IELTS Reading Preparation 2024: Tips, Material, Practice Test

One of the most important and difficult modules of IELTS is the IELTS reading test and scoring high bands in this has become a difficult task for many candidates. IELTS reading tips to score band 9 is one commonly researched topic and today we shall be sharing the IELTS reading preparation tips. We are sure after reading this article, you will be able to raise your IELTS reading band score if you smartly use the IELTS reading preparation tips.

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This Story also Contains

1. IELTS Reading Band Score
2. Skills Required for IELTS Reading Module:
3. Strategies for scoring high in the IELTS Reading Module: IELTS reading tips for Band 9
4. Multiple Choice type of Question:
5. Completion Type of Questions
6. Classification Type of Questions- IELTS reading Tips and Tricks
7. Matching Sentence Ending Question Type- IELTS Reading Tips and Tricks
8. IELTS READING Preparation Tips and Tricks- True/False/ Not Given - YES/No/Not Given-
9. IELTS Reading Section Format and Types Of Questions Asked in the IELTS Reading Section
10. IELTS Reading Tips
11. IELTS Preparation Books
12. IELTS Practice Tests

IELTS Reading Band Score

While the candidates prepare for IELTS, the following IELTS reading self study tips and tricks should be kept in mind:

• You will be given scores (Bands) according to the number of correct answers that you write/type.

• No negative marking is done so if you are not sure of an answer, do attempt it with a guesswork.

• Your band scores are calculated on the number of correct answers that you give.

• Spelling and grammar have to be correct else the answers will be considered to be wrong.

Skills Required for IELTS Reading Module:

• Searching and underlying the keywords

• Looking for synonyms, descriptions, and expressions

• Reading speed

• Understanding specific information

Strategies for scoring high in the IELTS Reading Module: IELTS reading tips for Band 9

To score high bands in the IELTS reading section, one must have perfect knowledge of the different types of questions asked in the the IELTS reading module and the best ways to attempt the questions. We will now discuss the different types of questions and the ways to solve them so that they help you like your IELTS preparation tips and tricks.

Matching Heading type of question: IELTS Reading Practice Tips and Tricks

• In this type of question, you are asked to title each paragraph of the passage. The list of headings is given in the options and you need to select correctly matching each paragraph information.

• This question type sometimes seems to be the most difficult one to attempt for so many students. The main reason is that most of the options given to select as headings seem to be similar.

• Also, the options given for the selection are often more than the number of paragraphs.

• The question type looks like the given picture below and is resourced from an authenticated Cambridge book 2, Academic reading TEST 1-

Questions 14-18

Reading passage 2 has six paragraphs B-F from the list of headings below

Choose the most suitable headings for paragraphs B-Ffrom the list of headings below. Write the appropriate numbers (i-ix) in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet.

NB There are more headings than paragraphs, so you will not use them all

List of Headings

i Ottawa International Conference on Health Promotion

ii Holistic approach to health

iii The primary importance of environmental factors

iv Healthy lifestyles approach to health

v Changes in concepts of health in Western society

vi Prevention of discases and illness

vii Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion

viii Definition of health in medical terms

ix Socio-ecological view of health

14 Paragraph B

15 Paragraph C

16 Paragraph D

17 Paragraph E

18 Paragraph

IELTS Tips and Tricks to Attempt- Matching Heading Question Type

• This should be the first type of question you attempt in the IELTS reading module, because if you attempt this, you will most likely read the entire passage and this will make it easier for you to attempt the other type of questions in the passage more easily.

• The very first tip that you should try here is to read the entire paragraph for meaning, mind it, it should not be skimming, after you read analyze the gist of the paragraph.

• Retain the gist in your mind and match it with the list of headings using the elimination method.

• The elimination method makes you read all the options and helps you think if the option has any such related information matching the passage.

• In case, you feel that this tip does not work for you, then we now have a second trick for you.

• Read the first, second, and last sentences of the paragraph very carefully, you will be in a position to understand the information that is there in the paragraph.

• Try to identify the keywords within each heading, keywords are the words that will particularly not have any synonym or will be the main surrounding word.

• Try to look for synonyms or words having similar kind of meanings or phrases so that you can rule out the correct answer.

The next type of question is Matching In formation to paragraph and the given IELTS preparation tips will help you ace the exam and score high bands:

Matching Information to paragraphs: IELTS Reading Preparation Tips

• This type of question assesses your ability to analyze the inner information that is given in the paragraph.

• You will normally be asked to find specific details like a summary, a description of some fact, or a noun, and make a comparison between two aspects.

