14 IELTS Reading Test Types and Tips to Do The Test Effectively

The IELTS Reading test is a big challenge for many candidates because of the variety of question types and high requirements for reading comprehension skills. Among them, there are 14 IELTS Reading test types common that you need to master to achieve the best results. Each type of question has its own characteristics and difficulties, requiring you to have a suitable test-taking strategy. This article ETEST English for Study Abroad will provide details on IELTS Reading types and share tips to optimize your score, helping you pass the exam effectively.

Matching Headings Format

Matching Headings requires candidates to match the headings to the main ideas of each paragraph. Headings are numbered (i, ii, iii…) and paragraphs are indicated by letters (A, B, C…). The candidate’s task is to identify the most suitable heading for each paragraph, so that the heading accurately reflects the main idea of that paragraph.

Tips for doing the test

• Read the headline first: Read through all the headings and underline important keywords. This will help you understand the main content of each heading. Identify the keywords in the headings and make a note of the main idea the heading is trying to convey.
• Read the previous paragraph: Read through each paragraph quickly to get the main idea of each paragraph. Look for the opening and closing sentences of the paragraphs because they often contain the main idea of the paragraph. Then, summarize the main idea of each paragraph in your head and compare it with the available headings. Choose the heading that best fits the content of each paragraph.
• Choose the appropriate title: Make sure that the headings you choose accurately reflect the content and main idea of each paragraph. Avoid choosing headings that are generic or do not directly relate to the content of the paragraph.

Assessment of skills in Matching Headings:

• Deep reading comprehension: Candidates need to quickly and accurately grasp the main idea of each paragraph in order to choose the appropriate title.
• Information analysis skills: This includes the ability to distinguish between main and secondary information in a paragraph.
• Ability to recognize synonyms: Sometimes the words in the heading may be different from the words in the passage, so candidates need to identify synonyms and equivalent meanings.

Matching Features Type

One of the most common IELTS Reading task types is Matching Features. This task requires candidates to match information related to names, dates or features with events or statements in the question. Each piece of information or feature can be related to one or more events or statements and candidates need to identify the relationship between them.

Tips for doing the test

• Read the question carefully: Identify the type of information you need to match (such as names, dates) and understand what each part requires. Find out how information is classified in the reading passage.
• Find information in the reading: Skim through the reading to find information related to the items in the question. Identify the specific location of each piece of information that needs to be matched.
• Applying the Linearthinking method: Read the passages carefully to understand the information related to each feature or event. Compare the information in the reading with the events or statements in the questions.
• Connect the correct information: Based on your analysis, match the information to the characteristics or events. Double-check your choices for accuracy and to ensure that they are not duplicated.

Skill Assessment:

• Skimming & Scanning Skills: The ability to search for specific information is key in this type of question, as candidates need to scan through several paragraphs to find the necessary facts.
• Paraphrasing Skills: Information in the reading passage may be worded differently from the questions, so the skill of recognizing synonyms and different ways of saying things is also important.
• Relationship building skills: Analyze the relationship between information.

Matching Sentence Endings format

Matching Sentence Endings requires candidates to match the first half of sentences with the second half so that they form complete, meaningful sentences. Candidates need to rely on information from the reading passage to do this. Usually, the first half of the sentence will follow the order of the information in the text, while the second half may not follow the order.

Tips for doing the test

• Understand the first part of the sentence: Read the beginning of each sentence carefully to get the main idea and structure. Don't rush to look at the endings right away.
• Find information in the reading: Identify the paragraph that relates to the main idea of the first sentence. Pay attention to keywords and important information to determine the correct location in the reading.
• Read and analyze information: Use Linearthinking to understand the information in the passage. Compare the information in the passage with the endings of the sentences to find the correct connection.
• Connect the beginning of the sentence with the ending: Combine the beginning of a sentence with the ending so that they form a complete, meaningful sentence. Make sure the combination accurately reflects the information in the reading.

Skill Assessment

• Skills to grasp main content: Candidates need to clearly understand the main content of each paragraph to accurately compare the beginning and end of the sentence.
• Information analysis skills: Candidates need to be able to analyze information to compare the sentence beginning and sentence ending options.
• Speed reading skills: Use Skimming skills to quickly grasp the main information and Scanning to find necessary keywords in the reading.

