IELTS Academic Test Samples (Reading Section)
The IELTS test is divided into two types: Academic IELTS, which is the IELTS test for study; as more than 3.7 million students study abroad every year, and many students study in English-speaking countries, such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
You are usually required to obtain an IELTS Academic certificate because:
- Studying in an English speaking country offers many opportunities.
- It can also allow you to specialize in a particular field or get a job once you've completed your education.
- IELTS is recognised by over 11,000 education and training providers worldwide.
- Some universities in non-English speaking countries also require an IELTS score if the course is taught in English.
- The IELTS Academic test is suitable for those who want to study in an English-speaking environment or university (higher education).
- You can also take IELTS Academic for professional registration purposes to get a job.
- Students can request their IELTS results to be sent to up to five institutions free of charge.
- There is a fee to send results to additional organizations.
- You can also ask your centre to send your results as long as your IELTS scores are valid. It is worth noting that the validity period of the IELTS certificate is two years.
The other type of IELTS test is IELTS General Training : This is the second type of IELTS test that is more suitable for immigration, tourism and job search purposes.
You are usually required to take the IELTS General Training certificate because:
- The IELTS General Training test is suitable for those applying to study below degree level, which includes an English-speaking school or college.
- IELTS General Training is also required for immigration to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
- The test also features everyday English skills that you will need in social and workplace settings.
In this article, we review the IELTS Academic exam model in some detail.
But remember:
- The IELTS exam consists of four sections: listening, reading, writing and speaking.
- IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training have the same questions in the Speaking and Listening sections.
- IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training differ in the Reading and Writing sections.
In this article, we will present IELTS Academic questions in the reading section, and in another article, we will elaborate on the writing section of the IELTS Academic exam. You can follow the speaking and listening question models here.
Academic IELTS Reading Test:
Test format: It includes three long texts ranging from descriptive and factual to discursive and analytical. These texts are taken from books, magazines, journals and newspapers. They have been chosen for a non-specialist audience but are suitable for people taking university courses or seeking professional registration.
The reading section consists of 40 questions, designed to test a wide range of reading skills , including reading for content, reading for main ideas, reading for details, understanding logical argument and recognizing the writers' opinions, attitudes and purpose.
IELTS Academic Reading Test Description:
Format of the IELTS Academic Reading Question Paper:
Three reading passages with a variety of questions using a number of task types.
Regarding the timing of the IELTS Academic Reading test:
Time: 60 minutes
Regarding the number of questions in the IELTS Academic Reading test:
Number of questions: 40
For the types of tasks in the IELTS Academic Reading test:
A variety of question types are used, selected from the following:
- Multiple choice
- Identify information
- Identify the writer's views/claims.
- Matching information
- Address matching
- Matching features
- Matching sentence endings
- complete the sentence
- Complete the summary
- Complete notes
- Complete the table
- Complete the flowchart
- Complete the chart label.
- And short answer to some questions.
For the sources of the IELTS Academic Reading test questions:
The texts are taken from books, magazines, journals and newspapers and are written for a non-specialist audience. They cover all topics of general interest. They deal with interesting issues and are clearly relevant and accessible to test takers entering undergraduate or postgraduate courses or seeking professional registration.
Passages may also be written in a variety of styles , for example narrative, descriptive or rhetorical/argumentative. At least one text contains a detailed logical argument. Texts may contain non-verbal material such as charts, graphs or illustrations. If texts contain technical terms a simple glossary is provided.
For answering questions in the IELTS Academic Reading test:
Test takers are required to transfer their answers to an answer sheet within the time allowed for the test. No additional time is allowed for transfer. Care must be taken when writing answers on the answer sheet as poor spelling and grammar are penalized.
For the scores in the Academic IELTS Reading test:
Each question is worth one mark.
Sample questions in the IELTS Academic Reading test in detail:
A detailed look at the paper with links to relevant resources.
Task type 1:-
Multiple choice:
Task type and format:
- Test takers are asked to choose the best answer from four alternatives (A, B, C or D),
- Or the best two answers out of five alternatives (A, B, C, D or E),
- Or the best three answers from seven alternatives (A, B, C, D, E, F or G).
Test takers write their chosen answer on the answer sheet. Questions may include sentence completion, where they are given the first part of a sentence and then choose the best way to complete it from the options, or they may include complete questions, with test takers choosing the option that best answers them.
The questions are in the same order as the information in the text: that is, the answer to the first question in this group will be in the text before the answer to the second question, and so on. This type of task can be used with any type of text.
Multiple choice question task and importance:
Multiple choice tests a wide range of reading skills , including detailed understanding of specific points or general understanding of the main points in a text.
