IELTS Reading: Tips and Tricks for a perfect 9! A self-study guide

 

 

 

 

Heading for the IELTS exam; burned the midnight lamps for listening & writing but least worried about the Reading Module?

 

There is a common misconception, we'll rock the reading section, just like the way we have been doing till now. But, unfortunately, IELTS Reading is the trickiest as you have to exhibit your time management as well as reading aptitude. More than 3000 words and a time constraint of 60 minutes. Will the traditional skim and scan technique work? Would it be possible to attempt all the questions? Are these the questions roaming in your mind?

 

Then you have stumbled upon the right article. I am going to share tips and tricks that will help you score a 9 in IELTS Reading. I will explain every single way to achieve your desired band score, so grab your notepads and pen down everything. 

 

Don't forget to keep your notepad with you every time you practice a sample paper so that all the pointers are well-absorbed in your mind by the time day of the actual test arrives!

 

 

 

 

Before starting off, let us have a glimpse of the structure of reading section:

 

 

	Academic	General
Time	60 minutes	60 minutes
No. of passages	3 (1000-1300 words each)	5 (4 x 600 and 1 x 1000 words)
No. of questions	40	40
Types of passages	detailed passages from academic texts and publications, newspapers, and magazines	descriptive/factual/analytical/discursive

Types of questions asked in the reading section: (Frequently asked to Least common)

 

1. Multiple Choice
2. Completion type questions
3. True/False/Not Given
4. Yes/No/Not Given
5. Matching Information
6. Matching Features
7. Matching Headings
8. Diagram Labeling
9. Short-answer questions
10. Summary, note, and table completion

Let's begin our series of tips and tricks:

 

 

1. Understand the Questions

 

 

 

 

Do you jump directly to the passage the moment you get the question paper? If YES, then here is what you have been doing wrong till now. 

 

Time management lies at the core of the IELTS exam, and it is next to impossible to read and comprehend every single word of the passage. Therefore, start reading the questions as soon as you get the question paper. Spare 20-30 seconds and quickly run through them. Meanwhile, do not forget to underline the keywords!

 

Reading the questions first will help your eyes hunt the relevant words and phrases in the passage, thus saving your precious minutes. If you do not read the questions, you will certainly have no idea what you are going to look for in the text. 

 

Let's understand why beginning with the questions is a better move with an example of a completion-type question.

 

Suppose in the question you have been given a table with the instructions 'write no more than three words'. If you initiate with the passage, then you would have a very bleak notion of what information would be required while attempting the questions. Certainly, you will go back and forth from question to passage as it is implausible that you will be able to recall relevant words in one go. Hence, you'll reread the same passage more than thrice to fetch the correct response.

 

In this case, rather than commencing with the comprehension, take a look at the questions. Underline the keywords, and hunt for them in the passage. Ultimately, you will be just looking for the key phrase and find your answer considerably faster. 

 

 

 

 

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2. Skim, Scan, and Summarize!! A BIG NO!!

 

 

Seriously? Who can even do all this in an hour? So, drop your conventional approach and make a lane for ANNOTATION. 

 

Are you the one who reads in the usual relaxed way? If yes, then you are likely to complete the first comprehension only. You would have read or probably heard multiple times, do this or do that, read the entire paragraph or just read the first and the last sentence, or quickly scan the passage and look for the keywords. But here is the truth, these ways will assuredly assist you in attempting at most two passages or may be even one. So, is there a way we can attempt all the passages? Is there a method that ensures no question is left unanswered? If these are the questions that you are pondering over, then let me ease your burden and introduce you to a new way to attempt your Reading section, ANNOTATION.

 

Unlike your usual method that involves reading the passage, moving to questions, and then getting back to the text again; Annotation makes your work far simpler. The reading module demands a lot of information searching. 

 

It will be no less than looking for a needle in a haystack when you will be asked to look for particular information to complete the right answer. Therefore, let's learn the annotation technique. 

 

Highlight the keywords that may include nouns, dates, places, figures & numerals, topics, factual information, etc. 

 

Create your ingenious annotation method. The following strategy could be used to design your annotation approach:

 

1. Make a square around the nouns, including terms, cities, etc. 
2. Underline the factual description, justifications, trends, causes, and opinions. 
3. Draw a bracket around numbers, be it dates, figures, or quantifiers. 

 

By now, you all would be wondering how does this novel approach works? So, take out a minute and give a quick read to the annotation strategy:

 

Once you have annotated the questions as well as the text, almost half of the task is done. Now, let us learn the entire procedure:

 

1.  Read the question, remember the annotated words.
2.  Move to the passage and look for the same phrase or word.
3. You're almost done. You got the relevant information, description, and opinion, already marked that would be the answer you were looking for.   

 

 

 

 

3. Instructions - your guide to the correct answer!

 

 

 

 

The most common mistake almost every applicant makes is skipping the instructions. Just wondering, why each question has instructions before it? It's because with each question, the set of instructions changes.

 

DO NOT SKIP READING INSTRUCTIONS. It does not matter if you have practiced dozens of sample papers; reading instructions is as important as answering the question. 

