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Every reading question type, with a practice exercise and full explanations. Covers both modules, because the question types do not change. 62 pages, free.
This is the reading book from the IELTSforFREE set. It works through every question type that appears in the IELTS reading paper, explains what each one is actually testing, and gives you a practice exercise with a full explanation of every answer.
It covers both Academic and General Training. The passages differ between the modules, but the question types are identical, so one book serves both. Where a type behaves differently in General Training, the book says so.
The reading paper is the one where technique makes the largest difference to a score. Most candidates lose marks not because they cannot understand the passage, but because they answer the question in front of them rather than the question that was asked.
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PDF, 62 pages, free
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What is inside
Six sections, in the order they appear.
Matching headings, True False Not Given, Yes No Not Given, matching information, matching features, sentence completion, summary completion, short answer, diagram labelling and multiple choice.
Matching headings tests main idea. Locating information tests detail. Confusing the two is why people read the whole passage when they should be scanning.
The single most misunderstood question type in IELTS, with the Not Given decision worked through in detail rather than described in a sentence.
Short, targeted and with the reasoning for every answer, so you can see where your thinking went wrong rather than just that it did.
How long each section should take, when to skip a question, and why answering in passage order is usually wrong.
Reading gives you no time at the end, unlike listening. The book explains how to work with that rather than against it.
Method
Six things worth doing, and one worth avoiding.
Do not read the book straight through. Take one question type, understand it, then practise it before moving on.
When a question type keeps costing you marks in a full test, come back to that chapter rather than doing another whole test.
It is the chapter that changes scores the most, and it does not sink in on one reading.
The PDF is designed to be readable on a phone screen, so it works for ten minutes on a bus.
Most reading problems that look like comprehension problems are vocabulary problems, particularly with parallel expressions.
Technique without timing is not reading practice. Once a type makes sense, test it under time.
Practice
Five questions on the types the book covers.
Most lost marks are not comprehension failures. They are answering a slightly different question.
True False Not Given asks about the passage. Yes No Not Given asks about the writer's view.
If you cannot find it in the passage, that is information. It usually means Not Given.
1A statement contradicts the passage. In a True False Not Given task, the answer is:
False. The passage says the opposite. Not Given means the passage does not address it at all, which is a different situation entirely.
2Which question type tests your understanding of the main idea of a paragraph?
Matching headings. It is about the paragraph as a whole. Matching information is the opposite, since it asks you to find one specific detail.
3How much extra time do you get at the end of the reading test?
None. Listening gives you two minutes to check. Reading gives you nothing, so every answer has to be entered as you work.
4A summary completion task says NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS. You write a three word answer that is correct. What happens?
It is marked wrong. The word limit is absolute. A correct answer over the limit scores nothing, which is one of the cheapest ways to lose marks in the whole test.
5Yes No Not Given questions ask you about:
The writer's claims or views. That is the difference from True False Not Given, which deals with factual information rather than opinion.
A question type you understand is worth several marks immediately. A question type you half understand costs you the same marks in every test you take.
The complete course on IELTStestONLINE has a video lesson for every reading question type, many more exercises, and a support tutor you can ask when an explanation does not land. Take a look at the complete course
Reading is marked objectively, so the book plus practice can take you a long way on its own.
IELTStestONLINE keeps every score in one place with an estimated band, and marks the two papers a book cannot mark for you. See what full membership includes
Yes. It downloads directly with no signup, no email address and no account.
Both. The question types are identical across the two modules, and the book flags the few places where a type behaves differently in General Training.
62 pages, organised by question type rather than as a course, so you can go straight to the type you need.
Yes. The PDF is not restricted, so you can print it or read it on any device.
It includes targeted exercises for each question type. Full length reading tests are on the practice test pages of this website.
Full membership
Reading has right answers, so a book and a practice test can take you a long way on their own.
Writing and speaking are assessed by a human against four criteria. IELTStestONLINE assesses both, instantly and as often as you like, using a system built by a former IELTS examiner and examiner trainer. It carries no advertising.
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