Academic & General Training

IELTS Reading — Complete Guide

Master all 14 IELTS Reading question types with detailed strategies, common traps, Academic vs General Training differences, and time management techniques.

60 minutes, 40 questions
3 passages (Academic) / 4 sections (GT)
14 question types

Test Format

Academic
  • 3 long passages (total ~2,700 words)
  • Texts from academic journals, books, newspapers
  • Topics: science, technology, society, history
  • Difficulty increases from Passage 1 to 3
  • 40 questions, 60 minutes
General Training
  • 4 sections (shorter texts in Sections 1–2)
  • Texts from notices, advertisements, manuals, articles
  • Topics: everyday life, workplace, general interest
  • Section 3 is longer and more complex
  • 40 questions, 60 minutes

Band Score Guide

Band 939–40 correctNear-perfect accuracy
Band 835–38 correct2–5 errors
Band 730–34 correct6–10 errors
Band 623–29 correct11–17 errors
Band 515–22 correct18–25 errors
Band 48–14 correct26–32 errors

* Approximate conversion. Actual band scores may vary slightly between test versions.

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