Matching Paragraph Information format

Matching Paragraph Information tasks require candidates to identify which paragraph contains information relevant to each question. Candidates need to find the most suitable paragraph for each piece of information and a paragraph may answer multiple questions depending on the content. The order of the questions may not follow the order in which the information appears in the reading passage, making this type of task more challenging.

Tips for doing the test

• Underline keywords: Read the questions carefully and underline the key words to help you understand the information you are looking for. Key words help you quickly identify the main content you are looking for in the reading passage.
• Analyze each paragraph: Read each paragraph to get a general idea and identify information that may be related to keywords from the question. Take notes of important points for easy reference later.
• Identify the paragraph containing the keyword: Compare the keywords and information from the question with the content of the passages to determine which passage contains relevant information. Note that a passage may be relevant to more than one question.
• Find the answer: Compare the information from the questions with the content noted in each paragraph to choose the appropriate paragraph.

Skill Assessment

• Skills to identify keywords and synonyms: Candidates need to be able to identify key words and synonyms in a passage to find the correct information.
• Skimming and Scanning Skills: You need to quickly skim to grasp the main content of each paragraph and search for necessary keywords.

Multiple Choice Form

In the Multiple Choice IELTS Reading test, candidates are required to choose the best answer from four options (A, B, C, D) or multiple options if required. The choices must accurately reflect the information in the text.

Tips for doing the test

• Read the question carefully: Start by reading the question and answer choices carefully. Identify what the question is asking and important keywords to help you understand the information you need to find in the text.
• Find related information: Identify the section of the reading passage that the question refers to. Read the passage for specific information that relates to the keywords and requirements in the question.
• Summary: After reading the relevant passage, summarize the main idea and key points. This helps you grasp the main idea and understand the information needed to compare the options.
• Compare with options: Compare the summarized information with the answer choices. Eliminate incorrect answers and choose the best answer based on the information from the passage.

Skill Assessment

• Keyword filtering skills: Candidates need the ability to identify and filter key words in questions and reading passages to find the correct information.
• Content comprehension skills: Candidates must understand the content of the reading passage clearly to identify and compare the correct answers with the information in the passage.

Form True/False/Not Given or Yes/No Not Given

True/False/Not Given and Yes/No/Not Given questions require candidates to identify the match between the information in the question and the content of the IELTS reading passage.

• True/Yes: The information in the question matches the information in the reading passage exactly.
• False/No: The information in the question contradicts the information in the reading.
• Not Given: The information in the question is not mentioned in the reading.

There are two main types of IELTS Reading questions:

• True/False/Not Given: Based on specific events in the reading.
• Yes/No/Not Given: Rely on the author's point of view or opinion to make the correct choice.

Test-taking strategy:

• Read the question carefully: Analyze the question structure and content to understand the requirements and important keywords.
• Identify the information to read: Find the part of the reading that relates to the information in the question to make sure you are reading the correct passage.
• Read and understand the sentence structure in the lesson: Read the information in the article carefully to understand the content and how the information is presented.
• Compare and choose the answer: Compare the information in the question with the reading passage. Select True/False/Not Given or Yes/No/Not Given based on how well the information matches, contradicts, or does not refer to.

Skill Assessment:

• Summary of information: Ability to synthesize and understand reading content to determine the relevance of information.
• Identify the author's point of view: Understand the author's point of view and opinion to correctly classify questions as Yes/No/Not Given.

Short Answers

Short Answers requires candidates to answer a question with a short answer (about 1-3 words) based on the information in the reading passage. This is a fairly simple type of IELTS Reading test, usually requiring only one question.

Test-taking strategy:

• Read the requirements carefully: Pay attention to the maximum number of words allowed in the answer (eg, “No more than 3 words”) to ensure you don't exceed the limit.
• Determine the type of word to use: Analyze question structure and keywords to predict the word type (noun, verb, adjective, etc.) needed in the answer.
• Find information in the reading: Identify the paragraph or section of the reading that contains the information needed to answer the question.
• Read the information: Apply the sequential reading comprehension method to accurately grasp relevant content.
• Compare and answer: Compare the information in the reading with the questions and choose the appropriate answer, making sure your answer is concise and accurate.

Skill Assessment:

• Paraphrasing and synonym skills: Ability to understand and paraphrase information from reading.
• Locate important information: Ability to quickly find and understand information needed to answer questions.

Choose a Title

Choose a Title task requires candidates to choose the most suitable title for the entire reading passage in the IELTS Reading section. It requires candidates to be able to synthesize and identify the main idea of the article to answer the correct answer.

