#6

Highlight (if taking the computerized test) or underline (if taking the paper-based test) any fundamental information you find while scanning. Things like names of researchers, places, dates, or even events because most likely you will be asked to go back to this piece of information in later questions. Highlighting and underlining this information can make it way faster to answer without the need to read the whole passage again.

#7 

You may find words you have never come across in your entire life, especially in the academic test as it can get really specialized. However, most of the time this would not affect your understanding of the questions if your English level is already high. But, if not, you can study the reading tests as a source of advanced language but no guarantee that the topics nor the words will be repeated in the real-time test. 

#8 

If you opt for the academic test, I would recommend you start watching documentaries online on different scientific areas and reading as many academic and scientific articles as you can. Mainly, the academic reading passages are extracts from research papers and magazines. 

If you are signing up for the general training test, you still need these different scientific and academic topics for writing task 2. So, there is technically no way around studying that part. 

#9

Be careful with the following:

True/False/Not Given is a different question from the Yes/No/Not Given. This means that if you write true instead of yes or false instead of no or vice versa, this would be a wrong answer.

Spelling mistakes are wrong answers, so always make sure you’re transferring the correct spelling. 

Writing in both American and British spelling is allowed. However, you need to stick to one of them. Failing to do so may show poor language skills.

Always watch out for how many words and/or numbers you should write in your answer. If you provide the correct answer but the wrong word count, it is considered a wrong answer. 

If two words are combined with a hyphen, they are one word. 

For example, if the correct answer is consumption but you write down the consumption, this is a wrong answer.

Also, it’s safer to capitalize the first letter of the names of people, places, and months of the year. There isn’t clear information on this matter, so play it safe. 

We cannot change the part of speech while answering. If it is not in the right form, then it isn’t the right answer.

Here’s an example from Cambridge 18, test one, passage one, question number 5. 

5- varieties of fruit and vegetables chosen that can survive long …. 

In the passage, it is stated as the following: I don’t much like the fact, either, that they’ve traveled an average of 2000 refrigerated kilometers to my plate, that their quality is so poor because the varieties are selected for their capacity to withstand such substantial journeys.

The correct answer is journeys. However, someone may change the verb traveled into a noun travel to provide the same meaning which in real-life situations could be fine. But, in IELTS, we do not have the freedom to do so. 

Check out the explanation for the answers to Cambridge 18 reading tests here.

Adding or omitting a plural -s while answering is also incorrect. 

For example, in takeielts.britishcouncil.org paper-based academic reading test 1 passage, the answer to question 12 is sinewy muscle. If you add an -s as some sort of natural thing that we normally talk about muscles in general, this is considered a wrong answer.

Check out the answer for this test here.

Read the question carefully, and read the part which includes the answer till the end as it may be different from what you think.

#10

The most important tip of all!

Do not look for the exact same words in the questions within the passage. Always, look for the synonyms as the test is built around that concept of paraphrasing (they do it in reading and listening while expecting you to do it in speaking and writing).

Here is an example.

Cambridge 18, test 1, passage 1, question 2

2- There will eventually be a daily harvest of as much as ….. in weight of fruit and vegetables. 

In paragraph two, when the remaining two-thirds of the vast open area are in production, 20 staff will harvest up to 1000 kg of perhaps 35 different varieties of fruit and vegetables, every day. 

 Notice the paraphrasing. 

   when  the remaining = eventually

   every day = daily 

You can find out more about paraphrasing by checking the rest of my articles that cover the analysis of individual passages below.

How to answer every question type from the IELTS reading test is here.