IELTS Reading Strategies for Band 7+

Time Management: The 20-Minute Rule

Aim to spend no more than 20 minutes per passage (and its questions). If you spend 30 minutes on Passage 1, you cannot finish Passage 3. Practise with a stopwatch from the very beginning of your preparation.

• Passage 1 (easiest): 18 minutes
• Passage 2 (medium): 20 minutes
• Passage 3 (hardest): 22 minutes

Skim First, Then Read for Detail

Spend 2–3 minutes skimming each passage before answering questions. This gives you a mental map of where information is, so you can find answers faster. Skimming means reading the first sentence of each paragraph and the first/last sentences of the passage.

Question-Type Strategies

Different question types require different approaches.

• True/False/Not Given: Look for specific claims — 'Not Given' means the text doesn't say, not that it's false
• Matching Headings: Skim each paragraph for its main idea; eliminate obviously wrong options first
• Summary Completion: Paraphrase hunting — the answer uses different words from the text
• Multiple Choice: Read options before the text; eliminate distractors that are partially correct

Vocabulary Building for Reading

The Academic Word List (AWL) covers a large proportion of IELTS Reading vocabulary. Learn 10–15 AWL words per day, focusing on word families (analyse / analysis / analytical) rather than individual words.