Academic Reading: The IELTS academic reading test is comprised of three reading passages, totaling 40 questions. You’ll have one hour to read all three texts, answer the questions, and transfer your answers onto an answer sheet. It’s essential to recognize the different task types in the IELTS reading section, as each is designed to test a specific reading skill.
Question types may include:
- Short answer questions
- Fill in the blanks
- Multiple choice
- Complete a sentence
- Matching headings to paragraphs
- Matching opinions to names
- Yes, no, or not given
- True, false, or not given
General Reading: The IELTS general reading test consists of four to five reading passages and a total of 40 questions. Like the academic test, you’ll have one hour to read all the texts, answer the questions, and transfer your answers onto an answer sheet.
Question types in the general reading section are similar to the academic reading section.
Heading 2: Difference between IELTS Academic and IELTS General Reading
As you can see from the overview, the reading sections in both the IELTS academic and IELTS general tests are nearly identical. The only distinction lies in the number of paragraphs to read. In the IELTS academic reading section, you’ll encounter three long paragraphs, whereas in the IELTS general reading section, you’ll face four or five shorter paragraphs. Both sections require you to answer a total of 40 questions.
(For a detailed explanation, refer to our linked YouTube video or explore our sample material.)