Test-taking strategy:

• Read the question requirements: Understand the requirements before looking at the title list to understand the goals to be achieved.
• Complete the other questions: Do the other questions first to get an overview of the reading and related details.
• Summary of reading content: Determine the main idea of a reading by identifying important points and the connections between them.
• Compare with the titles: Compare the main idea summarized with the headings A, B, C, D to choose the heading that best matches the general content of the reading.

Skill Assessment:

• Time Management: Allocate adequate time to read and understand the entire passage before making your title choice.
• Content aggregation capabilities: Identify and grasp the main idea of the reading passage to choose a title that accurately reflects the content of the passage.

Summary Completion form

The Summary Completion test requires candidates to fill in the blanks to complete a summary of a reading passage. This summary may be of one paragraph, a few paragraphs or the entire article.

Test-taking strategy:

• Read the summary overview: Look at the entire summary to understand the main content and information to fill in the blanks.
• Analyze each blank: Determine what type of word or phrase to fill in by analyzing the context and sentence structure in the summary.
• Find information in the reading: Use Linearthinking to identify information that fits into the gaps in the summary.
• Understand sentence structure in reading: Read and analyze the sentences in the reading passage to understand the information needed for each blank.
• Compare information: Compare the information from the reading with the requirements of the question to choose the correct word to fill in the blank.

Skill Assessment:

• Identify important keywords: Identify keywords and phrases in the reading that are relevant to the information required.
• Grasp the main content: Understand the main idea of the passage and reading to complete an accurate summary.
• Identify the word type: Know the word class (noun, verb, adjective, etc.) needed to complete the grammatically correct summary sentence.

Sentence Completion Form

Sentence Completion requires candidates to fill in the blanks with words or phrases to complete a summary of a reading passage. This summary may include one paragraph, several paragraphs, or the entire text.

Test-taking strategies

• Read the summary overview: Look at the entire summary to get an overview of the information you're looking for.
• Sentence structure analysis: Identify the word part and structure needed to complete the blanks based on the context of each sentence.
• Search information: Find and read the information in the reading passage carefully to find the words or phrases that fit the blanks.
• Analyze and understand information: Understand the content and meaning of each part of the reading passage to ensure that the words that fill in the blanks are in the correct context.
• Compare and complete: Compare the information found from the reading passage with the requirements of the question to choose the correct word for each blank.

Skill Assessment:

• Identify keywords: Identify key words and important phrases in the reading to find the information you need.
• Grasp the main content: Understand the general content of the passage and the whole article to complete an accurate summary.
• Word class recognition: Identify the correct word class (noun, verb, adjective, etc.) needed to fill in the blanks.

Flow Chart Completion Form

Flow Chart Completion requires candidates to complete a process diagram by filling in the blanks with words or phrases. The process is usually divided into clear steps and candidates need to fill in information to accurately reflect each step of that process.

Test-taking strategy:

• Consider the word count required: Clearly identify the number of words to fill in each blank according to the requirements of the question.
• Question structure analysis: Consider the process and the types of words needed to complete the steps, and then deduce the information that needs to be filled in.
• Identify the information in the article: Find information in the reading and divide it into steps in a process flow chart to suit the requirements.
• Read and analyze information: Use the Linearthinking method to read and understand the information in the reading passage in detail.
• Compare and fill in information: Compare the information found from the reading with the blanks in the chart and choose the correct word to fill in.

Skill Assessment:

• Identify keywords: Identify key words in the reading to complete the procedure correctly.
• Summary of content: Understand and summarize the content of each step in the process to fill in the information accurately.

Table Completion Form

Table Completion is a type of IELTS Reading task that requires candidates to complete a table of information by filling in the blanks with words or phrases. The table usually has column and row headings to help candidates identify the information they are looking for.

Test-taking strategy:

• Read column and row headers: Look carefully at the headings to understand what information needs to go in each section of the table.
• Determine the word type to fill in: Analyze the requirements to know the word part (noun, verb, adjective) needed for the blanks.
• Apply the 'scanning' technique: Use scanning to quickly find relevant information in a reading.
• Check word limit: Make sure not to exceed the word count for each blank, as required by the question.

Skill Assessment:

• Read the specific information carefully: Grasp the exact details in the reading to complete the table.
• Skim for general meaning: Understand the general meaning of the reading to identify relevant information.
• Identify synonyms: Identify synonyms to fill in the blanks correctly.

