A practical routine for IELTS reading

Use material for your IELTS version and keep the answer key closed until you finish. Academic and General Training Reading use different text selections. A short passage or question group can be enough for a focused session; you can add full-test practice to check timing.

Before starting, choose a purpose. You might be working on locating details, following a writer’s argument or separating a paragraph’s main idea from its examples. Record that purpose next to your answers so the review has a clear focus.

For every uncertain or incorrect answer, return to the passage before reading an explanation. Write down the relevant location and explain the connection in your own words. If the explanation still seems unclear, turn that exact point into a question.

1. Find the sentence or passage that supports the answer.
2. Identify how its wording relates to the question.
3. Explain what made your original choice attractive.
4. Name the mistake: meaning, location, question instruction or timing.
5. Choose a small follow-up task that addresses that mistake.

For True/False/Not Given questions, True agrees with the passage, False contradicts it and Not Given means the passage does not establish whether the statement is true or false. Use the text, not outside knowledge.

During review, write one of two notes beside a rejected statement: “the text says the opposite” or “the text does not tell me”. If you cannot point to a contradiction, reconsider a False answer. Pay attention to changes in quantities, time, comparison or who performed an action.

Start by measuring where your time goes. Mark questions that require repeated rereading and continue, then revisit them if time allows. Afterwards, separate time lost locating information from time spent deciding between plausible answers.

IELTS Reading has 40 questions in 60 minutes, including answer entry or transfer. Practise completing the response format as well as reading. A routine that leaves answer transfer until after a practice timer stops gives you a misleading impression of your pace.

Use one session for careful evidence review, one for the question type that caused the most trouble and one for a fresh timed task. Keep the routine small enough that you return to your error log before starting again.

Should you read every word before looking at the questions? Try different approaches with practice material and compare accuracy and time. The important check is whether you can locate and interpret the evidence, not whether you follow one rigid reading sequence.

For the webinar, bring a question where you understand the words but disagree with the answer. Include the passage reference and your reasoning so the discussion can focus on evidence.