• Let's look at how this question type is presented, the given picture is resourced from Cambridge book 5, Academic Reading Test 2

Questions 14-19

Reading Passage 2 has nine paragraphs, A-I.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter A-I in boxes 14-19 on your answer sheet.

14 a biological explanation of the teacher-subject’s behaviour

15 the explanation Milgram gave the teacher-subjects for the experiment

16 the identity of the pupils

17 the expected statistical outcome

18 the general aim of sociobiological study

19 the way Milgram persuaded the teacher-subjects to continue

IELTS Tips and Tricks to Attempt Matching Information Type of Questions:

• This type of question usually has one or sometimes even two pieces of information given in the same paragraph.

• You should be using the Annotation technique to attempt this.

• In the annotation technique, you are required to read the paragraph carefully and understand the synonyms wherever used. To do this while you read highlight all the nouns using a square bracket, all quantitative terms using a circle, and underline all the descriptions related to both nouns and the numbers.

• This should be followed by mentioning the gist of the paragraph at its end.

• Now, quickly use the elimination method, and read all the options given in the question to select the right information matching the paragraph.

• While you use the elimination method, keep in mind the synonyms and antonyms that come your way.

• This question type develops your skill of paraphrasing which is very helpful in your writing section as well.

• You also develop your vocabulary as you read a lot of content in the reading section.

Multiple Choice type of Question:

• In this type of question, a question is given to you followed by three to four options to select the right answer.

• It is quite easy to attempt and looks like this, the image is resourced from Cambridge book- 5, Academic reading test 2

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

Write your answers in boxes 20-22 on your answer sheet.

20 The teacher-subjects were told that they were testing whether

A a 450 -volt shock was dangerous.

B punishment helps learning.

C the pupils were honest.

D they were suited to teaching.

21 The teacher-subjects were instructed to

A stop when a pupil asked them to.

B denounce pupils who made mistakes.

C reduce the shock level after a correct answer.

D give punishment according to a rule.

22 Before the experiment took place the psychiatrists

A believed that a shock of 150 volts was too dangerous.

B failed to agree on how the teacher-subjects would respond to instructions.

C underestimated the teacher-subjects' willingness to comply with experimental procedure.

D thought that many of the teacher-subjects would administer a shock of 450 volts.

Strategies to Solve Multiple Choice Type of Questions- IELTS Preparation Tips and Tricks

• Read the instructions given properly.

• Read the question statement and the given options and try to guess the answer.

• Underline the keywords

• Start reading the passage carefully to find the relevant information matching the options

• While you underline the keywords, it will help you locate the answer correctly in the passage.

Summary Completion type of Question:

• This type of question is just like attempting the fill in the blanks based on what you have read in the text.

• You will get a summary in the form of a paragraph with some words missing and you are required to fill the same.

• You will be given a list of words to fill the gaps.

• The only task is that the summary will have all the information given in the passage with synonyms and paraphrased words and sentences. You should be able to relate the information correctly.

• The question type comes in varied ways shown below and this image is taken from an authenticated Cambridge book 5, Academic Reading Test 1, Cambridge Book 2, academic Reading Test 2 , Cambridge Book 4 Academic Reading Test 1

Type 1 :

Complete the summary.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 4-7 on your answer sheet.

In 1764 Dr Johnson accepted the contract to produce a dictionary. Having rented a garret, he took on a number of 4 ________ , who stood at a long central desk. Johnson did not have a 5 _______ available to him, but eventually produced definitions of in excess of 40,000 words written down in 80 large notebooks On publication, the Dictionary was immediately hailed in many European countries as a landmark. According to his biographer, James Boswell, Johnson's principal achievement was to bring 6_________ o the English language. As a reward for his hard work, he was granted a 7 ______ by the king.

Type 2:

Questions 14-17

Complete each of the following statements (Questions 14-17) with words taken from Reading Passage 2.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS FOR each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 14-17 on your answer sheet.

14 Language problems may come to the attention of the public when they have ........................................., such as fatal accidents or social problems.

15 Evidence of the extent of the language barrier has been gained from ........................................ of materials used by scientists such as books and periodicals.

16 An example of British linguistic insularity is the use of English for materials such as

17 An example of a part of the world where people may have difficulty in negotiating English is ..................................................

Type 3:

Complete the summary below using words from the box.

Write your answers in boxes 33-39 on your answer sheet.

NB You may use any word more than once.

