Cracking the Reading Code with Comprehensive Strategies and Proven Tricks
Hello there, one of the trickiest modules in the test is reading because of the complexity of sentence formation and vocabulary. But do not worry. Using the right techniques, you can crack the code which I will elaborate on in this article.
Understanding the module:
The reading module is of two types: Academic and General. It is quite essential to understand which IELTS test you are taking because the content and format are different for both.
In the Academic version, there are three passages and you as a test taker have to solve 40 questions.
The questions are of different types testing the verbal and comprehension ability of the test takers.
Time constraint is the biggest challenge as one has only one hour to solve the questions.
When I started my journey as an IELTS Trainer, my first suggestion to my students was to manage their time.
I believe time management is the key to winning the game here.
You have to transfer the answers as well to the OMR answer sheet in the Paper and Pencil exam.
Be careful because if the answers are transferred wrong or if the spellings are wrong, you are going to lose the scores.
Being an IELTS mentor, I have seen many students fail in the module due to these silly mistakes.
If you are taking a Computer-based test, you’ll either have to drag and drop the answers or type the answers in the boxes.
My suggestion would be to practice reading on the computer interface.
Questions type:
This module has a variety of questions to test your comprehension(understanding of the lines and words) skills. In total, there are 13 types of questions. These are:
Match the Headings
In this task, you have to match the headings given to the paragraphs in the passage. In this section as per the number of paragraphs, a list is given. You have to read the passage:
True/false/Not Given
For these questions, you have to determine whether the information given in the passage supports the statement, is opposite to the statement or the statement and information have no relation.
Summary Completion
Reading the passages, you have to fill in the blanks in the paragraph given.
Sentence Completion
In this, you have to fill in the blanks to complete the sentences.
MCQs or Multiple Choice Questions
From the multiple options, you need to find the correct answer by reading the information from the text.
List Selection
From the list provided(list of dates, people etc.), you need to find the correct answers from the passage.
Matching Sentence Endings
To answer these questions you need to match the ending with the beginning.
Table completion
You need to complete a table from the information in the passage.
Yes/No/Not Given
I find this question type quite similar to the True, False, Not Given question type. To answer Yes No Not Given questions you need to determine whether the author of the passage agrees or disagrees with the statement or if the statement is not given in the passage.
Matching Paragraph Information
In question type, you have to match the statement given with the respective paragraphs.
Flowchart Completion Questions
You have to complete a flowchart or a cycle(usually fill-ups) from the information in the given passage.
Diagram Label completion
You need to label the diagram from the passage given.
Proven Strategies to crack the module:
Skimming and Scanning
As a trainer, I always suggest my students read the text quickly to get a general idea about what is the topic about.
You do not need to know every piece of information but grasp the concept.
The passage can be Cause Effect Solution, Agree/ Disagree or any other type, getting the main idea always helps.
After this, You definitely need to scan the text.
Scanning means you need to find out the phrases or relatable words that are there in the questions.
I guarantee using this method, you will get the information you need to find the answer.
Elimination Method
This method is usually used to get closer to the answers. This method can be used on any question type but is basically used to solve the match the headings and multiple choice questions.
This helps you to eliminate the incorrect answers first increasing your chances to get the accurate answer.
Reading the question first
Reading the question first
For some questions, it is very important to read the questions to understand the demand of the questions and then read the passage to locate the answer.
These questions can be True/False/Not Given, Yes No Not Given, and List Completion, Diagram Labelling.
Reading the text first
For some types of questions such as Match the headings, Summary Completion and Match Paragraph Information, this technique works better. In this technique, you read the paragraphs in the passage, get a general idea of what is given in the paragraph and then try to find the answer.
Moving On
One thing which is extremely irritating while solving reading is one you are stuck to find the answer. In this scenario, I strongly suggest you move to another question because you will only waste your time.
Getting a strong hold on vocabulary
One thing that I have learnt throughout my journey, developing your vocabulary will definitely pay off.
If you understand the meaning of words and phrases given in the text, it will be easy for you to find the answer.
For example, in one of the IELTS readings, the phrase ”writing on the wall” was there in the passage, and in question, about its meaning was asked.
Either you can make a general sense, of what the phrase would mean or you shall start building vocabulary and learning the meanings of idioms and phrases.
Between you and me the meaning of the phrase is the indication that something bad would happen.
The Deal Breakers
I am telling from my experience of four years that most brilliant students lose scores due to the below-mentioned reasons.
I always train my students to transfer the answers on the answer sheet after finding the answer as many times students find the answers but are not able to transfer the answers on the answer sheet in the given time.
This reduces the chance of scoring the desired band scores.
Also, make sure to check for spelling errors for if your answer is correct but the spellings are wrong, the answer would be considered wrong.
For example, if the answer is “affect” but in a hurry, you have written “effect”, then it would be considered an incorrect answer.
Or the spelling is coffee and you wrote coffe. Then, you know well.
Another case where students lose band scores if they by mistake transfer the reading answers on the listening sheet.
Make sure to verify you are transferring answers on the correct sheet.
If you write yes no in place of true-false or vice versa, then congratulations, you will lose the scores. Trust me, this happens a lot.
Practice Regularly
Practice, Practice, Practice
I am of the opinion that practice makes everyone perfect, so practice as much as you can.
Buy some sample tests, especially readings and listening or download them online and get them printed and take some mock IELTS exams to become more comfortable and familiar with the test.
The mock tests will help you overcome the nervousness and anxiety that test takers experience during the test. In offline and online classes, I usually take mock tests every Saturday.
Set a timer of 50 minutes and then solve. Practising this strategy will help you complete the reading on time.
Read the instructions carefully. Whether you have to answer in one word or a number, two words, three words or a number.
The instructions are usually like these:
- Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the given passage for each answer
- Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer
- Choose ONE WORD OR A NUMBER from the given passage for each answer
- Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS OR A NUMBER from the given passage for each answer
- Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the given passage for each answer
Even if the answer in the passage is in numerical such as “1968” but in the instruction it is asked to write in no more than words, then the answer will be “NINETEEN SIXTY EIGHT
Practice writing the answers in CAPITAL LETTERS and in neat and clean handwriting.
BONUS TIP
Do you know in the English Language, hyphenated words are considered as one word and NO breaking one word into two parts is not a hyphenated word. For example, Bro-ther. This is not a hyphenated word. Hyphenated words are like these:
FATHER-IN-LAW
X-RAY
I guarantee you these strategies will definitely help you in cracking the IELTS Reading test with ease and confidence.