Strategies for Reading Module

USEFUL HINTS

Reading Module

The Reading Test in IELTS is of 60 minutes duration. There are three reading passages. The passages may include pictures, diagrams graphs, or tables etc. The reading passages are of different length from app. 500 to 1500 words. The total of three passages is between 1500 to 2500 words. Each passage has different type of questions. The questions can occur before or after the passage. Often the text & the passage become more difficult as one moves from first passage to third.

Question Type:

Generally questions are of following types:

1.     Multiple Choice Questions

2.     Gap filling Exercises

3.     Matching paragraph headings with paragraphs in the Reading Passage

4.     Match two parts of a split sentence

5.     Short answers to open questions

6.     Yes/No/Not Given Statements

7.     Completion of

a)   Sentences

b)   Summaries

c)   Tables

d)   Flow Charts

e)   Tables

f)      Notes

PROBLEMS:

The problems faced by candidates in this test generally include:

MISREADING INSTRUCTIONS:                                                     Read the instruction carefully. This way one is clear about what answer is expected. The instructions are usually simple & easy to follow. In some cases even examples are given.

TIMIMNG:                                                                                           Candidates usually score low in this section as they spend too much time on some section & don’t complete the test. There is no time to read & enjoy the passage. Instead; one should learn to work the questions & find answers as quickly as possible. Candidates often find it difficult to leave a question, which they cannot answer. This can have serious consequences. You will be able to spend same time to solve two or three easy questions. One can always come back to the difficult questions after answering the easy ones.

TOPICS:                                                                               The Reading passages vary, but are all of academic nature. Candidates sometimes panic when they don’t know anything about the topic. It is important to remember that all the answers are in the passage itself. One doesn’t need any special knowledge about any subject to answer the questions. The test is of reading comprehension skills & not of the knowledge.                                 ANSWER SHEETS:                                                                    There is no extra time allotted to transfer answers to answer sheet. The total time for answering the questions & transferring the answers is 60 minutes. 

Strategies to Answer

S. No.	Type of Question	Reading strategy
1	Yes/NO/Not Given	Skimming/Scanning
2	Labeling	Skimming/Scanning
3	Complete the Table	Skimming/Scanning
4	Fill in the Blanks	Skimming/Scanning
5	Choosing from A-D	Skimming/Scanning
6	Choosing the Heading/Title	Skimming/Reading