 

By now, you all would have been thinking, why am I stressing so much about that? So, here is the answer. In the instructions, it would be mentioned how many words you can use or what sort of answer is required. In fact, the structure or word limit can change every time; this is IELTS' own way of tricking test-takers.

 

For instance, in a completion type question, if the word limit says 'not more than three words', the passage will include such phrases that compel you to write more than the required words. Let's suppose, the text says the Clean Water Act, while you can write only three words. In this case, the right answer is that you write "Clean Water Act". 

 

Let us look at the possibilities of what a set of instructions can be interpreted as:

 

Suppose the instructions state 'write no more than two words and/or a number'. The possible answers can be:

 

1. One word
2. Two words
3. One word and a number
4. Two words and a number

 

NOTE: Whether you write numbers in words or figures, it will be counted as one. For example, we can write 93 as ninety-three as well as 93. Additionally, if we had to write 93 years, then there are two possibilities, 

 

i) ninety-three years

ii) 93 years

 

 

 

 

4. Make a way for SYNONYMS!

 

 

IELTS is honestly your vocabulary test. Paraphrasing and synonyms are the two tools examiners use to gauge your vocabulary stack. 

 

Let's briefly recapitulate what these terms are:

 

1. Synonyms: words that nearly or exactly denote the same meaning as the given word. For example, for the word "perfect" the text might say, "flawless", "complete", "ideal", or "faultless".

 

2. Paraphrase: it is implying the same meaning but with different words. For example:

 

Original statement: Symptoms of COVID-19 include nasal congestion and fever. 

Paraphrased statement: Clogged nose and elevated temperature signs you may have COVID. 

 

 

 

How can you deal with this extended vocabulary? Here are a few tips that will help you:

 

1. Make an IELTS notebook and jot down the synonyms and words in it. 

 

2. Just don't stop there. Review these words at least once a day. 

 

3. Don't limit yourself to synonyms and meanings; instead, record antonyms, collocations, pronunciation, and usage.

 

 

5. Prediction, Intuition, and Presumption!

 

 

 

 

Yes, you read it right. These three are the carpet for your ideal answers.

 

Try to predict the type of word that would fill the blank or at least predict what it can be. For example, guess whether a noun, a verb, an adjective, a number, or an adverb would replace the blank. Sometimes, you would even be able to guess the missing word. 

 

We do not recommend completely relying upon guesswork. Rather, we suggest predicting the type of word so that you start looking for it in the text. Let's take an example:

 

Suppose the question says, "The city of jewels was looted by _______ in the medieval era. At the beginning of ________, almost half of the gemstones were stolen by the thieves." Here, it is clear that the first blank demands a noun while the second one requires a year or era. Accordingly, we will look for the nouns and figures in the passage. 

 

6. Grammatical accuracy is indispensable

 

 

 

 

Make sure there is no grammatical error when you attempt any question that requires writing down the answer. Found the asnwer? Fill it in the blank but do not forget to verify that the sentence is grammatically correct. Not only this, the spelling needs to be corrected.

 

Both grammatical error and incorrect spelling will reduce your band score, no matter whether the answer was accurate or not. 

 

Check that your answer is the ideal fit in the blank. It should make sense, gives the sentence the same meaning as inferred from the passage, and is grammatically correct within the mentioned word limit. 

 

NOTE: If you are even 0.001% unsure about the spelling, then it is recommended to go back to the text and confirm it. 

 

 

 

 

7. True/False/Not Given ≠ Yes/No/Not Given

 

 

The first and foremost thing to keep in mind is to read the instructions carefully. Remember whether the question demands True/False or Yes/No. 

 

If the question states True/False and you answer it with Yes or No, then you are going to lose marks for all the answers. No matter whether your concepts are clear, substituting 'True' for a 'Yes' is definitely the downfall. 

 

Let's decipher the distinction between True/False and Yes/No, along with Not Given.

 

 

 

 

I hope the fundamental difference is clear between these terms; so, now let us have a look at the meaning of these terms:

 

• True/Yes: Whatever statement is given should have the same meaning as the text. There given sentences might be paraphrased or include synonyms. For instance, the text says, "To bake a cake, you need flour, eggs, and cocoa". And the question says, "Flour, eggs, and cocoa are the prerequisites to bake a cake". Here, the statement is paraphrased, but it implies the same meaning.

 

• False/No: The provided sentence contradicts the information in the text. For example, suppose the text says, "The war had devastating effects on the citizens" and the given statement is "The war proved beneficial for the country as no citizen's life was impacted". Here, the statement is clearly contradicting the text. 

 

• Not Given: This term is used when the question statement is completely outside the context of the passage, carries partial information, or it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about. 

 

 

8. Time Management: The ultimate secret to answers!!

 

 

The most important aptitude that IELTS judge is your time management competence. 

 

Do not stress over one question. Divide the timings for each passage, spend no more than 20 minutes at one comprehension. 

 

It's completely in your hands whether you want one correct answer and leave the rest of the questions or skip one question and attempt the rest of 39 questions. 

