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Reading Overview and Strategy
Welcome To Reading Overview and Strategy
This lesson will cover general information regarding the IELTS Academic Reading Test and fill you in on everything you need to know regarding: (1) Reading Preparation (2) Reading Strategy (3) Dos and Don'ts of the Reading Exam. After reading this lesson, you will be prepared to put your skills to the test.
Lesson Introduction
-
Video Lesson
- Reading Overview and Strategy
Part 1
In this lesson, we will focus solely on the details and tips for the
reading part of the IELTS exam.
You've selected the paper test, so the answers must be written on the answer sheet within the sixty minute time frame. Therefore, it's best that candidates allot enough time to not only review and double check their answers, but also to write their final answers on the answer sheet. You've selected the computer test, so you won't need to deal with an answer sheet, but you'll still want to double check all your answers.
Now, let's take a look at the AcademicGeneral Reading test in detail.
There are three sections (or reading passages) for the Academic Reading test,
and they each contain one long text. The topics of these passages will be academic in
nature, and at least one will contain a logical argument (Reading Passage 3, for example,
contains the author's logical argument regarding:
how the loss of helium would greatly affect society).
When it comes to the length of passages, candidates can expect to read 2000 to 2750 total words, from the three passages combined. Each reading passage will contain around twelve to fourteen questions, for a total of forty questions. This information will come in handy when it comes to strategy and timing tips.
Next, let's take a look at the different question types of the Academic Reading test.
When it comes to the length of passages, candidates can expect to read 2000 to 2750 total words, from the three passages combined. Each reading passage will contain around twelve to fourteen questions, for a total of forty questions. This information will come in handy when it comes to strategy and timing tips.
Next, let's take a look at the different question types of the Academic Reading test.
In the General Test, the topics are related to everyday life in an English-speaking country, and could include excerpts related to workplace facilities, company policies, or hotel advertisements, just to name a few. Candidates taking this version of the exam are usually migrating to an English-speaking country for work-related purposes, or perhaps to enroll in High School.
Candidates taking the General Reading test will have sixty minutes to complete forty questions regarding three different sections. Let’s break it down with a common framework of how the test would look:
Section 1: The first section of the IELTS General Reading test is usually considered the “Social Survival” part of the test. It contains two to three pieces of writing referring to common, everyday topics. This section is where you are likely to see advertisements, brochure information, or directories, which will test your ability to understand and retrieve information. Thus, it is generally considered to be the “easiest” section.
Section 2: The second section of the IELTS General Reading test is usually considered to be the “Workplace Survival” section. It contains two pieces of writing, but they will refer to career-related topics. Examples could include excerpts from an Employee Handbook, training materials, or a press release about interns at a local company. Since the topic is a bit more specific when compared to Section 1, this is usually noted as a more challenging section, yet not the most difficult.
Section 3: The third section of the IELTS General Reading test contains only one piece of writing, and could be argued as being the most “similar” to the Academic Reading test. Why? When compared to the previous sections, it is a longer piece of writing related to a topic of “general interest”. Examples could include the history of the Olympics, or a new architectural discovery in Italy. Be prepared for a more complex piece of writing when compared to the previous Sections, making this notorious as being the most difficult text.
Section 1: The first section of the IELTS General Reading test is usually considered the “Social Survival” part of the test. It contains two to three pieces of writing referring to common, everyday topics. This section is where you are likely to see advertisements, brochure information, or directories, which will test your ability to understand and retrieve information. Thus, it is generally considered to be the “easiest” section.
Section 2: The second section of the IELTS General Reading test is usually considered to be the “Workplace Survival” section. It contains two pieces of writing, but they will refer to career-related topics. Examples could include excerpts from an Employee Handbook, training materials, or a press release about interns at a local company. Since the topic is a bit more specific when compared to Section 1, this is usually noted as a more challenging section, yet not the most difficult.
Section 3: The third section of the IELTS General Reading test contains only one piece of writing, and could be argued as being the most “similar” to the Academic Reading test. Why? When compared to the previous sections, it is a longer piece of writing related to a topic of “general interest”. Examples could include the history of the Olympics, or a new architectural discovery in Italy. Be prepared for a more complex piece of writing when compared to the previous Sections, making this notorious as being the most difficult text.
