading test is 60 minutes long and contains 40 questions across three passages. Academic candidates read three long texts taken from journals, magazines, and books — typically academic in tone but accessible to non-specialists. General Training candidates read everyday-life material in section 1 (advertisements, notices), workplace texts in section 2, and one longer general-interest passage in section 3. The conversion table is different for each module, and we apply the right one automatically based on which test you choose.
Multiple choice, true/false/not given, yes/no/not given, matching headings, matching information, matching features, sentence completion, summary completion, note/table/flow-chart/diagram-label completion, and short-answer questions. Matching headings and T/F/NG eat the most candidate time — practice these specifically rather than burning attempts on whole tests.
Same 40 questions, different scaling. Academic Reading: 39–40 = band 9.0, 37–38 = 8.5, 35–36 = 8.0, 33–34 = 7.5, 30–32 = 7.0, 27–29 = 6.5, 23–26 = 6.0. General Training is more lenient — you need 40 for 9.0, 38–39 for 8.5, and 34–35 for 7.0. The two modules are not interchangeable — pick the one that matches your test booking.
Roughly 20 minutes per passage including transferring answers. The trap: passage 3 is the hardest and most time-pressured. Either 1) skim each passage for 2–3 minutes before reading questions, or 2) skip straight to questions and scan back. Most band-7+ candidates use method 2 for passages 1–2 and method 1 for passage 3. Don't leave answers blank — there's no negative marking.
True = the passage explicitly states this. False = the passage explicitly contradicts this. Not Given = the passage neither confirms nor denies. The most common error is marking 'False' when the answer is 'Not Given' — candidates infer beyond the text. Train this by, after each wrong answer, copy-pasting the exact passage sentence and asking: does it actually contradict the question, or just stay silent?
Each Reading test on this site has authentic length (~2,500–2,800 words across three passages), authentic question distribution, and authentic difficulty calibration. Test 1 is free; the rest unlock with our $1.50 per-section, $4 full-mock, or $14/month unlimited plans. After every attempt, you'll see a per-question breakdown so you know exactly which question types are costing you bands.
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