Number of multiple choice questions in the IELTS Academic Reading test
Number of questions: Variable
Task type 2:-
Specify information:
Task type and format:
Test takers are given a number of statements and asked: “Do the following statements match the information in the text?” They are then asked to write “True,” “False,” or “Not Given” in the boxes on their answer sheets.
Important Note:
It is important to understand the difference between false and not given; false means that the passage states the opposite of the statement in question; not given means that the statement is not confirmed or contradicted by the information in the passage.
Students need to understand that any knowledge they bring with them from outside the passage should not play a role when deciding on their answers.
The task of the information identification question and its importance:
Information Identification assesses the test takers' ability to recognize specific points of information conveyed in a text and can therefore be used with more realistic texts.
Number of information identification questions in the IELTS Academic Reading test:
Number of questions: Variable
Task type 3:-
Identify the author's opinions/claims:
Task type and format:
Test takers are given a number of statements and asked: (Do the following statements agree with the writer's views/claims?) They are asked to write (Yes, No or Not Given) in the boxes provided in their answer booklet.
Important Note:
It is important to understand the difference between not and not given. Not means that the writer's views or claims do not explicitly agree with the statement, that is, the writer somewhere expresses a viewpoint or makes a claim that is contrary to the opinion in the question; not given means that the opinion or claim has not been confirmed or contradicted.
Students need to understand that any knowledge they bring with them from outside the passage should not play a role when deciding on their answers.
Task Question Identify the writer's views/claims and their significance:
This type of task assesses the test takers' ability to recognize opinions or ideas , and is therefore often used with rhetorical or argumentative texts.
Number of questions in this task in the IELTS Academic Reading test:
Number of questions: Variable
Task type 4:-
Matching information:
Task type and format:
Test takers are asked to locate specific information within paragraphs/sections of text with letters, and write the letters of the correct paragraphs/sections in the boxes on their answer sheet.
They may be asked to find: specific details, example, reason, description, comparison, summary, explanation.
They will not necessarily need to find information in every paragraph/section of text, but there may be more than one piece of information that test takers need to locate in a particular paragraph/section. In this case, they will be told that they can use any letter more than once.
This type of task can be used with any text because it tests a wide range of reading skills, from identifying details to recognizing a summary or definition.
The task and importance of the matching question:
Matching information assesses the test takers' ability to search for specific information. In contrast to Task Type 5, Matching Headings, it is concerned with specific information rather than the main idea.
Number of matching questions in the IELTS Academic Reading test:
Number of questions: Variable
Task type 5:-
Address matching
Task type and format:
- Test takers are given a list of titles, usually identified by lowercase Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc.).
- The title indicates the main idea of a paragraph or section of text.
- Test takers must match the title to the correct paragraphs or sections, which are marked alphabetically.
- Test takers write the appropriate Roman numerals in the boxes on their answer sheets.
- There will always be more headings than paragraphs or sections, so some headings will not be used.
- It is also possible that some paragraphs or sections may not be included in the assignment.
- One or more paragraphs or sections may already be matched with a title as an example for test takers.
- This type of task is used with texts that contain paragraphs or sections with clearly defined topics .
The task and importance of the title matching question:
Heading matching tests test takers' ability to recognize the main idea or topic in paragraphs or sections of text, and to distinguish main ideas from supporting ideas.
Number of title matching questions in the IELTS Academic Reading test:
Number of questions: Variable
Task type 6:-
Matching features:
Task type and format:
Test takers are asked to match a set of statements or pieces of information to a list of options. Options are a set of features from the text, identified by letters. Test takers may be asked, for example, to match different search results to a list of searchers, or characteristics of age groups, events in historical periods, etc. Some options may not be used, and others may be used more than once. The instructions will inform test takers if options may be used more than once.
The task and importance of the feature matching question:
- Feature matching assesses test takers' ability to recognize relationships and connections between facts in a text and their ability to recognize opinions and theories.
- It can be used with both factual information, as well as opinion-based rhetorical texts.
- Test takers must be able to read and scan text to locate required information and read for details.
Number of feature matching questions in the IELTS Academic Reading test:
Number of questions: Variable
Task type 7:-
Matching sentence endings:
Task type and format:
- Test takers are given the first half of a sentence based on the text and asked to choose the best way to complete it from a list of possible options.
- They will have more options to choose from than there are questions. Test takers must write the letter they have chosen on their answer sheet.
- The questions are in the same order as the information in the passage: that is, the answer to the first question in this group will be found before the answer to the second question, and so on. This type of task can be used with any type of text.
The task of the question of matching the endings of sentences and its importance:
Matching sentence endings assess test takers' ability to understand the main ideas in a sentence .
