READING

Checking your answers

(about 3 minutes)
After you have completed your answers for each section, you need to check them. Check that you have
followed the instructions exactly. If you have time, return to the answers you marked because you were
unsure and see if the answers you have given are the best ones.

Tips for IELTS Reading Test

Don't spend too long on a single question as that will lose you time for answering questions that could be
easier for you. Sometimes leaving a question and coming back later can help you answer it too. Leave
any questions that you have spent too long on, and come back at the end of the test if you have time.
Sometimes, if the question has a yes/no/not given answer, the answer you are looking for does not exist
as it could be a not given. Be aware so you don't waste time looking for something that isn't there.
Read the questions and instructions so you don't make a silly mistake. For example, people often will mix
the yes/no answers with the true/false answers and write yes as an answer instead of true or vice versa.
Strictly speaking you are wrong although you have understood the question and answer.
If the question asks for one answer then give one answer. Giving two is wrong as it asks for one and you
will be marked wrong. The type of question where this could happen would be: Give one example of...
Writing two examples, to show you really understand, is wrong.
If the question asks for no more than 3 words, use no more than 3 words. Writing 4 words or more is
wrong. You won't be asked to do it in 3 words or less unless it is possible so don't worry; it can always be
done.
One area that students don't like is that, in the reading test, good grammar and spelling are important.
The grammar part is not as important as you can't make many grammar errors in 3 words (the maximum
you use in the reading test) but, if you spell something wrong, it will be marked as wrong. People think,
quite rightly in my opinion, that the reading should test whether you understand what you read and not
how you spell something but these are the rules. So, be careful about your spelling!
One constant discussion I have had with students is whether to read the questions first and then read the
passage or read the passage first and then the questions. From my experience with many students my
conclusion is that there is no correct answer for this. It depends on a number of variables. It can depend
on the types of question and how difficult the questions are. It can depend on how good and fast a reader
you are. It can depend on the length of the text and how much time you have. Let's look at these
variables.
If the question type is difficult and asking something which is hard to answer then reading the text first
can help. Just a quick read through using a technique called skimming (see below for an analysis of
skimming) can give you the knowledge of the text that will help you find the answer more easily.
If you are a good, fast reader, then you can read the text quickly, getting good knowledge of the contents
without using up too much precious time. This can help you answer the questions better.
If the texts are short then it doesn't take long to quickly read through them. On the other hand, if the
texts are short it is easier to find the answers so you may not have to waste time reading the texts to
find the answers quickly, especially if time is short.
If time is short then it doesn't matter how complex or long the texts are. You need to get some answers
on the answer sheet as quickly as possible. So, you can see that there is not one answer to the problem
of whether to read the texts or questions first. What I tell students is to experiment in your practice and

see what suits you for the different types of question in different situations. As usual practising your
techniques is the key.
Time management is an important thing to be aware of. You have a number of texts to read and 40
questions to answer in 1 hour. If you spend to long on one part, you may find that you have not enough
time to finish all the questions and some of those questions could be ones that you could answer quite
easily. As I said above, don't spend too long on a difficult answer but also keep an eye on the clock. It's a
good idea to have your watch or a small clock on your desk so you know exactly how long you have left
in the test at any given time. In addition to this, keep control on how long you spend on each section.
Remember the test gets more difficult as it goes on so you will probably need more time for the questions
at the end than for those at the start. Maybe a guideline could be:
17 minutes on section 1.
20 minutes on section 2.
23 minutes on section 3.
(If you can do things more quickly all the better as that will give you time to look at questions that you
skipped and to check on your answers)
With experience and practice you will soon know how long things take you, and be able to manage your
time well.
As I just said, if you have finished the exam with time to spare, DON'T just sit there!! Check what you
have done. If you have time after the check, check again. And so on

Go through the following tips to overcome reading problems:

First of all, glance through all sections, get an idea of the subject matter and spend around 2-3
minutes scanning the paper.

Now prioritise all sections according to the subject matter you find easier. The section you find

the easiest should be attempted first and so on.

