The International English Language Testing System has four papers for applicants to complete. You are given a score between 1 and 9 for each of the four test papers, namely, listening, reading, writing and speaking. The average of the four scores is your overall band score. Naturally, for a high average score, you need to score in the top bands in each of the sections.
Today, in this article, we will look into some strategies to score in the top bands in the IELTS reading section. The tips and strategies here come straight from the SMEs & tutors of one of India’s largest IELTS coaching online. Click here to get IELTS coaching online from AbroAdvice.com.
Let’s dive right in.
A Bit About The IELTS Reading Section
You will have to contend with 40 questions in the reading section. The more you answer correctly, the higher your score. You can take assistance from AbroAdvice.com to get consultation on study abroad. The reading test assesses a plethora of vital cognitive skills. You should be able to:
- Skim through paragraphs;
- Be able to read for gist, read for details as well as for taking note of the main ideas;
- Be able to understand arguments & determine their logic and
- Interpret the writer’s opinions, perspective, beliefs, attitude, and overall purpose;
You will get 60 minutes to go through everything and answer the given questions.
- The IELTS Academic Reading Test will have you go through three long texts, which can be descriptive, discursive, analytical, narrative, or anything like that. They can be chosen from anywhere and are selected considering the diverse, non-specialised nature of applicants.
- The IELTS General Training Reading Test is different. It has three sub-sections, each with texts of different lengths. Sub-section 1 has three or more short texts, sub-section 2 has two texts, and sub-section 3 has one large text. The texts can come from any book, magazine, newspaper, journal, advertisement, or any source you can encounter in a real-life English—speaking environment.
Like most other things under the Sun, the key to succeeding in IELTS is hard work and practice. Go through different kinds of English books, newspapers, magazines, journal articles, blogs, advertisements, etc. Watch documentaries, movies, and advertisements in English. Build your vocabulary and practice writing summaries, essays, & the like on the things you read & watch.
Tips & Tactics for Acing the IELTS Reading Section
AbroAdvice’s IELTS experts use effective, time-tested, and performance-oriented tactics & tips to improve productivity and performance. Below is an overview of some handy tips & strategies.
- Practice reading a variety of English texts. This is the most basic requirement for enhancing your abilities.
- Learn how to take note of the most important points in a text and skim through extraneous information.
- Read every question carefully. Note if there are different parts that you need to answer. You can read the questions before reading a text, as that can help you underline answers right away.
- When poring through a text, go through it quickly to get a general idea. Do not worry about the terms or phrases we do not understand. Then, dig inot the questions again and remind yourself which portions of the text might contain the answer.
- The 60-minute time limit is the most challenging thing to tackle. Your reading must be effective and efficient to maximise your time.
- Master all the different ways to read a text. Become a pro at:
- Skimming, where you read a text fast and just focus on the key points & the overall message or purpose without digging into too many details;
- Scanning for details, where you locate a specific detail by skimming and then reading the pertinent portion in-depth;
- Read closely by paying particular attention to the overall/main message and the minute details & nuances. When reading closely, you must look between the lines, understanding both implicit and explicit meanings, rhetoric, metaphors, connection between ideas, word choices & synonyms, connections with other ideas, etc.
- Comparing different text parts to ascertain the development of the narrative and ideas of the text, consistency, and logical development of ideas;
- Both close reading and textual comparison demand critical reading of a text. So, remember to ask yourself critical questions when you are reading closely and trying to determine consistency & development of ideas, narrative, & logic.
Find out:
- The key arguments and/or messages of the text
- The information and evidence presented
- How the writer used ideas to convey a message, opinion, or argument
- What the writer’s ideas and arguments tell about the overall nature of the text & the writer
- The 60-minute time limit of the reading section is a major challenge. Timed practice is necessary if you want to speed up your performance. Time yourself when you are practising.
For example, give yourself 20 seconds to go through a paragraph closely. If not, then take those 20 seconds for skimming or scanning. Choose whichever you can do quickly and effectively, but ensure you master all major types of reading before the examination.
Check out this link for some handy time management tips for IELTS.
- Learn to scan for keywords in a text. Also, be on the lookout for their synonyms in a text. Underline all of them in a text, as they can help you locate answers to questions involving those keywords.
- There are three sub-sections/texts, and the total time limit is 60 minutes. So, do not spend over 20 minutes on a single text or sub-section.
- Answer questions on the answer sheet one by one. You WILL NOT FIND TIME to transfer your answers to the sheet at the last moment.
- Questions WILL VARY in DIFFICULTY. If you struggle with any of them, do not waste time and move on to the next question. Unless you aim for an 8 or 9, you need not be hell-bent on answering every question.
The worst thing is to waste valuable time and be unable to answer the easy questions.
- Even if unsure, make an educated guess and write the answer. Bet on your odds of getting the answer right.
- You will encounter 14 different question types, each testing different aspects of your reading abilities.
- For multiple choice questions, the correct answer option is ALWAYS PARAPHRASED. This means you will find a similar segment in the text that portrays the same idea with different wordings, expressions, and language intricacies.
All such things test your language skills and comprehension abilities.
- Again, speed up your reading. Read different kinds of texts in English and time yourself.
- Improve your vocabulary. Read as many different and prominent English text sources. Use dictionaries and thesaurus. Do not just learn the meaning of words, terms, & phrases, but understand where you can or cannot use them.
- When reading, focus not just on words but also on specific ideas & the overall message. Also, remember the question as you are reading so that you come up with the correct answers quickly.
- As you aim to speed up your reading, your retention abilities will suffer. Avoid sacrificing retention by grasping the meaning of a text quickly. Skim or scan, but when doing so, ask the WHY, WHAT, WHEY, WHEN, WHERE, and HOW.
And those were some effective tips and strategies for the IELTS Reading section. Go through them once again if need be and implement them urgently in your preparation & approach. You are bound to see a boost in performance.
Dedicated practice, intelligent studying, and guidance from genuine experts are the keys to success. Whether you are a student or professional, AbroAdvice.com, India’s leading study abroad consultant service, has the perfect IELTS prep package for you.
All the best!