Do you find the IELTS Reading section challenging? Here are some tips and tricks provided to you by IELTS experts to help you with IELTS Reading.

Not all IELTS reading passages have titles, but if there is one, it can often be a good indicator of what the passage is about. The same is true for diagrams, which can often give you a good idea of what at least part of the passage is about.

People, places and other kinds of names can often give you a good guide for where information is in the passage, and can help you come back to a specific point much faster.

The IELTS test does not give you time to read every word of the complete passage, and trying to do so will often mean you do not finish all three sections. The only time you should read every word is when you think you have found the answer and want to read the surrounding sentences carefully. Otherwise, you should either be skimming the text for a general understanding or scanning for specific information.

It is very common to get stuck on a word or phrase when you don’t know the meaning, but this is wasting precious time when you should be moving on. It’s possible that you may lose a point because of a word you don’t know, but it’s better to answer easier questions first and if you have time, go back to that word at the end.

Sentence and summary completion questions in IELTS are one of the most common question types. You need to be able to complete either a sentence or a short summary of the text, using either word from the text or words provided in a box.

There are two different types of instructions for text-completion questions:
· Use words from the text

· Use words from a box.

· The text you are completing will not be in the same order as the reading text. For example, the reading text may start by talking about the origin of a company, then moves on to discuss its products, whereas the completion passage may ask first about the products and then about the origin.

· The most useful skill with these questions is the ability to identify synonyms and parallel expressions – that is, the same information but presented using different words or constructions.

· Looking for names of people or places, as well as dates and times, will often help you identify the approximate area for the answer. For example, the text may say ‘Egypt is considered by many to be an ideal tourist destination’ – in that case, it is worth scanning the text for references to Egypt.

· Look closely at the instructions. Writing too many words than the limit given will mean your answer is automatically wrong!

· Once you have found what you think is the answer, read the summary with your answer included and check the grammar – obviously the summary you are completing must be accurate.