What aspects of reading are tested in IELTS Academic Reading?

　　Candidates are tested on their ability to identify main ideas, supporting ideas, writer’s opinions and specific information.

　　How long should candidates spend on each passage?

　　Candidates have 60 minutes to read through three passages and answer 40 questions. Candidates are advised to spend about 20 minutes on each passage. Candidates should make sure that they do not waste time worrying about items they can’t answer and that they use their time sensibly to read through what they can and answer as many questions as possible.

　　How do candidates record their answers?

　　All answers must be entered on an Answer Sheet during the 60-minutes allowed. Candidates may first write their answers on the Question Paper if they wish to, but no extra time is allowed to transfer answers to the Answer Sheet.

　　How many different task types are there in IELTS Academic Reading?

　　There are 10 basic task types, some with possible variations. A variety of task types are used in Academic Reading and more than one task type may be used for each passage. Some questions may appear before a passage and some may come after, depending on the nature of the questions.

　　When the instructions state that the candidate should answer in, for example, NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS, would they lose marks by writing an answer with more than three words, even if one is ‘a’ or ‘the’?

　　Yes. Answers which exceed the word limit will be marked incorrect.

　　Are candidates penalised for spelling and grammar mistakes made in their answers?

　　All words that candidates will need in order to answer the questions will be given in the passage, so they should be encouraged to transfer their answers to the Answer Sheet with care. Candidates should be aware that poor spelling and grammar are penalised.

　　How is the band score for Academic Reading calculated?

　　One mark is awarded for each of the 40 questions in the test. A band score conversion table is produced for each version of Academic Reading, which translates scores out of 40 onto the IELTS 9-band scale. Scores are reported as a whole band or a half ba12

　　How does the Academic Reading score relate to the overall band score?

　　The overall score is an average of the band scores for the four Modules; the final score may be reported as a whole band or a half band.

　　If you have any other questions about IELTS Academic Reading, please contact us and we'll answer the most frequently asked questions here.