IELTS Academic · Reading · R1

IELTS Academic Reading Passage 1: Factual Academic Text

IELTS Academic Reading Passage 1 is the first of three long texts in the 60-minute Reading test. It is usually the most accessible: a factual text of the kind found in books, magazines or journals, such as the history of an invention. Questions often include TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN, completion and matching tasks.

Section: Passage 1 of 3; 40 questions across all three
Time: One 60-minute timer for the whole Reading test
Text type: Factual academic text, often descriptive or historical
Common task types: TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN, sentence, note or table completion, matching
Navigation: You can move freely between passages and questions

How it works

1The Reading instruction screen explains the single 60-minute timer for all three passages.
2Passage 1 appears on one side of the screen and its questions on the other.
3You answer by selecting options or typing words into gaps.
4You move to Passage 2 when you are ready; the timer keeps running.

Sample question

Original sample · not from an official test

Do the following statements agree with the information in the passage? Choose TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN. Passage excerpt: The earliest reading stones were polished pieces of rock crystal that magnified text when laid directly on a page. By the late thirteenth century, craftsmen in northern Italy had begun mounting two lenses in a frame that rested on the nose. These early spectacles helped with close work only; lenses for distance vision did not appear for more than a century. Statement: The first spectacles could be used for both reading and seeing distant objects.

ATRUE
BFALSE
CNOT GIVEN

Show answer

Answer: FALSE

The passage says early spectacles 'helped with close work only' and that distance lenses came more than a century later. That directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE, not NOT GIVEN.

Tips that work

Aim to finish Passage 1 in about 17–20 minutes so the harder passages get more time. This is a guide, not a rule.
For TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN, answer FALSE only when the text says the opposite; if it says nothing either way, it is NOT GIVEN.
Completion answers are copied from the passage. Check the word limit and spell them exactly as printed.
Questions of one type usually follow the order of the text, so each answer narrows where to look for the next.

Common mistakes

Answering from general knowledge instead of from the passage.
Confusing FALSE with NOT GIVEN when the passage simply does not mention the point.
Spending too long on one hard question early in the test.

Questions candidates ask

Is Passage 1 always the easiest?

It is usually the most accessible, and the passages generally get harder. That is a pattern, not a guarantee, so if a question type in Passage 1 slows you down, guess, flag it and come back later.

Do I get extra time to transfer answers?

Not in the computer-delivered test. You type or select answers directly on screen, and the 60 minutes covers reading, answering and checking. Plan your time on that basis.

What kind of topics appear in Academic Reading?

Texts are taken from sources such as books, journals, magazines and newspapers, on subjects of general academic interest. You do not need specialist knowledge; any technical term you must understand is usually explained in the text.