4 IELTS Reading tips and tricks you should know

The IELTS Reading test is relatively easier compared to the other sections. This skill will improve your overall score and help you achieve your desired band score. Therefore, in this article, PREP has compiled some important IELTS reading tips and tricks that you should master. Hopefully, this useful article will help you easily overcome the IELTS Reading test.

I. Pay attention to the time and reinforce your vocabulary

The IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training Reading tests have a time limit of 60 minutes. Based on the experience of many IELTS candidates, this is the most challenging section to complete within the given time. The test consists of 40 questions based on three long passages. Yet, you are expected to complete it efficiently within one hour. Even native English speakers find this section difficult to complete. It is crucial to have wise IELTS reading tips and tricks.

The content of the IELTS Academic test can be sourced from any topic and can cover any subject matter, such as history, science, or topics of general interest. It is important to note that you are not expected to be an expert in any particular field. Therefore, IELTS reading tips and tricks lies in selecting relevant information for the answers.

Having a strong vocabulary is advantageous. The IELTS Reading test includes specialized terms and vocabulary. When you are proficient in vocabulary, you can easily understand the reading passages. This will help you save time during the IELTS Reading test.

Balancing your time effectively to complete all three sections is one of the IELTS reading tips and tricks. Remember that you only have 20 minutes for each passage. Therefore, practicing IELTS Reading at home will be effective in reducing confusion and enabling you to smoothly tackle the actual Reading test.

II. Common Types of Questions in the IELTS Reading Test

In the IELTS Reading test, each passage will have 10-15 questions. Typically, there will be at least 2 types of questions in each section. Each question corresponds to one point in the test. If you have been practicing Reading tests, you are probably familiar with the following 11 types of questions in the IELTS Reading test:

• Multiple choice questions 
• Information identification questions 
• Information matching 
• Head Matching 
• Sentence completion 
• Summary completion
• Features matching
• Matching sentence endings
• Short answer questions 
• Notes/table/diagram completion
• True/ False/ Not Given or Yes/ No/ Not Given

IELTS reading tips and tricks are to practice familiarizing yourself with each type of question every day. This helps you identify the most effective approach to answering each question type. By doing so, candidates can easily recognize question types that require more time for thinking. From there, you can build an effective practice plan.

III. Effective IELTS reading test tips and tricks at Home

IELTS reading tips and tricks are primarily focused on practicing the ability to comprehend English passages. Allocate maximum time each day to complete practice tests. This helps familiarize test takers with the question types in the IELTS Reading test. Additionally, improve the approach to reading the test questions and grasp the main ideas in the passages. Prepedu.com has compiled more than 10 IELTS Reading tests to help you study and prepare effectively. Please refer to them for detailed information!

You should increase your scanning speed, also known as skimming. Think quickly to understand the main idea of an English article. This gives you an advantage when taking the test. Improving your IELTS Reading skills helps you feel confident when faced with long test passages. This means you need to spend time reading as much as possible. Read blogs, or academic magazines in English, or choose an English newspaper to enhance your reading comprehension skills.

The more diligently you read in English, the more you expand your vocabulary, usage of words, and knowledge about various topics in life. This is extremely important in the process of taking the test. PREP would like to suggest a useful tip for you during the reading process if you come across a word whose meaning you don't know.

Recording new words in a notebook is one of the IELTS reading tips and tricks. Additionally, you should group a list of words whose meanings you need to know and review their definitions. This helps you remember them well and for a longer period. Furthermore, a vocabulary handbook will assist you in understanding how to use appropriate language in specific contexts.

IV. IELTS reading tricks and tips

1. Scanning

Scanning, one of the reading tips and tricks for IELTS, helps test takers save time. During the scanning process, read and quickly grasp important information. While practicing IELTS Reading tests at home, try scanning each passage for 3-4 minutes before answering the questions.

To improve this skill, PREP suggests practicing scanning through short articles or song lyrics. Additionally, using your phone to time yourself can be an effective strategy for the IELTS Reading test. You may be pleasantly surprised by the beneficial results of this method.

2. Underline important words or phrases

Parallel to scanning, a strategy for doing the IELTS Reading test is to underline important words or phrases. If you identify relevant events or significant data related to the answer, quickly underline that phrase. This method helps you save time to effectively complete the IELTS Reading test.

3. Pay attention to key elements

The final strategy for doing the IELTS Reading test is to carefully read the questions. By doing so, you will identify the keywords in the question. This helps you avoid unnecessary mistakes. In addition, pay attention to the requirements in the question. Close observation will help you complete the test as quickly as possible. And apply the same approach to the remaining skills. Practice is still an effective method. By doing so, you will complete the test comprehensively and avoid basic errors.

Refer to the 4 suggestions for IELTS reading tips and tricks on prepedu.com. Improve your skills in doing the IELTS Reading test to achieve a high IELTS Reading band score!