Tips to Attempt 14 Question Types in IELTS Reading
In the module of IELTS reading, your skills of skimming, scanning and intensive reading are judged by 14 question types. These question types basically refine your skills of reading.
IELTS reading question types- a brief introduction
In the module of IELTS reading, you are to attempt 40 questions in 60 minutes, and the time to transfer answers on the answer sheet is also included in it. As you know that there are 14 different types of questions in the reading module, but all the 14 types do not come in the same test.
Summary of 14 Question Types in IELTS Reading
Four modules of IELTS are   included in the test of IELTS. IELTS reading is one of them that is further divided into different types of questions. 14 different types of questions are there in IELTS reading to evaluate your reading skills and understanding about the text. Tips for all of these 14 question types are provided in the article to attempt and the strategies you can use during the preparation and test of IELTS reading. Bonus tips support more to get high band scores in the test of IELTS reading.
Following are the 14 IELTS reading question types:
- Matching headings
- Matching paragraph information
- Matching features
- Matching sentence endings
- True/ false/ not given
- Multiple choice questions
- List selection
- Choosing a title
- Short answers
- Sentence completion
- Summary completion
- Table completion
- Flow chart completion
- Diagram completion
The tips to attempt 14 question types in IELTS reading are discussed below to guide you more about IELTS reading and its question types. These IELTS reading tips and tricks are for all of the question types and overview of each question type will be valuable for you.
Tips for matching headings
In the test of IELTS reading, there will be three passages to solve in 60 minutes. In the question type of matching headings, there will be a list of headings and you have to match with the main ideas of the text. To do well in this question type, apply some of the tips.
Tips to solve question type of matching headings:
- Read the headings later, first move to the text to understand.
- The quantity of headings will be more than the number of questions.
- Understand well about the heading.
- Read instructions carefully in order to solve such type of question.
- In the test of IELTS reading, the questions are not followed by the sequence.
- Skimming is one of the reading skills; use it to get the gist of the passage.
- When you get the idea of the text, it becomes easy for you to match the headings.
Tips for matching paragraph information
In order to talk about matching paragraph information, you have to read the question and match the information from the text given in the question paper of IELTS reading.
Tips to solve matching paragraph information question type
- Read instructions to write an answer. It is important for you to write your answers in the form of letters such as A, B, C, B…
- This type of IELTS reading is added to evaluate your vocabulary. Therefore, remember the synonyms while attempting matching paragraph information question type.
- Do not waste time to find answers.
- Find out keywords from the passage to match the information.
- There can be possibility that the information can be picked from one passage instead of all the passages of IELTS reading.
- The answer will not follow the sequence. Therefore, make an ability to read quickly.
Tips for matching features
It is one of the question types in the category of matching. You have to match the features just like names, facts etc. You are required to match them with the information of the passage.
Tips to solve matching features question type
- To solve such type of question, you have to build your strategies for scanning which is one of the reading skills.
- When you start to read the question, note keywords by underlining or by circling.
- Write your answer in the form of letters like A, B, C, D, in IELTS reading answer sheet.
- The answer will not follow order.
Tips for matching sentence endings
In the question type of matching sentence endings, you face first half of the sentence and need to match it with the second half that is provided in the reading passage. Always remember, you have to complete the sentence with the help of passage information and write exact answer.
- Read instructions carefully.
- Use correct grammar to solve matching sentence endings question type.
- Read the question sentence first and proceed next.
- Find related information in the passage.
- Identify best of the ending sentence to attach question sentence.
- For writing an answer, you have to write just letters in the answer sheet.
Tips for true/ false/ not given
IELTS reading true/ false/ not given is a question type of identification. In this question type, you have to identify the statement that it is true, false or not given in the passage. It is also one of the tough question types in IELTS reading, as you get confused in false and not given.
True means the statement is given in the passage providing same intent. False means information is given in the passage, but is not correct. While the not given means the statement is not available in the passage. These are also called yes, no or not given.
Tips to solve true/ false/ not given
- It is important to read statement first in order to find answers from the paragraph by picking keywords.
- The questions follow sequence.
- Ensure to be clear about false and not given.
Tips for multiple choice questions
Multiple choice questions carry three or four options to choose appropriate one according to the statement. The statement can be a question or you have to complete the sentence by identifying one of the correct answers for the question statement.
Tips to solve multiple choice questions in IELTS reading
- To solve this question type, read instructions carefully and follow.
- The answers come in order.
- The options are represented by letters such as A, B, C, or D etc.
- You have to transfer your answers to the answer sheet in the form of letters.
- Paraphrasing is one of the mandatory techniques to use while attempting multiple choice questions.
