IELTS academic reading syllabus
Forty questions on three passages in 60 minutes, each question worth one mark. There is no transfer time, so answers go straight onto the answer sheet as you work, which is the single biggest difference from Listening. The IELTS Academic syllabus hub page covers the other modules.
Pattern
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Passages | Three |
| Total length | 2,150 to 2,750 words |
| Questions | 40, each worth one mark |
| Time | 60 minutes, with no separate transfer time |
| Sources | Books, journals, magazines, newspapers and online resources |
| Audience | Written for a non specialist reader |
| Negative marking | None |
Sixty minutes across 40 questions works out at about 90 seconds each, and that has to cover reading the passages as well as answering. Difficulty rises across the three passages.
Even if $9 invested today doubled in five years...
$9 spent on mocks today could change what you’re earning in five years.
IELTS Academic Pro · one year of access.
Question types
- Multiple choice
- Identifying information: True, False or Not Given
- Identifying a writer’s views or claims: Yes, No or Not Given
- Matching information to paragraphs
- Matching headings to paragraphs
- Matching features
- Matching sentence endings
- Sentence completion
- Summary, note, table and flow chart completion
- Diagram label completion
- Short answer questions
True, False and Not Given tests statements of fact. Yes, No and Not Given tests the writer’s opinions and claims. They look alike and are marked differently, so read which one you have been given.
What is not in the syllabus
- No specialist knowledge. Passages are written for a non specialist audience
- No negative marking
- No transfer time at the end, unlike Listening on paper
- No vocabulary list. Words are tested in context
- No fixed subject areas. Topics are of general interest to undergraduate and postgraduate readers
How to spend the time
Read the questions first and the passage second. Candidates who read all three passages properly before starting usually lose the third passage entirely.
Spend roughly 20 minutes per passage, and move on when the time is up rather than when you are satisfied. The third passage is the hardest and the one most often left unfinished, so leaving it the least time is the wrong way round.
Matching headings is the task to do first within a passage, because it forces you to work out what each paragraph is about, which is also what the other tasks need.
Write answers onto the sheet as you finish each passage. There is no time at the end to do it. Browse the available IELTS Academic practice papers.
Common mistakes
- Treating Not Given as False, when Not Given means the passage is simply silent on the point
- Saving time to transfer answers at the end, when no such time exists
- Reading each passage in full before looking at the questions
- Spending twenty five minutes on the first passage because it feels manageable
- Changing a True, False or Not Given answer on a second reading without new evidence
- Copying an answer from the passage with a spelling or word form error
- Exceeding the word limit in completion tasks
Academic Reading against General Training Reading
| Feature | Academic | General Training |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 40 | 40 |
| Time | 60 minutes | 60 minutes |
| Structure | Three academic passages | Three sections of rising difficulty |
| Total length | 2,150 to 2,750 words | 2,150 to 2,375 words |
| Section 1 content | An academic passage | Short everyday texts such as notices and timetables |
| Section 2 content | An academic passage | Workplace texts such as contracts and training documents |
| Section 3 content | An academic passage | One longer general interest text |
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are in IELTS Academic Reading?
Forty, across three passages, each worth one mark.
Is there transfer time in Reading?
No. The 60 minutes includes writing your answers onto the answer sheet.
What is the difference between False and Not Given?
False means the passage contradicts the statement. Not Given means the passage does not address it either way.
How long are the passages?
Between 2,150 and 2,750 words in total across the three.
Where do the passages come from?
Books, journals, magazines, newspapers and online resources, written for a non specialist reader.
Is there negative marking in Reading?
No. Attempt every question.
How much time should each passage get?
About 20 minutes, and move on when that is up rather than when the passage is finished.
Do I need subject knowledge for the academic passages?
No. Everything needed to answer is in the passage.
Does spelling matter?
Yes. Answers copied from the passage must be copied exactly.
Which question type is hardest?
True, False and Not Given for most candidates, because it tests what the passage does not say as well as what it does.