In the experiment described in Part 2, a set of word 33 ______ was used to investigate whether blind and sighted people perceived the symbolism in abstract 34. ______ in the same way. Subjects were asked which word fitted best with a circle and which with a square. From the 35 ______ volunteers, everyone thought a circle fitted 'soft' while a square fitted 'hard'. However, only ______51 ______ of the 36 ______ volunteers assigned a circle to 37 . ______ When the test was later repeated with 38 . ______ volunteers, it was found that they made 39 ______ choices.

Complete the summary below using words from the box.

Write your answers in boxes 33-39 on your answer sheet.

NB You may use any word more than once.

In the experiment described in Part 2, a set of word 33...... was used to investigate whether blind and sighted people perceived the symbolism in abstract 34. ______ in the same way. Subjects were asked which word fitted best with a circle and which with a square. From the 35 ______ volunteers, everyone thought a circle fitted 'soft' while a square fitted 'hard'. However, only ______51 ______ of the 36 . ______ volunteers assigned a circle to 37 . ______ When the test was later repeated with 38. ______ volunteers, it was found that they made 39 ______ choices

It is clearly visible in all three types that reading instructions of the question is the most important part as you are given different ways of answering, either in one word or two words and more or just selecting the right word.

Strategies to Solve Summary-Based Questions - IELTS Reading Tips for Fill in the blanks

• Read the instructions carefully

• Skim the entire summary ignoring the gaps.

• You will have a rough picture of what is discussed in the summary in your mind.

• Try to guess if the answer could be a noun, number, or a descriptive word.

• Underline the keywords surrounding the gaps/blanks.

• Start reading the passage and remember that you will find the information in a paraphrased manner.

• Most of the answers in this category are in sequence so you do not have to struggle searching the answers.

Completion Type of Questions

These types of questions are also like filling the gaps and come in varied formats like note completion, flowchart completion, sentence completion, and table completion.

• Note completion example:

Choose NO MORE THAN ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage.

• Table completion: Cambridge book 5, Academic Reading Test 3

Questions 38-40

Complete the table.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes ______38-40______ on your answer sheet.

Example Question:

Questions 38-40

Complete the sentences below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 8-40 on your answer sheet.

38 Von Frisch discovered the difference between dance types by changing the posil of the ______

39 The dance outside the hive points in the direction of the ______

40 The angle of the dance from the vertical shows the angle of the food from the

______

• Sentence completion:

Question 33-40

Complete the flow-chart below.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS trom the text for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 33-40 on your answer sheet.

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

Strategies to use for completion Type of Questions – Enhancing the IELTS Reading Preparation

• The most important part is to read the instructions carefully.

• You need to strictly follow the word limit that is mentioned in the instructions.

• Most of the questions here will be in sequence.

• While you write the answer, the sentence should be grammatically and syntactically correct.

• While you start reading the question statement, be cautious and guess if the answer can be a name, number, or description of the keywords that are used.

• The keywords that surround the gaps will help you find the answer from the text.

• Always focus on the meaning of the words, that means you should read the text carefully so that you are able to relate it to the meaning.

Classification Type of Questions- IELTS reading Tips and Tricks

In this type of question, you will have to sort the features into different categories. There are always three categories and you will have a list of statements as features to categories into the mentioned categories.

For example, the question will look like:

Questions 1- 9

Classily the foliowing statements as referting to

A Charle Moore

B Lews Wiliams

C Emily Cope

Wrile the appropriate letlers A, B or in boxes 1-9 on your answer sheet

1) Eritish people don't appreciate art because they don't see enough art around them all the time.

2) Eritish museums aim to appeal to popular tastes in art:

3) The average Englishman Ikes the works of Turner and Constable.

4) Britain, like every other country, has its own view of what art is.

5) In Britain, interest in art is mainly limited to traditional forms such as representational painting

6) British art has always been affected by other cultures

7) Galeries in other countries are of better quality than those in Britain.

8) People are not raised to appreciate art

9) The British have a limited knowledge of art

Strategies to Solve Classification Type of Questions

• Always read the instructions carefully.

• Remember that this type of question will not be in sequence.

• While you read the passage, square bracket all the categories and underline the features of these categories.

• Using the elimination method, reach the correct feature matching the underlined features in the passage for each category.

• Remember that even if you do not understand any specific answer, do not hesitate to guess an answer as there is no negative marking.

Matching Sentence Ending Question Type- IELTS Reading Tips and Tricks

In this type of question, you are expected to complete the sentence ending with the given list of options.