Tips for list selection (14 Question Types in IELTS Reading)
It looks like multiple choice questions. In this question type, you will face a question and list in which you have to identify the answers. In the multiple-choice questions, you have to select one of the most appropriate answers while in the list selection, you have to find multiple answers from the given list.
Tips to solve list selection questions in IELTS reading
- Read the instructions and proceed to the list.
- Read the question and find out keywords to search answer from the passage.
- While reading a passage, use the reading skill ‘skimming’ to detect answer.
- The answers follow the same sequence of the question.
- Generally, answers are in the form of letters with the range of A – G.
Tips for choosing a title
In the test of IELTS reading, you have to read the passage and find out the most appropriate title for the passage based on the information of the passage after analyzing.
- Read the passage and get an idea about the possible titles.
- Differentiate these titles and identify correct one.
- Make good attention at the introduction and conclusion of the passage.
- There is just of skimming or scanning for this question. Therefore, do not waste much time.
Tips for short answers
You have to provide the answers with the help of the passage given in the question. These are short questions and you are required to write short answers. Word limit is given in the test for your answer.
Tips to solve short answers in IELTS reading
- First of all, identify the question type. By doing this, you will get to know that how to answer the question in IELTS reading.
- After understanding the question, focus to grammar in the answer.
- Use the reading skill ‘scanning’ in the passage to write answer.
- The answers follow the same sequence as the questions are.
- Do not cross the word limit, otherwise marks will not be given to you.
Tips for sentence completion
In this type of question, you have to put down the words in the sentence to complete it. Instructions will guide you that how many words you can use to complete the sentence. You will face gaps in the sentence and have to fill them with the help of the information of the passage.
Tips to solve sentence completion in IELTS reading
- Read instructions properly.
- Sentence must be grammatically correct.
- Do not cross the word limit to fill the gaps of the sentence.
- Do not read each word.
- Scan the passage to find answer.
- The answers come in the sequence.
- It is important to check the spellings. If these are wrong, your answer will be considered wrong, and you will not be awarded scores for that one.
Summary completion tips
In this task, you have to fill the gaps given in the summary to complete it with the help of passage. Fill the gaps by finding suitable words from the passage.
Tips to solve summary completion question type
- Read the instructions and identify keywords.
- The answers usually follow sequence.
- You have to use words according to the grammar.
- To solve this type of task, keep in mind the nouns, adjectives, adverbs and verbs.
- You must check while filling the gaps of the summary that how many words you are to use in the gap.
Tips for table completion (14 Question Types in IELTS Reading)
In this question type of IELTS academic reading, you have to solve the table by using suitable words from the passage.
Tips to solve table completion
- Read instructions properly and do not cross word limit to solve IELTS academic reading table question.
- Understand the table within a short time to manage the time and analyze the nature of words that you have to use. For example, after preposition noun comes. After ‘to’ mostly present form of verb comes.
- Write accurate answers without grammatical errors.
- Use the reading skills of ‘scanning’ to find the answers from the text.
Flow chart completion tips (14 Question Types in IELTS Reading)
Flow chart is a question type slightly similar to diagram and table completion question types. In the flow chart, there will be missing information that you have to fill with the information of the passage. Arrangement of flow is complicated, so it is considered one of the difficult question types.
Tips to solve IELTS reading flow chart completion
- This type of task does not follow the sequence.
- After understanding instructions, read the question first and move to the passage to find the answer.
- In order to solve this type of question, keep in mind the dates, nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs.
- Do not exceed word limit.
Tips for diagram completion
Diagram completion is also known as diagram labelling. In fact, you have to label the diagram in this question type. You will face a diagram or plan and need to fill it by using information of the text.
Tips to solve diagram completion
- It will be good for you to focus on headings, bold or underlined words to search the correct answers in the passage of IELTS reading.
- Scan the passage to find answer.
- If there are directions like arrows or boxes, follow these directions.
- The answers do not always follow the sequence.
- Write correct answers and do not surpass the word limit.
Bonus tips for IELTS reading
Various useful tips to attempt 14 question types in IELTS reading have been discussed above. As I promised to share 3 bonus tips to master IELTS reading module which I have mentioned below. Apply these tips and crack the puzzle of IELTS reading.
- There are different types of the reading skills, but you have to be expert in skimming, scanning and intensive reading. As these reading types are very helpful to solve IELTS reading module, so you should have good practice of these skills.
- Get familiarization with all these 14 question types of IELTS reading. Some questions need reading the passage and then answering the questions, e.g., suitable titles of paragraphs. There are some other questions which need understanding the question first and reading the passage later on.
- Time management is very much important in IELTS reading test.
In a nutshell- 14 Question Types in IELTS Reading
IELTS reading, a module of IELTS, consists of different types of questions in the test. Tips to attempt 14 question types in IELTS reading are very fruitful if applied appropriately during preparation phase.
