Reading · Unit 1: Know the test
R07: Your 60-minute time plan
Target band 5.5 to 6
Without a time plan, IELTS Reading usually goes like this. You spend 25 minutes on Passage 1 because it feels easy. Then 25 minutes on Passage 2. Then you have 10 minutes for Passage 3, the hardest one, and you guess half the answers. A time plan stops this from happening.
Why this matters
Each passage has about the same number of marks. A question in Passage 3 is worth the same as one in Passage 1. If you run out of time, you throw away marks you could have won.
Two good plans
| Plan | Passage 1 | Passage 2 | Passage 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple plan | 20 minutes | 20 minutes | 20 minutes |
| Smart plan | 17 minutes | 20 minutes | 23 minutes |
The smart plan gives you more time for the hardest passage. Passage 1 is usually easier, so you can save a few minutes there. Choose one plan and practise it until it's automatic.
Inside each passage
Here's how to use your 20 minutes:
- Read the questions first (2 minutes). Know what you're looking for. Note the question types and word limits.
- Skim the passage (2 minutes). Get the main idea of each paragraph (R06).
- Answer the questions that follow order (12 minutes). Move through the passage from top to bottom.
- Answer the "search everywhere" questions last (3 minutes). Matching information and matching features. By now, you know the passage well, so searching is faster.
- Fill every gap (1 minute). Guess anything you've left. There's no penalty for wrong answers.
Time checkpoints
Use the timer on screen. Check it at two moments:
- At 20 minutes: you should be starting Passage 2. With the smart plan, you'd have started at 17.
- At 40 minutes: you should be starting Passage 3. With the smart plan, at 37.
If you're behind, move on anyway. Leave a guess, and come back only if you finish early.
The 90-second rule
No single question deserves more than 90 seconds. If you can't find the answer, guess, mark it, and move on (R14). One stubborn question can cost you five easier ones.
Practise the plan
At first, you won't finish in time. That's normal. Practise like this:
| Week | Goal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Do one passage at a time, with 20 minutes each |
| 2 | Do two passages in 40 minutes |
| 3 | Do full tests in 60 minutes |
Try it yourself
It's minute 44 and you're still on Passage 2, with 4 questions left. What should you do?
Show the answers
Make quick guesses for the 4 questions now and start Passage 3. You need at least 16 minutes for Passage 3. If you finish early, come back.
Honest note
Some tests have a harder Passage 2 than Passage 3. If you notice that, adjust a little. The plan is a guide, not a prison.
Your task today
Do one full Reading test with the smart plan. Write down your time at the start of each passage.