IELTS General Reading

The IELTS general reading test assesses your English reading ability to check whether you can survive in English speaking countries like the UK, US, Canada, Australia, etc. The IELTS general reading tests consist of reading passages taken from the books, magazines, articles, advertisements, etc. that are related to everyday context. You will be reading the passages and answering the questions in accordance with the reading passage. 

The IELTS general reading passages in the general test will be easier to understand as the language used is simple and the content will be based on our daily activities. To solve the reading section easily and to score high you must have skimming, scanning, paraphrasing, locating specific information and time management skills. In this article you can find information about the IELTS general reading test format, general reading band scores, general reading tips, etc.

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IELTS General reading test format

IELTS general reading test format consists of 3 sections with 40 questions. If you are preparing for the general test you must be clear with the exam format. The IELTS general reading exam format is given below for your reference. 

IELTS general reading test duration	Number of sections	Number of questions	Number of question type	Band score
60 minutes	3	40	14	1-9

For more details, check IELTS exam pattern 

IELTS General reading sections

There are 3 sections in the general reading test. Each section will have one passage followed by 10-13 questions from 3-4 types of questions. You have to read the passages and answer the question with the information you gathered from the passage. In the reading sections you have to answer 40 questions in 60 minutes, thus you can use 20 minutes per passage. 

Section 1

The passage in this section contains social survival factual information about life in a country, sports activity, entertainment, etc. You have to read the given passage and answer the question with the data presented in the passage. Though you know the answer on your own, you must only write the answer given in the passage. 

Section 2

The second passage is based on Work life survival thus information related to leave schemes, job roles, pay details, etc will be given. Reading the passage, you will be responding to the questions as per the question type. Make sure to follow the instructions, while answering the questions. 

Section 3

The third passage is the hardest and the longest in the reading test. The passage will be on any general interest topic that you will encounter in your daily life. This may be complex, but with regular practice, you can easily answer the questions within the stipulated time. 

IELTS General reading band descriptors

The IELTS general reading module will be scored between 0-9 band scores. Each correct answer will be rewarded 1 mark, thus the overall general reading score will be 40 minutes. Based on the number of correct answers, you will be given band scores. We have given the IELTS general reading band descriptors below. 

S.no	Raw scores	Scores
1	40	9
2	39	8.5
3	37-38	8
4	36	7.5
5	34-35	7
6	32-33	6.5
7	30-31	6
8	27-29	5.5
9	23-26	5
10	19-22	4.5
11	15-18	4
12	12-14	3.5
13	9-11	3
14	6-8	2.5
15	3-5	2

Get a details explanation about the scores in IELTS general reading score

IELTS General reading question types

There are 13 IELTS general reading question types. The questions are framed to assess your overall reading and understanding ability. To solve the IELTS general reading question types, you must have a clear knowledge about each question type and the way to solve them smartly. The question types are 

• IELTS General reading matching headings questions    
• IELTS General reading locating information questions     
• IELTS General reading true false not given questions     
• IELTS General reading multiple choice questions  
• IELTS General reading summary completion     
• IELTS General reading matching sentence endings questions
• IELTS General reading matching features questions    
• IELTS General reading sentence completion 
• IELTS General reading short answer questions
• IELTS General reading flow chart questions 
• IELTS General reading note completion questions
• IELTS General reading yes no not given questions
• IELTS General reading table completion questions

For detailed preparation tip, visit IELTS reading tips and strategies

How do I get a good score in the IELTS General reading?

You can get a good score in the IELTS general reading section, if you have regular practice and a familiarity with reading question types. This can be achieved by taking a self-evaluation test and this will reveal the topics you need to pay attention to and your preparation level. With this analysis, you can alter your study plan to secure a 7+ band score in your IELTS general test. 

FAQ

1. What are the general reading passages about?

The general reading passages are concerned about our social survival, work life survival and general interest content. These contents are taken from magazines, business documents, advertisements, notices, etc.

2. Should I read the passage first or the question?

Reading the passage as well the question is very important. However, first scan the passage to know what the passage is about and then read the questions to look for the answers. At times, reading the questions first will guide you in looking for the required information from the passage. 

3. How are IELTS reading scores calculated?

The reading scores are calculated based on the number of correct answers given. The total marks obtained for 40 will be converted into the band score 0-9. The final scores will be given in whole and half. 

4. How can I improve my reading scores?

Your reading scores can be improved by enhancing your reading technique, vocabulary, grammar and regular practice.  

5. What is the challenging part in the IELTS general reading section?

Identifying the right answers from the reading passage is the challenging part in answering the reading section.