Is IELTS reading section difficult?

The most important IELTS reading tip is to practice and appear for mock tests. There is nothing better than going through the official study material, appearing for mock tests, and evaluating your performance in each of those tests. It is through mock tests that you can identify your weak areas and prepare your own strategy for approaching different question types. Official study material, official solved papers, and mock tests lie at the core of every exam preparation. Some other reading tips include developing a habit of reading good magazines (such as the Economist), trying to find the core of the passage, and developing a habit of skimming through the relevant information.

IELTS Reading section has 40 questions of different question types. You need to complete them within 60 minutes.

• Three long passages.

• 40 questions total.

• Passages are taken from books, journals, magazines, and newspapers (Academic).

• Question types: multiple choice, matching headings, True/False/Not Given, summary/note/diagram completion, sentence completion.

Academic vs. General:

• Academic texts use higher-level academic language.

• General Training uses shorter, everyday texts (advertisements, letters, manuals).

Timing tip:

• Spend about 20 minutes per passage.

• Don't linger on a single tough question—flag it and move on, then return if time allows.