The IELTS Reading test assesses a candidate’s ability to read and understand a variety of texts in English. The test is divided into three sections and takes 60 minutes to complete.
Structure of the IELTS Reading Test:
Section 1: Academic Reading (3 passages, 40 questions)
- This section consists of three texts taken from books, magazines, journals, or newspapers.
- The texts are on topics of general interest suitable for candidates entering undergraduate or postgraduate studies.
Section 2: Academic Reading (3 passages, 40 questions)
- Similar to Section 1, this section also contains three texts, but they are more complex in nature and are more appropriate for candidates applying for postgraduate study or professional registration.
Section 3: General Training Reading (3 sections, 40 questions)
- This section is also divided into three parts, and the texts are taken from notices, advertisements, company handbooks, official documents, and other sources of general interest in the workplace or community.
Time Allocation:
- Candidates are given 60 minutes to complete the entire Reading test.
- There is no extra time for transferring answers, so candidates must write their answers directly on the answer sheet.
Scoring:
- Each question in the IELTS Reading test is worth one mark.
- The maximum possible score for the entire Reading test is 40.
The answers are marked by trained examiners, and the final score is reported on a band scale from 1 (non-user) to 9 (expert user). The Reading test assesses a candidate’s ability to identify main ideas, details, and inferences; understand logical argumentation; and recognize the opinions and attitudes of the writers. It also evaluates the ability to follow the development of ideas in a text and locate specific information within it.