IELTS Academic · Reading
IELTS Academic Reading: Format, Passages and Scoring
IELTS Academic Reading has three long passages and 40 questions, with one 60-minute timer for the whole section. Texts come from sources such as books, journals, magazines and newspapers, and generally get harder from Passage 1 to Passage 3. Your raw score out of 40 converts to a band from 0 to 9.
- Passages
- 3 academic texts
- Questions
- 40 in total
- Time
- 60 minutes, one timer for all three passages
- Navigation
- Move freely between passages and questions
- Score
- Band 0–9, in half bands
How IELTS Academic Reading works
Academic Reading tests how well you follow long, complex texts written for a non-specialist audience. Passage 1 is often factual, Passage 2 frequently discusses an issue or several views, and Passage 3 is usually the most analytical, sometimes presenting the writer's own argument.
Question types include TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN, YES/NO/NOT GIVEN, matching headings, matching information and features, matching sentence endings, multiple choice, and sentence, summary, note, table and diagram completion. The instructions for each group tell you the answer format and any word limit.
Each correct answer scores one mark. In the computer-delivered test there is no separate transfer time, so the 60 minutes covers everything. The raw score is converted to a band; check the official IELTS site for how the conversion works.
IELTS Academic Reading tasks
Tips that work
- Plan roughly 20 minutes per passage, with less on Passage 1 and more on Passage 3.
- Read the questions before reading closely, so you know what you are looking for.
- Never leave a blank. There is no penalty for a wrong answer.
- Copy completion answers from the passage with exact spelling, within the word limit.
Questions candidates ask
How is Academic Reading different from General Training Reading?
Academic Reading uses three long academic-style texts. General Training uses shorter everyday and workplace texts before one longer passage. The number of questions and the time are the same.
Does the timer reset for each passage?
No. One 60-minute timer covers all three passages. If you spend 30 minutes on Passage 1, you have 30 minutes left for the other two.
Can I practise one passage at a time?
Yes. Our practice sets let you work on Passage 1, 2 or 3 separately in the real question formats, and full mock tests put all three passages under one timer.
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