Diagram Completion Form

Diagram Completion is one of the IELTS Reading test types that requires candidates to fill in the gaps in the caption of a diagram. Candidates must use information from the reading passage to complete the missing parts of the diagram.

Test-taking strategies

• Determine the number of words allowed to fill in the blank: Check the maximum word requirement to fill in each blank in the chart.
• Sentence structure analysis: Learn the sentence structure and the word class (noun, verb, adjective) needed to fill in the blanks based on the context.
• Identify the information to read in the article: Look at the sections of the reading that relate to the chart to find the correct information.
• Apply Linearthinking: Read the information from the reading passage carefully in order to understand and identify the information that needs to fill in the blanks.
• Compare the question information and the reading information: Compare the information from the reading passage with the information needed to fill in the blanks to choose the appropriate word.

Skill Assessment

• Identify keywords in the reading: Identify relevant keywords to find the information you need.
• Summary of main content: Understand and synthesize key information from the reading to complete the chart accurately.

List Of Options Format

List of Options requires candidates to choose correct options from a list to answer a question related to information in a reading passage. Candidates must identify which options match the information provided in the passage.

Test-taking strategy:

• Read the question and the list of options carefully: Understand the question's requirements and the options given.
• Find related information in the reading: Identify passages or sections of the reading that contain information that might match the options.
• Read each part of the reading carefully: Apply Linearthinking technique to find accurate information related to options.
• Compare the information in the reading with the list of options: Compare each option with the information in the article to determine its suitability. Select the correct options based on the information confirmed.

Skill Assessment:

• Information analysis skills: Identify the correct information that matches each option from the reading passage.
• Comparison and contrast skills: Compare the information from the reading with the options to choose the correct answers.

Frequently asked questions about IELTS Reading test types

Next to IELTS Reading types In addition to the above, there are many other factors that are also important for you to prepare for this exam effectively. Below are some frequently asked questions such as:

How to manage time when doing IELTS Reading test?

The IELTS Reading test usually has 3 passages with a total of 40 questions. It is important to allocate time appropriately for each passage.

Typically, you should spend about 20 minutes on each passage and the last 5-10 minutes reviewing your answers.

Before you begin, skim the entire passage to get an overview. Then, when you answer the questions, use close reading to find specific information. If you encounter a difficult question, move on to another question and come back to it after you have completed the easier ones. This will help you avoid spending so much time on one question that you may not have time to complete the rest.

Should you memorize vocabulary before the IELTS Reading test?

Studying IELTS Reading Vocabulary It is important to remember, but instead of memorizing, you should focus on understanding and using vocabulary in context. Familiarizing yourself with vocabulary and phrases that often appear in Reading passages can help you understand the content of the reading faster.

In addition, you should also learn IELTS vocabulary by topic common in IELTS Reading such as education, health, environment, etc.

Làm sao để cải thiện kỹ năng Reading cho IELTS?

Để cải thiện kỹ năng Reading, hãy đọc đa dạng IELTS Reading materials như IELTS books, báo và bài viết học thuật để làm quen với nhiều loại văn bản và từ vựng. Thực hành với các bài tập Reading từ các đề thi Reading IELTS thực tế giúp bạn nắm bắt dạng câu hỏi và kỹ thuật làm bài. Ngoài ra, cần phân tích lỗi sai sau mỗi bài tập để học từ những sai lầm và nâng cao khả năng hiểu văn bản.

Việc nắm vững IELTS Reading types và áp dụng các bí quyết làm bài hiệu quả là chìa khóa để đạt điểm cao trong kỳ thi. Từ việc quản lý thời gian, học từ vựng theo chủ đề, cách làm bài Reading IELTS đến cải thiện kỹ năng đọc đều góp phần vào thành công của bạn.

Để chuẩn bị tốt nhất cho kỳ thi IELTS, bạn hãy tham gia các khóa học luyện thi tại ETEST English for Study Abroad. Chúng tôi cung cấp các khóa học IELTS toàn diện như khóa học IELTS 1 on 1, khóa IELTS crash course giúp bạn nâng cao kỹ năng và đạt điểm cao nhất.

Mỗi IELTS course được thiết kế để đáp ứng nhu cầu học tập của từng cá nhân, từ việc cung cấp kiến thức nền tảng đến hỗ trợ cá nhân hóa và cải thiện nhanh chóng.

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