IELTS General Reading: how to finish all 40 questions in 60 minutes
Section 1 feels easy, so you read every word. Then Section 3 arrives with 13 minutes left. Here is how to share the hour.
IELTS General Training Reading has 40 questions in 60 minutes, in three sections. Section 1 is short everyday texts like adverts and notices. Section 2 is work related, like a job description or staff handbook. Section 3 is one longer text, and it has the hardest questions. There is no extra time to copy answers.
Also remember: General Training Reading is marked more strictly than Academic Reading. You need more correct answers for the same band. IELTS gives an example: about 30 correct answers for band 6 in General Training, against about 23 in Academic. So every question matters.
Why Section 1 eats your time
Section 1: five short adverts for gyms. Question: Which gym offers free parking?
Section 3 needs your best reading
Section 3 is where the difficult question types come: True, False, Not Given, matching headings and sentence completion from a long text. If you arrive tired and rushed, this is where the band drops. Plan to start it with at least 25 minutes left.
A timing plan to practise
- Section 1 in about 15 minutes. Scan for names, prices, days and times.
- Section 2 in about 20 minutes.
- Section 3 in about 25 minutes.
- If a question takes more than a minute, guess, mark it, and move on. There is no penalty for a wrong answer.
- Practise with a timer every time, one section at a time.
Exam rules change. Always check with the exam provider and the organisation you are applying to.
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