In the Reading section of the test, there are no common topics, however, as the Academic and General Training are slightly different there is a common format for both. This section has common question types and recognising the different question types will contribute to a better chance of increasing your band score.
The questions may cover a wide range of subjects, however, you do not need to be an expert in any field. Diversity is the key here, with test-takers who have a diverse vocabulary have a huge advantage. Academic IELTS Reading passages may contain some technical terms and even visual materials such as charts, illustrations and graphs. More technical terms will be accompanied by a glossary of terms.
The text will be taken from a newspaper, magazine, book or online resource and may be written in a variety of styles including narrative, descriptive, or argumentative. At least one of the passages will contain a logical argument.
Task (Question) types
The 40 questions may be in any of the following questions/task types
- Multiple Choice
- Identifying Information,
- Identifying Writer’s Views/Claims
- Matching Information
- Matching Headings
- Matching Features
- Matching Sentence Endings.
- Sentence Completions
- Summary/Note/Table/Flow Chart Completion.
- Diagram label Completion
- Short Answer Questions
- Diagram Completion Question
- Flow chart completion Question
- Table Completion Questions
- Choosing a Title
- Categorisation Question