Most Indians prefer to migrate and study in English-speaking countries. Amongst these, the US, the UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand remain popular. One crucial requirement for going to such a country is to take the English language proficiency test.

When it comes to choosing the right English proficiency test, IELTS is the most popular test worldwide. More than 40 lakh students worldwide took the IELTS test last year as it is recognised by more than 12000 organisations across 140+ countries.

Scoring high bands in IELTS is just a matter of practice. There are four sections in the IELTS exam – Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Today, let us understand how to score better in the IELTS Reading section.

Here are some tips and tricks shared by an expert, Piyush Kumar, Regional Director-South Asia and Mauritius, IDP Education, to ace the IELTS reading section.

Understanding the IELTS reading format

The IELTS Academic and General Training will have similar question types, but the topics and texts will be different. The reading section has three parts, and you are allotted approximately 60 minutes to answer 40 questions. One should aim to complete each part within 20 minutes.

Preparing for the IELTS reading test

• Start reading English newspapers, magazines, books, journals, etc., to enhance your reading skills and increase your speed.

• Ensure you read various topics in multiple genres.

• Learn how to skim (go through the paragraph and understand the gist of it), scan (read quickly to locate specific information), and read in detail (reading to understand the writer’s viewpoint, opinion, tonality, objective, etc.).

• Practice as much as possible. This will help you get accustomed to the right grammar and sentence structure. A lot of preparation materials can be found on the Cambridge IELTS Prep Programme, the Free Macquarie course, the IELTS Assessment Tool, etc.

• Take multiple IELTS mock tests before appearing for the actual test. This will help familiarise the format and build confidence.

Things to remember during the test

1. Read the questions before reading the text. This will help you understand what you need to look for in the text.

2. Pay attention to the introduction and the conclusion.

3. Identify the keywords. Do not get overwhelmed by the vocabulary, but focus on getting the context right. Try to paraphrase and find the synonyms or antonyms in the text.

4. Answer all the questions.

5. Check all the answers after completing your test.

With dedication and consistent effort, you can reach your desired band score and move closer to your dreams of studying or working abroad. Good luck!