The Reading module consists of 40 questions based on three passages, with a total of 2,000 to 2,750 words on average. You are advised to spend 20 minutes on each passage and its questions, and there is no time at the end to transfer your answers to the answer sheet. Answers must be written on the answer sheet within the 60 minutes given.
\nThe IELTS Reading module tests a range of skills, such as skimming and scanning, understanding main ideas, reading for detail and understanding opinion and attitude. The passages come from books, magazines, newspapers and journals and are non-specialised. At least one passage contains a detailed argument. Although the texts are representative of reading requirements for undergraduate and postgraduate students, they are not discipline specific. The passages are usually presented in increasing order of difficulty. Each passage has 13\u201314 questions, usually broken into two or three sets of different question types.
\nThere are 11 main question types in the Reading module; you may see any of them in a given test paper, but you are unlikely to see all of them in a single test paper. The ninth type combines several similar formats into a single question type; in the Strategies course, we will consider examples and strategies for these individual formats. The table below breaks out the different question types, and whether you are expected to write a letter, word(s) or a number.
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| Question Type<\/th> | Form of Answer<\/th><\/tr> |
|---|---|
| Multiple Choice<\/td> | Letters<\/td><\/tr> |
| True\/False\/Not Given<\/td> | Words<\/td><\/tr> |
| Yes\/No\/Not Given<\/td> | Words<\/td><\/tr> |
| Matching Information<\/td> | Letters<\/td><\/tr> |
| Matching Headings<\/td> | Roman numerals<\/td><\/tr> |
| Matching Features<\/td> | Letters<\/td><\/tr> |
| Matching Sentence Endings<\/td> | Letters<\/td><\/tr> |
| Sentence Completion<\/td> | Words and\/or a number<\/td><\/tr> |
| Summary, Note, Table, Flow-chart Completion<\/td> | Words and\/or a number<\/td><\/tr> |
| Diagram Label Completion<\/td> | Words and\/or a number<\/td><\/tr> |
| Short Answer<\/td> | Words and\/or a number<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div> |