EdMIUMIELTS General Training exam is taken by professionals who are working or seeking to work or immigrate to any English-speaking country. Here, we are talking particularly about the reading module. IELTS General Reading is a 60-minute exam with 40 questions divided into three sections. The passages or essays are taken from advertisements, magazines, books, official documents and newspapers to be authentic.
In this article let us look at:
- IELTS General Reading Sections
- IELTS General Training Reading Band Scores
- Training Question Types
- General Training Practice Test
- Tips
1. IELTS General Reading Sections
The General reading sections are explained below:
· Section 1: This section contains two or more short passages which are usually factual. The topics are relevant to daily life in an English speaking country.
· Section 2: This section contains two short factual texts which focus on work related issues such as workplace facilities, applying for jobs, company policies, staff development and training etc.
· Section 3: This section has only one long passage with a complex text on a general topic.
The IELTS General Reading and Academic Tests are evaluated to the same level. However, the Academic reading tests are more challenging while compared to the IELTS Reading Test General. Number of questions to be answered correctly should be more to score high in the IELTS Reading General Training.
2. IELTS General Training Reading Band Scores
The IELTS Reading test consists of 40 questions. Each correct answer is awarded a mark. The score out of 40 is then converted to a nine-band scale. The scores are awarded in whole and half bands. Here is the table for the General Reading Score:
| Score out of 40 | Band Scores |
| 40 | 9.0 |
| 39 | 8.5 |
| 37-38 | 8.0 |
| 36 | 7.5 |
| 34-35 | 7.0 |
| 32-33 | 6.5 |
| 30-31 | 6.0 |
| 27-29 | 5.5 |
| 23-26 | 5.0 |
| 19-22 | 4.5 |
| 15-18 | 4.0 |
| 12-14 | 3.5 |
| 9-11 | 3.0 |
| 6-8 | 2.5 |
3. Training Question Types
IELTS General test question types for reading are the same as the academic test. Here is the list of type of questions:
· Matching Headings
· True, false, not given/ Yes, No, Not Given
· Matching paragraph information
· Summary completion
· Sentence completion
· Short Answer Questions
· Table/ Flow Chart completion
· Diagram labeling
· Multiple Choice/ List Selection
· Choosing a Title
· Categorization
· Matching sentence ending
4. General Training Practice Test
The reading test is to check the English reading skill. It doesn’t imply any other requirement. However, the convention of checking points is a shortcut to get a good score. The general reading tests and the exam paper emphasizes on these skills:
· Get a big picture as well as minor points
· Distinct the facts from opinions and attitudes
· Follow main arguments
· Digest the key point
· Symbolize written information in graphic form
· Know the correct spelling and accurate grammar
In order to get high score in the IELTS reading test, the key abilities should be
· Skimming: Read quickly, get the main idea or say big picture
· Scanning: Read quickly to look for a specific element
· Reading for Details: read every word in detail to really understand information
5. Tips
Here are the tips to practice for the IELTS general training practice test.
· Look for heading and subtitle
· Check the question first and then go to the text
· Check the first five questions and try the first paragraph
· Learn all the types of questions before taking the test
· Underline all name or important information
· Don’t panic if the topic isn’t familiar
· Spelling in the answer sheet matters
· Avoid grammar errors in answer
· Develop speed reading skill
· Enrich the vocabulary
· Working on General reading practice test online helps with the score
Note:
· It is always good to refer to IELTS General Reading materials.
· The more you practice the IELTS general reading test online, higher chances to score high.
Refer the link to practice IELTS General training reading practice test online.