Although this type of question will always be in sequence, You might feel that all the given options have similar meanings. The question looks like the one given in the image and is taken from Cambridge book 7

Write the correct letter, A-J, in boxes 36-39 on your answer sheet.

36. Construction of footbridges, steps and handrails

37 Frequent breakdown of buses and trucks in Makete

38 The improvement of secondary roads and paths

39. The isolation of Makete for part of the year

Strategies to Solve Sentence Ending Questions - IELTS Reading Tips and Tricks

• Read the question statements carefully and try to guess what the other half should be.

• Carefully check the keyword and also underline any nouns, and numbers, and analyze if the other half relates to describing any of these.

• After you read the question statement, analyze the keywords, now search the information in the passage from the keywords.

• Always remember that the sentence has to be grammatically accurate.

IELTS READING Preparation Tips and Tricks- True/False/ Not Given - YES/No/Not Given-

These types of questions are the most tricky ones and are usually found to be very confusing by most students. However, today we shall make it very easy for you.

Strategies to solve TRUE/ FALSE/NOT GIVEN Type of Questions- IELTS Reading tips 2024

• Read the instructions carefully and check if it is TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN questions or YES/NO/NOT given type of Questions.

• Remember that if you write TRUE for YES or vice-versa the answer will be marked as wrong

• Read the question statement and break it down into chunks, which means breaking it down into simpler forms so that you can understand the exact information.

• Find the key idea in the text.

• Look for modal verbs like could, might, or must, and focus on words like belief, thought, suggest, and claim, For example, it is thought that or many people believe that, mean different.

• Check out words that qualify the statement. For example some, all, mainly, often, always, and occasionally. These words often change the meaning of the sentence, so you need to be very careful.

• Also words like know, suggest, claim, and believe. For example the sentences, “the woman claimed to be a teacher” and “the woman is a teacher” mean they are different.

• To find the correct answer, read the passage carefully and match the question statement properly.

• Remember that you should focus on the synonyms and not the exact words.

• Also, this question type has answers in sequence so do not waste time.

IELTS Reading Section Format and Types Of Questions Asked in the IELTS Reading Section

IELTS Reading Tips

The candidates can refer to the most essential tips for the IELTS Reading section to ensure a higher band score.

Quickly read through the passages to get a general sense of the content, main ideas, and structure. This can help the candidate to approach the questions with a better understanding. The candidates can make use of official reading materials such as the IDP IELTS reading practice tests or take up IELTS online reading practice to enhance their IELTS reading preparation.

Skimming involves rapidly going through the text to grasp the main ideas, while scanning involves quickly looking for specific information. The candidates must practice these techniques to enhance their speed and accuracy. Undertaking IELTS reading practice tests can help candidates elevate their skimming and scanning abilities.

While skimming and scanning are important, the candidates must make sure to read the questions and passages carefully to avoid misinterpretation. They must pay attention to details that might be crucial for answering questions. Giving a lot of IELTS exam reading practice tests and attempting a lot of questions of various difficulty levels can help the candidates improve their attention to detail.

When paraphrasing information from the text for the answers, the candidates must try to use their own words. This shows a good understanding of the material.

Since the candidates will be presented with texts of varying difficulty, they must familiarize themself with different types of texts, such as academic articles, newspaper articles, and informational passages. This will help them adapt to various writing styles. Enrolling in IELTS reading practice can help them with this.

Pay attention to instructions, especially regarding word limits. Some questions may require answers in a specific number of words, so the candidates must be sure to adhere to these guidelines.

If time permits, the candidates are advised to go back and review their answers. Check for any errors or areas where they might have misunderstood the question or the passage and have given wrong answers.

IELTS Preparation Books

Aspirants preparing for IELTS can study from the IELTS preparation material provided below. IELTS preparation books online can help students in ILETS preparation online. IELTS preparation pdf are available below :

Some Other Important IELTS Preparation Books:

Aspirants can practice the IELTS Reading from the following IELTS preparation material:

1. The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS

2. Cambridge IELTS 14 Academic Student’s Book with Answers with Audio

3. Official IELTS Practice Materials

IELTS Practice Tests

The importance of IELTS practice tests is that it predominantly determine the success of the candidate in the IELTS examination. Irrespective of the language prowess of a candidate, they should be equipped with adequate IELTS practice test preparation to ensure success in the examination.

IELTS Reading Practice Tests

In the reading section of the IELTS examination, the candidates are asked various types of questions such as True/False/Not Given, finding the paragraph from which the information is taken, completing the notes and so on. To be able to answer these questions with ease, extensive reading practice is necessary.

IELTS Reading Practice Sets: