IELTS Reading is the section most candidates underestimate. It looks simple — read three passages, answer 40 questions in 60 minutes — but the passages are long, the questions are designed to trap skimmers, and there is no extra time to transfer your answers. The good news: Reading is the most trainable IELTS skill, because the question types repeat and the scoring is mechanical. This guide gives you the exact format, the raw-score-to-band tables for Academic and General Training, and a time plan that works.
The format, exactly
IELTS Reading lasts 60 minutes and has 40 questions, one mark each, with no negative marking — always guess rather than leave a blank. There are two versions. Academic Reading has three long passages (about 2,150–2,750 words in total) taken from books, journals, magazines and newspapers, increasing in difficulty. General Training Reading has three sections: short everyday texts (notices, advertisements, timetables), workplace documents, and one longer general-interest text. In both versions you must write your answers directly on the answer sheet as you go — unlike Listening, there is no 10-minute transfer time. The IELTS partners (British Council, IDP and Cambridge) are moving fully to computer-delivered testing from mid-2026, with timelines varying by country; the structure, timing and scoring stay the same either way. Your Reading band is one of four section scores averaged into your overall band (rounded to the nearest half band), and scores are valid for two years.
Raw score to band: Academic vs General Training
Your raw mark out of 40 converts to a band from 0 to 9. General Training needs more correct answers for the same band, because its texts are easier. These are the widely used indicative conversions; exact cut-offs move by a question between test versions, so treat the table as the centre of the range.
| Band | Academic (correct of 40) | General Training (correct of 40) |
|---|---|---|
| 9.0 | 39–40 | 40 |
| 8.5 | 37–38 | 39 |
| 8.0 | 35–36 | 37–38 |
| 7.5 | 33–34 | 36 |
| 7.0 | 30–32 | 34–35 |
| 6.5 | 27–29 | 32–34 |
| 6.0 | 23–26 | 30–31 |
| 5.5 | 19–22 | 27–29 |
| 5.0 | 15–18 | 23–26 |
For Band 7.0 you need about 30 correct answers in Academic and about 34–35 in General Training — roughly four to five more. Most universities ask for 6.0–6.5 overall with no section below 6.0; competitive programmes ask for 7.0 or higher. Note the shape of the table: in Academic, the jump from 7.0 to 8.0 is five questions, and from 8.0 to 9.0 is four more. Every question counts.
The 14 question types
IELTS Reading uses 14 question types, and most tests include 6–8 of them: Multiple Choice, Identifying Information (True / False / Not Given), Identifying Writer's Views (Yes / No / Not Given), Matching Information, Matching Headings, Matching Features, Matching Sentence Endings, Sentence Completion, Summary Completion, Note Completion, Table Completion, Flow-chart Completion, Diagram Label Completion, and Short-Answer Questions. Three types cause most of the lost marks. True / False / Not Given fails when candidates answer from general knowledge instead of the text — if the passage does not say it, the answer is Not Given, even if it is true in real life. Matching Headings fails when candidates match a heading to one detail instead of the main idea of the whole paragraph. Completion questions fail on word limits and spelling: "NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS" means exactly that, and a misspelled word is marked wrong even if the idea is right.
The 60-minute plan
Split the hour 17–20–23 across the three passages, tilted toward the hardest one at the end. Passage 1 is the easiest — bank the marks fast and move on. Passage 3 is the hardest and needs the time Passage 1 did not take. Most candidates spend the hour the wrong way round: 25 minutes on Passage 1 because it feels manageable, and 12 minutes on Passage 3. Do not read the whole passage first. Instead, read the questions, underline keywords, then scan for those keywords and read only the sentences around them. For Matching Headings, read the first and last sentence of each paragraph first — the main idea usually sits there. Always fill every answer before time runs out; with no negative marking, a guess has a real chance and a blank has none.
How to practise for Band 7+
Do full 60-minute timed practice tests, not untimed reading — speed is half the skill. After each test, analyse every wrong answer: was it a vocabulary problem, a question-type trap, or a time problem? Keep a notebook of the words and phrases that hid the answer (synonyms are how IELTS tests vocabulary: the question rarely uses the passage's exact words). Read widely in English — quality newspapers, science magazines and long-form articles — because the passages are drawn from exactly that kind of writing. Aim for 33+ correct in Academic practice tests before you book the real one: that gives you a safety margin above the 30 needed for Band 7.0. Finally, use One Skill Retake if it is available in your country — it lets you retake just Reading if it is the only section below your target, instead of repeating the whole test.
Frequently asked questions
Is IELTS Reading harder than Listening? For most candidates, yes — Reading has the tightest time pressure and the most complex texts, and it offers no second hearing.
Can I write on the question paper? Yes — underline, circle and take notes on the question paper. Only the answer sheet is marked.
Does spelling matter? Yes. Answers must be spelled correctly, and word limits must be obeyed exactly.
How long is my score valid? Two years from the test date, for most organisations.
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Sources and verification: IELTS official format (60 minutes, 40 questions, no negative marking, no transfer time); raw-score-to-band conversions as published by IELTS/IDP and widely used indicative tables (Academic Band 7.0 = 30–32 correct; General Training Band 7.0 = 34–35); computer-delivery transition announced by IELTS partners from mid-2026. Confirm current test delivery and fees with the British Council or IDP in your country.