Effective reading in IELTS relies on two key techniques used at different stages. Skimming involves reading quickly to grasp the overall meaning or gist of a passage, focusing on titles, headings, first and last sentences, and topic sentences. It is particularly useful at the start of the test to understand structure and to answer matching-headings questions. Scanning, in contrast, means moving the eyes quickly to locate specific information such as a name, date, number, or keyword. Scanning is ideal for detail-oriented questions and saves valuable time when answers appear in a non-linear order.
Common Reading question types include multiple choice, true/false/not given, yes/no/not given, matching headings, matching features, matching information, summary completion, sentence completion, and note completion. True/False/Not Given questions ask whether a statement agrees with the text, contradicts it, or is neither confirmed nor denied; the 'Not Given' option means the information is simply absent. Yes/No/Not Given is similar but applies to opinions or claims rather than facts. Matching headings require identifying the main idea of each paragraph from a list of options. Completion questions, including summary, sentence, and note completion, require filling gaps using words from the passage, often with a strict word limit.
Time management is critical in the Reading test. Candidates should spend about 20 minutes per passage, using around 5 minutes to skim and 15 minutes to answer questions. Annotating the text by underlining keywords, noting synonyms, or summarising paragraphs mentally improves retention and speeds up locating answers. When encountering unfamiliar vocabulary, candidates should use context clues, surrounding sentences, and grammatical structure to infer meaning rather than relying on a dictionary, which is not permitted during the test. Active reading techniques, including asking questions, making predictions, and paraphrasing paragraphs mentally, further improve focus and comprehension.