Reading · Unit 1: Know the test
R01: IELTS Reading explained: 3 passages, 40 questions, 60 minutes
Target band 5.5 to 6
IELTS Reading is a race against the clock. You get three long passages and 40 questions, and only 60 minutes to finish. Most students don't fail Reading because their English is weak. They fail because they run out of time. In this lesson, you'll see exactly how the Academic Reading test is built, so you can plan how to beat it.
Why this matters
If you know the shape of the test, you can manage your time. If you don't, you'll spend 30 minutes on Passage 1 and rush the rest. Understanding the format is the first step to a time plan that works.
The Academic Reading test at a glance
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Time | 60 minutes |
| Passages | 3 long passages |
| Total length | About 2,150 to 2,750 words |
| Questions | 40, usually 13 or 14 per passage |
| Marks | 1 mark per correct answer |
| Extra time | None. No time to transfer answers |
Where the passages come from
The texts are taken from real sources, like books, journals, magazines and newspapers. They're written for a general reader, not for experts. So you don't need to know anything about the topic. Everything you need is in the passage.
Topics are things like:
- the history of an invention
- animal behaviour
- a psychology experiment
- city planning
- climate and the environment
The passages get harder
Passage 1 is usually the most straightforward. It's often factual and descriptive. Passage 3 is usually the hardest. It often presents an argument, with the writer's own opinion. This matters for your time plan, which you'll build in R07.
No extra time at the end
This is very important. In Listening, you get a short time to check at the end. In Reading, you don't. When 60 minutes are up, the test ends. On the computer test, you answer directly on screen, and a timer shows how long you have left.
What Reading tests
Reading isn't only about understanding words. It tests whether you can:
- find specific information fast
- understand the main idea of a paragraph
- tell the difference between a fact and an opinion
- follow an argument
- recognise the same idea written in different words
The last skill, recognising paraphrase, is the most important. You'll see it in almost every lesson.
Try it yourself
- How long is the Academic Reading test?
- Which passage is usually hardest?
- Do you get extra time to transfer answers?
- Do you need background knowledge of the topic?
Show the answers
1) 60 minutes. 2) Passage 3. 3) No. 4) No, everything is in the passage.
Honest note
The exact number of questions per passage and the difficulty can vary a little from test to test. Don't build a plan that breaks if one passage has 14 questions instead of 13.
Your task today
Open any Cambridge IELTS Academic test. Don't answer anything. Just count the words in one paragraph and estimate how long each passage is. Notice how Passage 3 looks compared to Passage 1.