 

 

 

 

Tips for managing time

 

1. Skim and Scan

 

Once you have annotated the passage, quickly read the question and hunt the relevant words. This is the best way to ensure that your time is not being wasted in rereading the paragraph. Rather you would be just finding the keyword and reading the sentence that contains that particular word. Do not spend time reading each sentence in detail; it's utterly unnecessary and time-consuming. 

 

Align your focus on headings, highlighted nouns, and underlined justification or explanation. 

 

2. Emphasize the introduction & conclusion

 

Generally, the title and first paragraph are enough to give you an idea of what you can expect in the following paragraphs. Most of the important words would be there in the introductory paragraph. 

 

3. Start with the questions

 

As mentioned earlier, begin with the questions. Before you head to the text, take a quick look at the questions. Do not forget to read the instructions before every set of questions. 

 

Make sure to utilize the annotation strategy to mark the keywords in your questions so that you can quickly look at them and align them with the passage to figure out the correct answers. 

 

4. Do not skip or stick to one question

 

Remember, any incorrect answer will not lead to negative marking. Therefore, answer every question even if you are unable to find the answer; an educated guess would work in this case. 

 

But, if you are running out of time, it is recommended not to spend more than a couple of seconds on each question. 

 

Remember to answer every question even if you cannot find the answer or option. If you are running out of time, remember that you will not lose a mark if the answer is wrong, so make an educated guess, and you may get the answer right.

 

5. Cross-check your answers

 

Checking your answers will surely help you increase your scores. Do not forget to check the spelling and grammar. 

 

Bonus tip: Beware of the articles; skip them in case there is a word limit and using an article exceeds it. 

 

 

9. Remain Stressfree!

 

 

 

 

The ideal way to attempt your IELTS exam is to forget stress!! 

 

A couple of questions would be easy, while some will be difficult to comprehend. Then, what is the ideal way to deal with them? A calm and serene mindset is the key. 

 

One thing most of the test-takers fall prey to is being stuck at the difficult question and forgetting about the rest of the questions. If you are unable to find the answer, move on to the next. It is not like you would not be able to reattempt the question. Therefore, skip it or write a guess answer and come back once you are done with the other parts. 

 

No tips and tricks or reading material, including practice tests, will work if you do not have a gauge over time and control over your nerves. 

 

If you will take unnecessary stress, then it is possible that the answer would be in front of you, but you would be unable to locate it. Hence, calmness is another key to high IELTS band scores.

 

 

 

 

10. Forget your understanding of the topic and make a new start

 

 

 

 

 

It might sound weird, but yeah, it is true; leave your prior knowledge of the topics outside the examination hall. 

 

The purpose of IELTS is to assess your language skills and comprehensive power. They are not gauging your subject knowledge. 

 

I would like to share an instance here to explain why it is necessary to keep your subject knowledge aside literally. 

 

I recall one of my students, who was a staff nurse and did her previous studies in medical sciences. I was sure she would be scoring 8+ bands in the reading module. But on the day of the test, the comprehension was based on COVID and Science. Rather than reading the passage thoroughly, she used her general knowledge and started answering the questions. What next? Obviously, a blunder!! Even though her logic was correct, but most of the answers were incorrect. Why? Because the text described something else, and she answered it the other way. 

 

Ensure that you do not commit the same mistake and write your answers solely on the basis of texts, not your general knowledge. Making assumptions based on your prior knowledge is definitely a bump in your own head. 

 

 

11. Remember "Practice makes a man perfect"

 

 

 

 

 

It does not matter how many times you have appeared for the IELTS exam or practiced sample papers; make sure you practice at least 5-6 sample tests before attempting the exam.

 

Don't directly jump to the examination environment. Start with a buffer time, slowly and steadily reduce the time duration and delve into the exam situation. 

 

For instance, in the beginning, take as much time as you need but make sure you improve your accuracy. Once you start getting maximum right answers, set a timer and try to finish three long passages in an hour. Do not compromise with accuracy. 

 

 

12. Attempt Online Mock Test

 

 

 

 

Finally, once you have reflected upon all the points mentioned above and implemented them in your preparations, start attempting online mock tests. 

 

Increase your reading time. By reading time, we do not mean reading newspapers, articles, or travel blogs. Try your hands on IELTS mock tests and sample papers provided on the official sites. 

 

Most IELTS comprehensions are scholastic articles, not the general newspaper ones. So, it is better to spend more time on sample papers and get yourself accustomed to the IELTS pattern. 

 

 

Bottomline:

 

 

I hope you will find these extra notes beneficial. Based on my years of IELTS training, I believe if you impement these strategies and work accordingly, then you are all prepared to hit a 9 in your IELTS Reading test. Use these techniques and all the tips or tricks to practice answering questions from previous years IELTS Reading Test papers. However, the ultimate key to a perfect "9.0" is hard work and practice. 

 

If you are applying for a CBT test, attempt online mock tests. Take the printouts, if you have opted for the paper-based exam, sit at your table, and attempt them in one go with undivided attention.

 

 Remember, if you are working on it diligently, no one can stop you from achieving your goal. So peep inside yourself, and tell your mind that "Now" is the time!

 

To watch the video on live solving of the Full Reading passage, click here

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