It is important to know that for some question types, the answers are usually (almost always) in the same order as the passage.
For other question types, answers are rarely ever in the same order as the passage.
1. Multiple Choice - Candidates will choose the best answer from a selection of options. Interestingly, these questions are presented in the same order as they appear in the text, which will help test-takers know where to look for various answers.
2. Identifying Information - The infamous "True, False, Not Given" questions are included in this section, and candidates must be aware of the difference between "False" and "Not Given".
3. Identifying Viewer Claims - Usually, the answer choices in this section include "No, Yes, and Not Given", and relates to the author's opinions and beliefs in the passage. Similar to the previous section, candidates must be aware of the difference between "No" and "Not Given".
4. Matching Information - Candidates will read information ranging from examples to more specific details and use it to make connections with what is found in the passage.
5. Matching Headings - Candidates will read a list of headings that reference main ideas in the passage. They will need to match these ideas to their correct paragraphs in the text.
6. Matching Features - This section requires candidates to pay attention to specific details or ideas and match them to the options provided.
7. Matching Sentence Endings - The candidates will see a first half of a sentence, and will have to complete it by choosing the best option.
8. Sentence Completion - In this section, the directions will instruct candidates to use a specific number of words (i.e. one word or no more than three words) and complete unfinished sentences using words from the original text.
9. Summary, Note, Table, or Flow-Chart Completion - In this section, candidates will be provided with a summary of a passage, and they must complete it using information from the original text. These answers may or may not be provided in chronological order.
10. Diagram Label Completion - Unlike the other completion questions, this section will feature multiple diagrams with incomplete labels. Similar to the Sentence Completion section, the candidates will be instructed regarding how many words to use.
11. Short-Answer Questions - When a text is extremely factual in nature, it is common to see this type of question. In this section, candidates will need to write the answers.
It is important to know that for some question types, the answers are usually (almost always) in the same order as the passage. For other question types, answers are rarely ever in the same order as the passage. We've completed a table for the question types that follow and the one that don't. Please keep in mind.
Answers are usually (almost always) in the same order as the passage
- Summary, Note, Table, Flow-Chart Completion
- Diagram Label Completion
- Identifying Information (TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN)
- Identifying Viewer's claims (YES/NO/NOT GIVEN)
- Multiple Choice
- Matching Sentence Endings
- Short Answer
Answers are rarely ever in the same order as the passage.
- Matching Headings
- Matching Information
- Matching Features
Now, let's move on to time management.
Time tip: 18–18–18–6 — finish each passage quickly and save six minutes to review.
Although we will go over some helpful timing tips in this section, the most important tool to guarantee success on the IELTS Reading Test is practice, practice, and more practice. Without practice, you will not be able to put these skills to the test!
Time Management
Although each test will be different and may change these requirements, candidates can use
the following breakdown as a rough guideline for approaching the Reading section:
Section 1: 18 minutes
Section 2: 18 minutes
Section 3: 18 minutes
Answer Transfer & CheckingDouble check: 6 minutes
As you will notice, each of the three sections has an allotted time of 18 minutes to read and answer the questions. With this guide, around 6 minutes are allotted for transferring answers to the answer sheet, checking answers and going over any difficult or unanswered questions. Of course, if a section is easier or more difficult than expected, these times can be adjusted as necessary.
When taking practice tests, it would be a good idea to keep a small stopwatch or clock at your desk in order to get into the habit of keeping time and perfecting your pace. This will also help you establish your preferred breakdown of time.
Now let's look at how to approach the IELTS General Reading
exam.
Section 1: 18 minutes
Section 2: 18 minutes
Section 3: 18 minutes
Answer Transfer & CheckingDouble check: 6 minutes
As you will notice, each of the three sections has an allotted time of 18 minutes to read and answer the questions. With this guide, around 6 minutes are allotted for transferring answers to the answer sheet, checking answers and going over any difficult or unanswered questions. Of course, if a section is easier or more difficult than expected, these times can be adjusted as necessary.
When taking practice tests, it would be a good idea to keep a small stopwatch or clock at your desk in order to get into the habit of keeping time and perfecting your pace. This will also help you establish your preferred breakdown of time.
It is important to tackle a set of questions that are of the same question type.
A good strategy would be to start with the easier question type and move on to more difficult question types later.
