EdMIUMThe reading module in IELTS is designed to check how well the test-taker can read quickly and manage time efficiently. The reading section has 40 questions with a time limit of 60 minutes. The test assesses on how well you read and understand the general sense of passage, attitude of the author and the main idea of the passage in detail. The test also evaluates the understanding ability, inferences and implies meaning, recognizes a writer’s opinion, and follows the development of an argument. The IELTS reading tips will help you to learn the test format and the sample questions for better score.
The IELTS Academic Test format in the reading module consists of three reading passages of medium length which are taken from journals, books, magazines, and newspapers. The passages deal with issues that are appropriate and accessible to candidates entering in undergraduate or postgraduate or professional recognition. The passages are written in various styles such as narrative, descriptive, discursive, or argumentative. Texts may contain diagrams, graphs, or illustrations. You have to recognize the purpose, attitude, or opinions of the writers of these passages.
The IELTS General Exam pattern in reading has three sections. Section 1 may contain two or more than two short texts. Section 2 contains two texts and Section 3 has one long text.
· Section 1- Social Survival- The text contains tasks mainly about retrieving and providing general information
· Section 2- Workplace Survival- The text focuses on the workplace context.
· Section 3- General Reading- The text involves reading more content with a complex structure. The emphasis is on descriptive and instructive rather than argumentative.
IELTS exam format in Reading module has various types of questions which are as follows:
· Multiple Choices
· Identifying Information
· Identifying the writers views or claims
· Matching information
· Matching headings
· Matching features
· Matching Sentence endings
· Sentence Completion
· Table/flow chart completion
· Short Answer Questions
Here are the IELTS reading tips and tricks which you need to follow while preparing for the exam.
- Don’t expect to understand every word
- Improve Your Reading speed
- Skimming and Scanning
- Read the instructions carefully
- Don’t Panic and Manage your Time
- Be Cool with Vocabulary
- Ignore anything you already know about the topic
- Be careful when transferring your answers
- Leave no blanks
1. Don’t expect to understand every word
Knowing each and every word in the passage is one of the worst ideas to crack the exam. Knowing a good and wide Vocabulary is always the key point but understanding every word is not a good idea.
If you do not understand a word in the test, look for words and sentences around it for better clues or move forward leaving it behind. It saves time. Candidates who worry about the meaning of every word and spend too much time thinking about the words and vocabulary end up wasting time and score low.
2. Improve Your Reading speed
You should be practicing reading tests and IELTS Reading Tips to work on reading texts and questions. You can read fun texts, novels and comic books while relaxing. You can try reading the texts a bit faster every time. You can check yourself using the IELTS reading tips and tricks while practicing the reading texts and the progress in your reading speed.
You may already have made your specific reading sources. It is always a good idea to read texts and articles that are more like the IELTS texts in terms of length and complexity.
IELTS Academic reading tips are going to do wonders when you are preparing for the test as it reduces the complexity and it helps you score better in the exam. The reading test is going to be easy if you are following the IELTS Reading tips perfectly.
3. Skimming and Scanning
Scanning is one of the best IELTS reading tips. It allows you to find information faster. While you are following this method you need not read every word, you just have to move your eyes across the text smoothly. This is a great method for understanding the main idea of the text and fined the information you’ll want to read in a detailed manner.
Learning to skim a passage effectively can save a lot of time. To skim the paragraph, look over each paragraph but in a strategic way. This is one of the best IELTS Reading strategies. Read the first two lines of the paragraph and then should go over the rest of the paragraph as fast as possible. You go through the passage and notice the words which are important. This helps you to get the gist or basic sense of each paragraph. The ultimate goal of skimming is to notice things which help you answer the questions.
IELTS Reading Tricks are very important to follow in order to score high. Follow the skimming and scanning technique which is one of the best methods in IELTS Academic reading tips and IELTS General reading tips. Scanning and Skimming can also help you find key words and numbers fast. The details help you to find the answers in a short span.
4. Read the instructions carefully
It is very important to read the instructions carefully as many marks are lost by good candidates. This can be one of the best IELTS reading tips to be given. If you fail to read the instructions, easy marks are lost. This is especially true in the reading and listening tests as specific instructions are mentioned. If you do not follow IELTS Academic and General Reading Tips exactly you’ll end up losing marks.
For example, if the question says write in one word you have to write only in one word. Extra words will lead to loss of marks.
5. Don’t Panic and Manage your Time
Some of the questions will be easily done and some are extremely difficult. The key is not to panic while answering the difficult questions. It is always good to think on the difficult questions but do not waste time on the same question for long as it could be the worst thing to do. Move on to the next question and answer the difficult questions later which will help you often. This IELTS reading strategy can be followed to save time.
Time management is the best thing to do in this type of situation. In order to do well in the reading test all the IELTS reading techniques cannot be implemented at the same time, you should know what kind of IELTS reading strategies are to be used in that passage.
6. Be Cool with Vocabulary
Always remember a native speaker also cannot understand every word in the passage. You can’t use dictionaries in between the exam and it is not a problem at all. IELTS reading techniques are to be followed while practicing exams at home. Once you have completed the practice test you can refer to the books and learn about it later.
In many ways, the reading test is more of a vocabulary test. The IELTS reading tips and tricks mention about memorizing a list of words which help to improve the vocabulary. When you see a new word every time make a list of the words and learn the meaning and the synonyms of the words. By making a glossary of the vocabulary you’ll learn to check the meaning of the words in the context of the passage.
PS: Follow the three steps: Read, Note and Review to improve IELTS Reading.
7. Ignore anything you already know about the topic
The higher the level of knowledge, the more it affects the people. Please remember you are being tested on the understanding of the text only. The knowledge of your own about the topic should not influence your answers. IELTS Reading test tips are to be checked before you practice a test as well so that you follow them at the time of test.
PS: Don’t make assumptions based on your knowledge.
8. Be careful when transferring your answers
Follow IELTS reading tips and tricks for academic and general training while transferring your answers to an answer sheet. A common mistake is to spend too much time while reading and leaving very little time for answering the questions. Also remember Tip 4 carefully while writing the exam, to avoid silly mistakes and familiarize you with the process.
9. Leave no blanks
This looks the most obvious and the best tip for IELTS reading. Even if you do not know the answers make sure to attempt every question. You do not get a penalty if the answer goes wrong. Try your luck!
There is no ultimate guide that follows all reading tips and tricks for IELTS and will give you the right answers. The tips and tricks for IELTS are to be followed when you feel it is the best method and best fit to try in a particular passage. The IELTS reading tips not only work to get a high score in the IELTS but also tip for giving an effective business presentation. The best IELTS reading tip is to practice the tests well and give your best in the exam.
