The Reading module is one of the two
papers that differ for IELTS Academic and General training, the other one being
the Writing module. Academic Reading is made up of three passages containing a
text along with 13 to 14 questions each, totalling 40 questions. You will have
60 minutes to complete this module, and NO extra time will be given to transfer
your answers to the Test Report Form, so students are advised to set aside
about 10 minutes (WITHIN the 60-minute period) to do it. However, I always
recommend to my students to fill in the Test Report Form after completing each
passage; thus, you’ll always remember about the need to do it. If you forget to
write your answers in the Test Report Form, you will receive no marks for them,
and even if everything is done correctly in the testing booklet, no one’s going
to read it. So, ALWAYS remember to complete the Test Report Form.
The reading passages present texts
on academic topics that are not related to a specific discipline; rather, they
are of interest to the general public. The articles are authentic and are found
in various publications, including newspapers, journals, and books.
The degree of difficulty is rising
from passage to passage. Passage 1
is therefore the easiest. It means that the text in Passage 1 will be the most
comprehensible of the three, but it doesn’t mean that the questions will be simple.
They might be, but not necessarily. Besides, my experience as a tutor tells me
that people deal differently with various question types; what one person will
find child’s play might be a bit of a sweat for another. The structure of Passages 2 and 3 is quite similar to that of Passage 1 except that you’ll find the
texts more complex, and naturally, there’ll be a few more question types.
How hard is it? Well, it’s not that
I want to scare you, but you need to realize that the IELTS Academic Reading
module can be rather challenging. The thing is, the majority of IELTS test
takers are used to working with reading in a certain way. They read the text,
maybe translate it into their mother language, and then answer some
comprehension questions. This is how reading is taught in English classes. But,
when it comes to sitting the IELTS exam, this won’t work.
To begin with, you simply won’t have
the time to carefully read the texts, and frankly speaking, you’re not supposed
to. Moreover, the comprehension questions differ from those you answered in
your English class. They will not seem to explicitly relate to the information
in the texts; that is, they will not be found in the reading passages in the
same wording as in questions. At times, you might give in to frustration,
feeling that you are being tricked into giving the wrong answer, which in fact
you’re not. It’s just that, like the whole exam, the Academic Reading module is
designed to test your ability to adequately perform in an academic environment.
Therefore, you’ll need to show that you possess scanning and skimming skills,
and that you have an ability to derive main ideas and, at the same time, search
for details in a quick fashion. You will also need to show that you can
pinpoint the author’s opinion on a certain issue.
It may all sound overwhelming but
believe me, it is doable. Some will get their target score at one go, others
will need to practise, but it’s not that difficult. Not when you understand the
logic behind the tasks and answers to them, and not when you master the most
time-effective ways to deliver the result you need. And, as always, I’m here to help :)
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