- Read Questions First and Underline Key Words
- Read the Passage for an Objective
- Take Margin Notes
- Answer Wisely
- Read Questions First and Underline Key Words
- Scan for Information
- Skim Read as Necessary
- Take Margin Notes
- Answer Wisely
1. Read Questions First: One of the most common mistakes that candidates make when
approaching the reading exam is reading every single word of the passages. Although you can
practice for the exam by reading for pleasure, "reading blindly" (reading without any sense of
what the questions will ask) will not do you any favors in the exam. Instead, it will hurt your
chances for effectively managing your time and getting the best score.
Another reason to read the questions first is because the type of question may determine what you read in the passage or how you read it. For example, some question types will call for the "skimming" technique, while others may call for the "scanning" technique, which are detailed below. Later, in another section, we will examine the different question types and how to approach them. For now, plan on sticking to the strategy of reading questions before the passage.
Another reason to read the questions first is because the type of question may determine what you read in the passage or how you read it. For example, some question types will call for the "skimming" technique, while others may call for the "scanning" technique, which are detailed below. Later, in another section, we will examine the different question types and how to approach them. For now, plan on sticking to the strategy of reading questions before the passage.
1. Read Questions First and Underline Key Words:
Think of this step as the “Golden Rule” of any reading question on the IELTS exam. You should never “read blindly”, or reading the passage without knowing exactly what to read for.
Therefore, the first step in this case (and all cases in the General Reading section) will be to read the questions and answer options.
Reading the questions first will help you get an overview of the theme of the passage, which will help you scan for information later. Note that as you read the questions, you should be looking for key words and underlining them as you go along. We will explore this in depth in our step-by-step example.
What are key words, exactly? Think of key words as the “key” to finding the correct answers. Without these words, the meaning of the statement would be drastically altered, and it would lose its identity. For the most part, key words usually include: nouns, adjectives, and verbs. You will usually not need to underline pronouns or articles. We will look at this more in depth in our example below!
Quick Tip: Pay close attention to “absolute” words in both the questions and the answer options. These words include adverbs of frequency and words that generalize ideas. The most common include: mainly, all, some, sometimes, often, usually, occasionally, hardly ever, never, only, and always. When these words are included in an answer option, it is usually harder to prove correct, which causes confusion!
Remember, key words will usually not include articles or pronouns, and will contain words that make the statement unique while giving it its meaning. Let’s take the sentence:
The American Foxhound is faster than the British Foxhound, mostly due to breeding and diet.
Basically, this sentence is telling us that the American species of the Foxhound is faster than its British counterpart. Here are the key words that tell us this fact:
The American Foxhound is faster than the British Foxhound, mostly due to breeding and diet.
Notice how we did not underline any definite/indefinite articles, the verb ‘to be’, and other “filler” words (such as ‘mostly due to’ and ‘than the’). Why? Because these words are not necessary when getting the main point across to the readers. With this in mind, we would then scan the passage for American, British, and faster. Upon finding these words, we would then skim read to understand the information pertaining to the question.
Also, do not forget to look for your absolute terms, which are extremely common for this question type. Underline these words as well, since they can change the meaning of your options. Let’s look at a quick example:
Notice how
“Usually, The American Foxhound is faster than the British Foxhound, mostly due to breeding and diet.”
is different than
“The American Foxhound is always faster than the British Foxhound, mostly due to breeding and diet.”
This is why underlining both key words and absolute terms can make a difference in your understanding and overall success.
Reading the questions first will help you get an overview of the theme of the passage, which will help you scan for information later. Note that as you read the questions, you should be looking for key words and underlining them as you go along. We will explore this in depth in our step-by-step example.
What are key words, exactly? Think of key words as the “key” to finding the correct answers. Without these words, the meaning of the statement would be drastically altered, and it would lose its identity. For the most part, key words usually include: nouns, adjectives, and verbs. You will usually not need to underline pronouns or articles. We will look at this more in depth in our example below!
Quick Tip: Pay close attention to “absolute” words in both the questions and the answer options. These words include adverbs of frequency and words that generalize ideas. The most common include: mainly, all, some, sometimes, often, usually, occasionally, hardly ever, never, only, and always. When these words are included in an answer option, it is usually harder to prove correct, which causes confusion!
