Top 9 Reading Tips By IELTS Mentor?

Reading module is very challenging for many IELTS test takers. Especially, Academic reading passages on topics such as technology, science, and other complex topics can be very much difficult to understand. General Training Reading Passages are easy to understand but questions can be tough. If you wish to get a good score, you need to employ these tips.

Improving reading skills

Keep on reading to enhance your reading skills. Habit of reading books, online material, journals, magazines will definitely help you a lot. This will also help you with grasping the written text. In less time, you can understand more. At least for half an hour, you shall read as a part of your exam preparation activity.

Developing a reading strategy

You will have to prepare a reading strategy. For instance, you can jump to questions which you think are easy to answer. Jump to section 2 if you think you can complete it easily. The interest in topic matters a lot. If you find Passage 2 to be of your interest then you can select that first and come back to passage 1 later.

Mock tests

Taking mock tests from Cambridge IELTS books, preparation websites will solve your problem of how to manage the time. This will let you know about your weak points too. You can learn and improve your score much easily.

Divide your time smartly

Plan how much time you shall give to each of the 3 sections in IELTS reading. You need to divide your time first. You can prepare a time-based reading strategy during your practice to see how it will work for you. Let us say, there is one hour for the test. You can dedicate first 20 minutes to first reading passage and 40 minutes for the next two. But, if you think second and third reading passages will take more time, then you will have to spend less time on first passage.

Stay focussed while taking the test

Do not let anything disturb you. Focus more on the test. Before taking the real test, work on some concentration exercises.

Skim and scanning the passages carefully

Skimming is the first step to smart reading. It is nothing but reading more effectively without spending more time. Just try to understand main ideas while you read the passage. This will save a lot of your time. After skimming, scanning is the major part of the reading process. Look for information and grasp it well. Do not just waste your time reading the complete paragraphs.

Underlining keywords

While reading, make sure you underline important keywords. Some facts, figures can be underlined. This way, you will not have to read the complete paragraph again and again.

Answers are in order

Remember, the answers will be in order. The answer for the first question will be in first paragraph of the given passage. It is very rare that the answer for the question 6 will remain hidden in paragraph 5 or 7.

Understanding vocabulary, paraphrasing

Remember, the information given in the passages is always paraphrased. Different synonyms or antonyms are used to confuse you. So, this means, you may not find the same keywords in the passage which you may find in the questions. But, if you have good knowledge of antonyms and synonyms, phrasal verbs, idioms and phrases then you can easily understand the question and find the answers too.