Different types of IELTS Reading tasks: Advice and Practice
Before starting the IELTS Reading exam, refrain from opening the question paper provided by your teacher.
If needed, review general advice on tackling IELTS Reading tests by quickly glancing through the test structure and question types.
Discuss with a partner the strategies for approaching different question types, such as matching headings and yes/no/not given tasks.
Read the specific advice for each task type and clarify any doubts or queries.
Complete the exam task related to the discussed advice and check your answers.
Use the tactics learned to answer all questions within the given time frame.
Compare answers with a partner, discussing the location of each answer in the text.
Review and discuss the strategies used for each task, comparing them to the advice provided.
Repeat the same process for subsequent reading texts in the exam.
General advice on IELTS Reading (to read before starting the test)
Skim through the text to get an idea of the content and structure before attempting the questions.
Underline key words in the questions and answers while reading the text.
Use underlining as a helpful tool to identify important information and skip difficult questions to come back to later.
Scanning for specific information is not always effective in IELTS Reading, except for names and certain keywords.
Allocate time equally for each text and transfer answers to the answer sheet if needed.
Double-check answers and ensure they align with the text.
Verify all options on the answer sheet and review summary tasks for coherence.
Advice on each type of IELTS Reading task
Advice on Matching Tasks
Read through questions and underline key words before matching headings to paragraphs.
Focus on identifying the main topic of each paragraph to make matching easier.
Choose headings that match the overall content of the paragraph, not just specific details.
Advice on Which Section Contains this Information Tasks
Read the instructions carefully and scan the paragraphs to find the relevant information.
Understand that the answer could be located anywhere within the paragraph.
Each statement should only match one paragraph, eliminating the need for multiple matches.
Advice on Who Said What Tasks
Underline key words in the statements and scan the text for corresponding names.
Start with easier questions and match names that appear only once.
Underline key words in responses attributed to individuals to aid in matching.
Advice on Matching Words to Gaps Tasks
Begin with easier gaps and come back to difficult ones later.
Avoid selecting options that may appear in the text but do not fit the gap contextually.
Review completed text to ensure coherence and grammatical accuracy.
Advice on Matching Questions to Statements Tasks
Expect the information in the text to match the order of the questions.
Be prepared to find answers phrased differently in the text.
Understand that these tasks are relatively straightforward and rarely encountered.
Advice on Choosing Two Options Tasks
Eliminate incorrect options based on contradictions in the text.
Be aware that the answers may not follow the same order as the questions.
Choose the most relevant options by cross-referencing with underlined text.
Advice on True/False/Not Given and Yes/No/Not Given Tasks
Understand the distinctions between True/False/Not Given responses and how to approach them.
Underline answers in the text and skip questions that are challenging.
Be mindful of the different types of “Not Given” statements.
Advice on Gapfill Tasks
Follow instructions on word limits and use words from the text to complete the gaps.
Ensure answers are contextual and directly from the text.
Review completed statements for accuracy and coherence.
Advice on Writing Short Answers Tasks
Use words from the passage to answer questions.
Stick to the word limits specified in the instructions.
Note that these tasks are relatively uncommon in IELTS Reading.
Advice on Labelling Diagrams Tasks
Scan for relevant words in the text to label diagrams accurately.
Underline and highlight key words to understand relationships between diagram components.
Ensure answers are directly from the text and require minimal rephrasing.