Before attempting the questions, read the instructions carefully and follow them religiously.

Carelessness may cost you marks.

Don't panic if the subject matter is not of your choice. All the answers are in the passage, so try

and attempt the questions by reading the passage. In difficult passages, go for a ' skim and
scan' approach -- read the questions and try finding out the answers by locating similar words.
The most important step is to set a time limit for every passage and attempt that in the specified

time only.
If you are not able to answer any question, don't waste your time. Move to the next. Later, if you

have some extra time, make a guess as there is no negative marking. You are always advised
not to leave any question unanswered.
Write your answers directly on the transfer sheet to save you time. No extra time is given to

transfer answers. Also transfer answers very carefully, as any carelessness may cost you marks.
Be very careful with spellings. Wrong spellings mean wrong answers.

Skimming
Your first task when you begin reading is to answer the question What is the topic of the selection?
This can best be answered by quickly skimming the passage for the general idea, stopping to read only
the first sentence of each paragraph. A paragraphs first sentence is usualy the main topic sentence, and it

gives you a summary of the content of the paragraph.

Once youve skimmed the passage, stopping to read only the first sentences, you will have a general idea
about what it is about, as well as what is the expected topic in each paragraph.
Each question will contain clues as to where to find the answer in the passage.
Do not just randomly search through the passage for the correct answer to each question. Search
scientificaly. Find key word(s) or ideas in the question that are going to either contain or be near the
correct answer. These are typicaly nouns, verbs, numbers, or phrases in the question that will probably be
duplicated in the passage. Once you have identified those key word(s) or idea, skim the passage quickly
to find where those key word(s) or idea appears. The correct answer choice will be near by.
Example : What caused Martin to suddenly return to Paris?
The key word is Paris. Skim the passage quickly to find where this word appears. The answer will be close
by that word.
However, sometimes key words in the question are not repeated in the passage. In those cases, search for
the general idea of the question.
Example : Which of the following was the psychological impact of the authors childhood upon the
remainder of his life?
Key words are childhood or psychology. While searching for those words, be alert for other words or
phrases that have similar meaning, such as emotional effect or mentaly which could be used in the
passage, rather than the exact word psychology.
Numbers or years can be particularly good key words to skim for, as they stand out from the rest of
the text.
Example : Which of the following best describes the influence of Monets work in the 20th century?
20th contains numbers and will easily stand out from the rest of the text. Use 20th as the key word to
skim for in the passage.
Once youve quickly found the corect section of the passage to find the answer, focus upon the answer
choices. Sometimes a choice will repeat word for word a portion of the passage near the answer. However,
beware of such duplication it may be a trap! More than likely, the correct choice will paraphrase or
summarize the related portion of the passage, rather than being exactly the same wording.
For the answers that you think are corect, read them carefully and make sure that they answer the
question. An answer can be factualy corect, but it MUST answer the question asked. Additionaly, two
answers can both be seemingly correct, so be sure to read all of the answer choices, and make sure that
you get the one that BEST answers the question.
Some questions will not have a key word.
Example : Which of the following would the author of this passage likely agree with?
In these cases, look for key words in the answer choices. Then skim the passage to find where the answer
choice occurs. By skimming to find where to look, you can minimize the time required.
Sometimes it may be difficult to identify a good key word in the question to skim for in the passage. In
those cases, look for a key word in one of the answer choices to skim for. Often the answer choices can all
be found in the same paragraph, which can quickly narrow your search.

Time Management For IELTS Reading

In technical passages, do not get lost on the technical terms. Skip them and move on. You want a general
understanding of what is going on, not a mastery of the passage.

When you encounter material in the selection that seems difficult to understand, it often may not be
necessary and can be skipped. Only spend time trying to understand it if it is going to be relevant for a
question. Understand difficult phrases only as a last resort.
Identify each question by type. Usually the wording of a question will tell you whether you can find the
answer by refering directly to the passage or by using your reasoning powers. You alone know which
question types you customarily handle with ease and which give you trouble and will require more time.