Some effective strategies for time management in IELTS Reading

To achieve a high band score in IELTS Reading, besides enhancing your relevant knowledge, test-takers need to master useful strategies. In the following article, PREP highlights 3 effective strategies for time management in IELTS Reading and 5 tips for time management during the actual Reading test. Refer to the article below to secure a band score of 8.0+!

I. Time management in IELTS Reading

According to regulations, both the IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training tests have a time limit of 60 minutes. Within this short period, test-takers must complete 40 questions across 3 reading passages.

To finish the test on time, you need to allocate your time for IELTS Reading in a smart, effective, and appropriate manner. Additionally, below are some effective strategies for time management in IELTS Reading. Let's take a look!

II. Strategies for time management in IELTS Reading

1. 15 - 20 - 25 Strategy

The first strategy for time management in IELTS Reading that PREP wants to introduce is the 15 - 20 - 25 strategy:

• 15 minutes for the easiest passage
• 20 minutes for the second easiest passage
• 25 minutes for the most difficult passage

PREP notes that this strategy is suitable for test-takers aiming for an IELTS Reading score of 7.0+.

Typically, IELTS Reading consists of 3 reading passages, and the difficulty level increases gradually with each passage. According to the flow of the test, Task 1 is usually the least challenging, while Task 2 or Task 3 presents more obstacles for test-takers. Therefore, allocating your time for each task according to the 15 - 20 - 25 formula is extremely important in maximizing your score.

There is some information circulating that Task 3 is the most difficult, but in reality, many test-takers have the opinion that Task 2 is somewhat harder. Depending on each individual's reading comprehension ability, there will be different assessments and evaluations of the test, so you need to allocate your time for IELTS Reading in a way that is most suitable for your own capabilities.

PREP advises you to quickly skim through the entire test after receiving the question paper to assess the difficulty level of each task, and then choose a suitable time frame for each task.

2. 20 - 25 - 15 Strategy

The second strategy for time management in IELTS Reading that PREP wants to introduce is the 20 - 25 - 15 strategy:

• 20 minutes for the easiest passage
• 25 minutes for the slightly harder passage
• 15 minutes for the most difficult passage

This time allocation strategy for IELTS Reading is suitable for test-takers aiming for an IELTS Reading score of 6.5 or lower.

The purpose of dividing your time in this way for IELTS Reading is instead of investing a lot of time in the most difficult passage, we allocate more time to the easier passages to secure points in those passages.

Try to focus and complete the first two passages, which means spending 20 minutes on the easiest task and 25 minutes on the second easiest task. With this approach, you may not have enough time to complete all the questions of the third passage. If you don't have enough time to finish the third passage, remember that "making a wrong choice is better than skipping" it.

3. 1 First - 3 Middle - 2 Last Strategy

The final strategy for time management in IELTS Reading you should consider is dividing your time according to the 1 First, 3 Middle, and 2 Last methods. Simply put, you can focus on completing task 1, then task 3, and finally task 2. Similar to the previous two methods, this involves selecting the section containing the easier questions and your strengths to do first, and leaving the sections with more difficult questions and potential mistakes for last!

III. Tips for effective time management in IELTS Reading

To allocate your time effectively in IELTS Reading, let's refer to some tips and tricks for time management in IELTS Reading below:

1. Tip 1: Preview the questions in the test

During the reading process, the human brain needs to actively work to form an overall picture of the information mentioned in the passage. You can help your brain avoid difficulties by quickly previewing the questions in the test beforehand.

The questions provide the most comprehensive information for test-takers in the reading passage. Mastering the questions is an advantage that helps test-takers imagine the possible content by visualizing them. However, don't rush to answer all the questions, just quickly skim through the content of each task, and then proceed to write down the answers immediately!

2. Tip 2: Read in order: Introduction ➡ Conclusion ➡ Body

When starting a reading passage, the first thing you need to pay attention to is to read the introduction first, then "jump" to read the conclusion, and finally go back and read the body. After grasping the introduction and conclusion, you proceed to read the body of the passage. This is similar to tip 1 when you know exactly what you are reading.

3. Tip 3: Don't read all the sentences in the passage

The next tip that PREP wants to introduce to you is to use the Skimming technique in IELTS Reading. Skimming means reading the passage very quickly to grasp the main idea of the topic being discussed. 

4. Tip 4: Underline important information

After Skimming, test-takers proceed to use the Scanning technique. At that time, if you can find names of people, places, or organizations, underline them because you will definitely encounter them in the questions, and you need to search for them later.

Underlining important information not only helps you save a considerable amount of time but also allows you to multitask without wasting time searching or reading them again. 

5. Tip 5: Allocate no more than 1 minute for each question

The final tip is also the tip for effective time management in IELTS Reading that PREP wants to introduce to you. Always remember to spend no more than 1 minute for each question because the designated time for the Reading test is 60 minutes.

Therefore, manage your time effectively to be able to read all 40 questions, including 30 easy questions that you can definitely score. Don't spend too much time on difficult questions, leave them until the end, after you have completed 100% of the easy questions.

Above are some strategies for time management in IELTS Reading that you should refer to. PREP wishes you effective self-study and preparation at home and aims to achieve a high band score in IELTS Reading in the upcoming real test.