Number of sentence ending matching questions in the IELTS Academic Reading test:
Number of questions: Variable
Task type 8:-
Complete the sentences:
Task type and format:
- Test takers complete sentences with a certain number of words taken from the text. They must write their answers on the answer sheet.
- The instructions will state how many words/numbers test takers should use in their answers, for example (no more than three words and/or a number from the passage), (only one word) or (no more than two words).
- If test takers write more than the required number of words, they will lose a mark.
- Numbers can be written using shapes or words.
- The agreed upon words will not be tested.
- Connective words are counted as single words. Questions are in the same order as the information in the passage: that is, the answer to the first question in this group will be found before the answer to the second question, and so on. This type of task can be used with any type of text.
The task of the sentence completion question and its importance:
Sentence completion questions assess the test takers' ability to identify specific details/information.
Number of sentence completion questions in the IELTS Academic Reading test:
Number of questions: Variable
Task Type 9: -
Summary, note, table, complete outline:
Task type and format:
- Test takers are given a summary of a portion of the text, and are required to complete it with information drawn from the text.
- A summary is usually of only one part of the passage rather than the whole.
- The information presented may be in the form of: several connected sentences of text (referred to as a summary), several notes (referred to as notes), a table with some of its cells empty or partially empty (referred to as a table), a series of boxes or steps connected by arrows to show the sequence of events, with some of the boxes or steps empty or partially empty (referred to as a flow chart).
- The answers will not necessarily appear in the same order as they appear in the text. However, they will usually come from one section rather than the entire text.
- There are two different types of this type of task. Test takers may be asked to either select words from a text or choose from a list of answers.
- When words have to be chosen from the passage, the instructions will state how many words/numbers test takers should use in their answers, e.g. (no more than three words and/or a number from the passage), (only one word) or (no more than two words).
- If test takers write more than the required number of words, they will lose a mark.
- Numbers can be written using shapes or words. Agreed words are not tested.
- Connected words are counted as single words.
- When a list of answers is given, they most often consist of one word.
- Because this type of task often involves accurate factual information, it is often used with descriptive texts.
The task and importance of the summary question:
Summarizing assesses test takers' ability to understand the details and/or main ideas of a section of text. In variations that include summary or notes, test takers should be aware of what type of word(s) fits a particular gap (e.g., whether a noun, verb, etc. is needed).
Number of summary questions in the IELTS Academic Reading test:
Number of questions: Variable
Task type 10:-
Complete the diagram label:
Task type and format:
- Test takers are asked to complete the labels on the diagram, which relate to the description in the text. The instructions will state how many words/numbers test takers should use in their answers, e.g. (no more than three words and/or a number from the passage), (only one word) or (no more than two words).
- If test takers write more than the required number of words, they will lose a mark.
- Numbers can also be written using shapes or words. Contracted words will not be tested.
- Connected words are counted as single words.
- The answers do not necessarily appear in order in the passage. However, they will usually come from one section rather than the entire text.
- A diagram may be of some type of machinery, parts of a building or any other item that can be represented pictorially.
- This type of task is often used with texts describing processes or with descriptive texts.
Task Question Completing the Diagram Poster and its Importance:
The Chart Poster Completion question assesses test takers' ability to understand a detailed description, and relate it to information presented in the form of a chart.
Number of questions inthe IELTS Academic Reading test
Number of questions: Variable
Task type 11:-
Short answer questions:
Task type and format:
- Test takers answer questions that typically relate to factual information about details in the text.
- This is most likely to be used with text that contains a lot of factual information and detail.
- Test takers must write their answers in words or numbers on the answer sheet. Test takers must write their answers using words from the text.
- The instructions state how many words/numbers test takers should use in their answers, e.g. (no more than three words and/or a number from the passage), (only one word) or (no more than two words).
- If test takers write more than the required number of words, they will lose a mark.
- Numbers can be written using shapes or words. The agreed upon words are not tested.
- Connected words are counted as single words.
- The questions are arranged in the same order as the information in the text.
The importance of short answer questions:
Short-answer questions assess test takers' ability to identify and understand specific information in a text.
Number of Short Answer Questions in the IELTS Academic Reading Test
Number of questions: Variable
How is the Academic Reading question of the IELTS Academic exam scored?
- The Academic Reading Test is marked by certified markers, which are monitored regularly to ensure reliability.
- All answer sheets are analysed, after being marked, by Cambridge Assessment English.
- Then the points for the reading questions section are converted as:
A band score conversion table is produced for each version of the Academic Reading test, which translates scores from 40 to IELTS band 9.
Where grades are accepted as a full point or half point.
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