IELTS Reading overview

IELTS Reading overview

Share everything you know about IELTS Reading (using a sample test with answers if you are given it), then use the suggested topics below to extend your discussion.

 

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Suggested IELTS Reading topics to discuss

• Opening the question paper
• Instructions
• Looking at the questions
• Looking at the text
• Underlining
• Writing on the question sheet
• Kinds of questions/ Kinds of tasks
• Kinds of texts (topics, where they might come from, what real-life texts are similar, etc)
• Finding answers in the texts
• Reading quickly
• Things which make answering the questions difficult
• Things which make answering the questions easier/ not too difficult
• Guessing
• Writing your answers on the answer sheet
• Checking your answers
• Timing
• Useful self-study for IELTS Reading (how to use practice Reading tests at home, etc)

 

Make notes on the topics above as you look at an IELTS Reading paper with answers, then compare what extra information you found out (including anything you have changed your mind about since your previous discussion). Your teacher will tell you if you can/ should use the form below to help you make notes. You shouldn’t write on the question sheet (as then you won’t have time to make notes on these topics), but it may help to underline instructions etc with your finger. 

 

Did the test that you were given include these things?

• Matching paragraph headings to paragraphs tasks
• Other matching tasks (who said what, etc)
• Yes/ No/ Not Given questions, and/ or True/ False/ Not Given questions
• Labelling diagrams tasks
• Summary completion tasks
• Multiple-choice options tasks
• One-question summary tasks (choose a title for the whole piece, etc)
• Extra not needed options (paragraph headings that don’t match any paragraphs, etc)
• Things that you could scan the text for
• Things that you couldn’t scan the text for
• Key words in the questions which are worded differently in the text/ rephrased
• Times when skimming the text would be useful
• Times when it might be better to skip to easier questions and come back later

 

What can you do to cope with those situations (during the exam, as self-study, etc)?

 

Reading Part One
Task type(s)/ Instructions
What to do first/ first stages
Type of text (topic, source, etc)
Things in the same order as the text
Things in a different order to the text
Things you could scan for
Rephrased words in the tasks & texts
Difficulties/ Challenges
Help/ Made easier by
Reading Part Two
Task type(s)/ Instructions
What to do first/ first stages
Type of text (topic, source, etc)
Things in the same order as the text
Things in a different order to the text
Things you could scan for
Rephrased words in the tasks & texts
Difficulties/ Challenges
Help/ Made easier by
Reading Part Three
Task type(s)/ Instructions
What to do first/ first stages
Type of text (topic, source, etc)
Things in the same order as the text
Things in a different order to the text
Things you could scan for
Rephrased words in the tasks & texts
Difficulties/ Challenges
Help/ Made easier by
General/ Through the exam
Length of the test
The biggest challenges
Differences to other reading tests

Compare your answers with someone else, ask about anything you aren’t sure about, then go through the list of things which might be included on the first page above.

How might the computer-based IELTS Reading test be different?