Top 7 tips to master IELTS READING (GENERAL MODULE) and get a great IELTS result.
There is a common notion among test takers that it is impossible to score a Band 9 or Band 8 in Reading, if you are non-native English speaker. However, that’s a myth.This blog will make it easier for you to score high in the IELTS READING module.
Question types for General Reading Module
There are several different question types designed to test different reading skills. It is essential that you familarise yourself with each different question type before you take up the IELTS exam. The following are the typical types of questions that you can expect at the IELTS exam.
Sentence completion
Summary, note, table, flow-chart completion
Short-answer questions
Diagram label completion
Multiple choice
Matching information
Matching headings
Matching sentence endings
True, false, not given
Format of the IELTS General Reading Module
Total time : 60 minutes
The Reading section consists of 40 questions, designed to test a wide range of reading skills. These include reading for gist, reading for main ideas, reading for detail,skimming,understanding logical argument and recognising writers’ opinions.The text presented generally includes extracts from books, magazines, newspapers, notices, advertisements, company handbooks and guidelines.
There are three sections in the IELTS reading module(General) :
Section 1 – Contains two or three short texts
Section 2 – Contains two texts.
Section 3 – Contains one long passage.
The main goal of the IELTS Reading module is to test your ability to understand what you have read. So, even if you don’t know or understand a few words from the passage, it’s OK, as you can still guess their meaning and get a band 9!
In fact, most of the test-takers lose marks not because of lack of knowledge, but because of making a few very simple mistakes.That’s why in this guide we’ve gathered 7 Top IELTS Reading tips that will really help you to achieve a high score in IELTS Reading:
Tip #1.
Skimming
Skimming refers to quickly going through the main ideas mentioned in the passage to get a general idea of the content.This is done to get the grasp of what the topic is all about.
Tip#2
Scanning
Scanning helps to locate important information(like numbers, dates, names) quickly. It will be great to circle any such information while skimming through the passage.
Tip#3
Underlining /Highlighting keywords
While skimming and scanning the passage, important keywords should be underlined or highlighted(Computer based test)
Tip#4
Watch the watch
Time is extremely crucial as you just have 60 minutes to answer 40 questions. You need to quickly scan the passage and answer the questions appropriately.Remember there is no extra transferring time provided for the Reading module. So, you need to write the Reading answers directly in the answer sheets and not on question booklet.
Tip#5
Don’t expect to understand every word
You don’t need to understand each and every word provided in the passage of the IELTS Reading module.If you don’t understand a word in the reading test you can simply look at the words and sentences around it for clues as to its meaning and try to figure out it’s closest meaning.
Tip#6
Ignore anything you already know about the topic
Please remember that in the IELTS READING test, you are being tested on your understanding of the text only; your own knowledge of the topic should not influence your answers.
Tip#7
Practice
Finally, like any other English based test, success at the IELTS exam comes only with a fair degree of practice. You need to practice a variety of reading tests before planning to take up the IELTS test.