Remember, key words will usually not include articles or pronouns, and will contain words that make the statement unique while giving it its meaning. Let’s take the sentence:
The American Foxhound is faster than the British Foxhound, mostly due to breeding and diet.
Basically, this sentence is telling us that the American species of the Foxhound is faster than its British counterpart. Here are the key words that tell us this fact:
The American Foxhound is faster than the British Foxhound, mostly due to breeding and diet.
Notice how we did not underline any definite/indefinite articles, the verb ‘to be’, and other “filler” words (such as ‘mostly due to’ and ‘than the’). Why? Because these words are not necessary when getting the main point across to the readers. With this in mind, we would then scan the passage for American, British, and faster. Upon finding these words, we would then skim read to understand the information pertaining to the question.
Also, do not forget to look for your absolute terms, which are extremely common for this question type. Underline these words as well, since they can change the meaning of your options. Let’s look at a quick example:
Notice how
“Usually, The American Foxhound is faster than the British Foxhound, mostly due to breeding and diet.”
is different than
“The American Foxhound is always faster than the British Foxhound, mostly due to breeding and diet.”
This is why underlining both key words and absolute terms can make a difference in your understanding and overall success.
It is important to tackle a set of questions that are of the same question type. You'll need to determine which question type you want to tackle first. A good strategy would be to start with the easier question type and move on to more difficult question types later. The Easiest question types are the ones where you spend less time reading. For example, the Matching Heading question type is an easier one because you only need to find the heading that best describes the main idea of a paragraph. An example of a difficult question type would be Identifying Information. For this question type, you'll need to read each paragraph to find out if each statement is TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN according to the passage.
Here is a table that lists the difficulty levels for each question type. Use this table as a reference when choosing which question type you want to tackle first.
| Difficulty level | Question Type |
|---|---|
| Easy |
Sentence Completion Short answer |
| Medium |
Matching Features Multiple choice Matching Headings Summary, Table, Flow-Chart Completion |
| Difficult |
Matching Sentence Endings Matching Information Identifying Information (TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN) Identifying Viewer's claims (YES/NO/NOT GIVEN) |
2. Read the Passage for an Objective: After you've read the questions for the passage, you will be able
to read for an objective. What does this mean? For example, if you come across a question that
includes the year "1896", you can make a note of when this year comes up in the text, using it
to answer the question later on.
There are two reading techniques that will help you stay on track with reading for an objective. The first one, skimming, is best defined as reading fast in order to get the "gist", or general idea, or a passage. With this technique, you are not stopping for any unfamiliar words or looking for specific details. The second technique, scanning, is best defined as reading for specific information. With this technique, you are not reading for the overall gist, but rather, specific information. Notice how each of these techniques has a specific objective in mind. This will help you find information more quickly.
There are two reading techniques that will help you stay on track with reading for an objective. The first one, skimming, is best defined as reading fast in order to get the "gist", or general idea, or a passage. With this technique, you are not stopping for any unfamiliar words or looking for specific details. The second technique, scanning, is best defined as reading for specific information. With this technique, you are not reading for the overall gist, but rather, specific information. Notice how each of these techniques has a specific objective in mind. This will help you find information more quickly.
2. Scan for Information :
Once you have successfully understood the information presented in the question and answer options, it is time to search for this information in the text. What does it mean to “scan” read, though?
Comparing scan reading to headlights on a car can help you understand what it means. Imagine you are driving at night and use your headlights to look out for obstacles on the road, such as animals, bushes, or even other cars. These headlights help you catch the obstacles and bring them to your attention. Scan reading, similarly, means that you are looking out for specific clues (the key words that you pulled out from the previous step) as you are browsing through the text. Keep in mind that you should not be reading for information in this step. Instead, that will be featured in the next step.
Once you have scanned for information and have found the key words, it will be time to read for the information surrounding the key words. This will help you answer the question correctly.
3. Skim Read as Necessary: Just as scanning for information is an important strategy, skim reading is another important aspect for certain question types. Since you will have to understand the information in order to answer the question, you may have to skim read parts of the passage.
What is skim reading, then? Think of it as the opposite of scanning the text. With skim reading, you want to read the information surrounding the key words in order to comprehend the information. Skim reading is done quickly, but at a pace that will allow you to understand the information.
