Reading · module 3 of 8

Free IELTS Academic Reading lessons

Skimming, scanning, True/False/Not Given, matching headings and every other question type — at exam speed.

15 lessons · about 7.7 hours

  1. 1Academic Reading: format and time managementKnow exactly what you face in the 60-minute Academic Reading test (three passages, 40 questions, no transfer time) and build a time plan that turns your reading level into the highest possible band.25 min · Foundation
  2. 2Skimming for gist, scanning for detailStop reading every word. Learn to skim a passage for its gist in 2–3 minutes, scan for names, dates and numbers in seconds, and switch to careful reading only where the answer is.30 min · Foundation
  3. 3Spotting paraphrase and synonymsIELTS rarely repeats the passage's words; it repeats its meaning. Learn the seven ways question writers paraphrase, why word-matching leads you into traps, and how to build a synonym bank that pays off in every question type.30 min · Foundation
  4. 4True / False / Not GivenMaster the strict logic of True / False / Not Given: contradiction versus no information, qualifiers, comparisons, causes and numbers, the traps that cost most marks, and a step-by-step method you can trust under time pressure.35 min · Intermediate
  5. 5Yes / No / Not Given: the writer's viewsJudge statements against the writer's opinions, not just the facts: read opinion language, separate the writer's voice from the voices the writer reports, and tell NO apart from NOT GIVEN every time.30 min · Intermediate
  6. 6Matching headingsMatch headings to paragraphs by finding each paragraph's main idea, not its most eye-catching detail. Learn where main ideas hide, why a heading that repeats a word is often a trap, and a cross-out method that works under time pressure.35 min · Intermediate
  7. 7Matching information to paragraphsAnswer “Which paragraph contains the following information?” by hunting for a type of information (an example, a reason, a comparison, a prediction) rather than a topic, even when the questions jump around the passage and letters are used twice.30 min · Intermediate
  8. 8Matching featuresMatch statements to people, theories, places or dates. Finding the names takes seconds; the marks come from reading carefully around each name, seeing through paraphrased findings and working out exactly who said, found or criticised what.30 min · Intermediate
  9. 9Matching sentence endingsMatch sentence beginnings to the right endings with two filters: grammar fit and meaning fit. You'll also see why the ending that 'sounds right' is so often the trap.25 min · Intermediate
  10. 10Multiple choice in readingAnswer single-answer and choose-TWO/THREE multiple-choice questions accurately. Read the stem precisely, find the right section, and rule out options that are true but irrelevant, partly true, contradicted or not mentioned. Also covers writer's-purpose and main-idea questions.30 min · Intermediate
  11. 11Sentence completion and short answersComplete sentences and answer short questions with words copied exactly from the passage. Obey the word limit, fit the grammar, count hyphenated words and numbers correctly, and spell every answer perfectly.30 min · Intermediate
  12. 12Summary, note, table and flow-chart completionMaster the completion family: summaries with words from the passage or from a box, plus notes, tables and flow-charts. Find the section being summarised, predict the word class, and see through the paraphrase in the word box.35 min · Advanced
  13. 13Diagram labelling and process passagesPassages that explain how something works or is made can be the most reliable marks in the test. Read the diagram first, follow spatial and sequencing language, and copy exactly the right words into labels and flow-chart boxes.25 min · Advanced
  14. 14Decoding difficult vocabulary and long sentencesPassage 3 is hard because of how it is written, not what it is about. Learn five decoding tools: context clues, word parts, sentence surgery, reference tracking, and reading hedging and nominalisation. Then use them on a dense academic argument.30 min · Advanced
  15. 15Full passage practice under timeAn exam rehearsal: recap the 17/20/23-minute timing plan, tackle a full-length passage with 13 questions across three task types in 20 minutes, then use a five-category error log to turn every wrong answer into a targeted plan for band 7+.40 min · Advanced

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