Comparing scan reading to headlights on a car can help you understand what it means. Imagine you are driving at night and use your headlights to look out for obstacles on the road, such as animals, bushes, or even other cars. These headlights help you catch the obstacles and bring them to your attention. Scan reading, similarly, means that you are looking out for specific clues (the key words that you pulled out from the previous step) as you are browsing through the text. Keep in mind that you should not be reading for information in this step. Instead, that will be featured in the next step.
Once you have scanned for information and have found the key words, it will be time to read for the information surrounding the key words. This will help you answer the question correctly.
3. Skim Read as Necessary: Just as scanning for information is an important strategy, skim reading is another important aspect for certain question types. Since you will have to understand the information in order to answer the question, you may have to skim read parts of the passage.
What is skim reading, then? Think of it as the opposite of scanning the text. With skim reading, you want to read the information surrounding the key words in order to comprehend the information. Skim reading is done quickly, but at a pace that will allow you to understand the information.
43. Take Notes: As you're reading for an objective, you should also be making notes on the margins of the passage, placing stars next to key information, or underlining things that you believe will help you answer the various questions. This will make it easier for you to check back when you are asked certain things in the questions. Choose whichever note-taking system is right for you - just make sure you do it!
54. Answer Wisely: After you've read the questions, read the passage, and have taken any appropriate notes, you are ready to start answering the questions. Remember, we will go through different question types later on, which will guide you through navigating the different question types and effectively answering them.
Continue to next part:
Part 2
Here are some brief tips to remember when approaching the IELTS reading test.
DO Manage Questions:
Each question comes with its own set of tips, which you will learn in the following lessons. In general, it is particularly important to understand the "True, False, Not Given" questions, because they are notorious for making the candidate search for information that may not even be in the text itself (which, in this case, would result in a "Not Given" answer). If a question is too difficult and you really cannot find the answer, use process of elimination in order to eliminate options that are definitely not the answer, and choose between the options you are left with. It is never a good idea to leave questions unanswered.
DO Manage Time:
If you find yourself struggling to answer a difficult question, skip it and move on to the next one. Some difficult questions can be "time wasters" and prevent you from completing the exam. Sometimes, taking a break from a difficult question by working on something else can help you clear your mind and approach the difficult problem differently. Additionally, you'll want to keep an eye on the time during the exam, to ensure that you are using it effectively.
DO Pay Attention:
It is imperative that candidates pay close attention to what answers they are typing. If, for example, a candidate types "No" instead of "False" in the "True, False, Not Given" section, or "True" instead of "Yes" in the "Yes, No, Not Given" section, the answers will be marked as incorrect. Additionally, answers will be marked wrong if spelling is incorrect in the Sentence Completion and Short-Answer Questions.
Lastly, pay close attention to how many words are necessary for these questions. If a candidate types four words when the instructions say "WRITE NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS", it will be marked as wrong. For these reasons, you should allot at least 5 minutes to double check all your answers and check any unanswered questions on the exam.
Now, let's look at the list of things you should not do.
DON'T Panic:
Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t worry! Take a deep breath and make sure you are devoting enough time to practice. If you end up feeling distressed during the exam itself, try not to panic. Most candidates will encounter at least one “unfamiliar” word on the exam, but should be able to use context clues in order to understand what is necessary to answer correctly. In general, you should be approaching test day with a strong mentality. If you have practiced, feel confident, and want to do well, you will have a positive outcome.
DON'T Leave Anything Blank: Let's imagine a scenario in which you have five minutes left and still have various questions unanswered. Rather than just giving up and leaving things blank, it would be in your favor to write something, whether it's a multiple choice type of question or a few words. This is why process of elimination can come in handy, even with difficult questions. For example, if you've effectively eliminated 'A and C' as answer choices, you've already increased your chances of getting the question correct with a blind guess (either B, D, or sometimes E). Leaving things blank will only hurt your score because there is no penalty for incorrect guesses.
DON'T Forget to Practice: All of these tips, strategies, and procedures will only work if you put in the time to practice and succeed. Therefore, it is pertinent that you do not leave practice to the week before your exam! Set aside enough time to practice based on your desired outcome. This can range from a few minutes to a few hours each day, with various amounts of practice tests and lessons; it will depend on the specific candidate and his or her needs. In any case, make sure you carve out enough time to get your desired results.
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