How to Boost Your IELTS Reading Score
Are you taking practice tests over and over but not seeing your score improve? Stuck on the same level with your reading for ages? You’re not alone – this is a common problem, especially when studying on your own without a teacher or classmates to guide you.
The key to improvement is reflection: spend time analysing your practice tests to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Here are 5 practical tips to help improve your IELTS reading score. Ask yourself these questions after every practice test and you’ll be on your way to better results!
Tip 1: Am I making mistakes on the same question type?
For many candidates, Headings style and True / False / Not Given questions are the most challenging. If you notice a particular question type causing repeated mistakes, focus on it. Keep practising, review your answers, and if needed, ask questions in the comments section to clarify your doubts.
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Tip 2: When I see the correct answer, do I realise why I went wrong?
Simply accepting your answer as wrong and moving on won’t help. Look carefully at the correct answer and ask yourself:
- Did I misunderstand the question?
- Did a negative prefix (UNimportant, NONflammable) confuse me?
- Did I overlook a qualifying word in the text?
Tip 3: Am I taking too long to read the text or questions?
In the IELTS reading test, you don’t have time to read every word in detail. You need to skim and scan effectively and use speed-reading techniques.
Don’t spend 30 minutes on one text – it’s better to lose one point on a hard question than risk losing multiple points because you ran out of time.
Tip 4: Is it the text or the questions that I am misunderstanding?
Depending on your technique, you might skim the text first and then look at the questions, or vice versa. When an answer is wrong, determine whether you misunderstood the text or the question. Adjust your timing for each part in future practice tests accordingly.
Tip 5: Is it vocabulary, syntax, or another reason I didn’t understand?
If you got an answer wrong because you didn’t understand the text, reflect on why:
- Was it unknown vocabulary?
- Complex sentence structure?
- Long academic sentences that could be simplified for clarity?
- Other challenges like qualifying words, prefixes, or indirect sentences?
Analysing your errors carefully will help improve not only your IELTS reading score but your overall English skills. For full access to all exercises and tips, becoming a full member is the fastest way to keep improving.
We hope these 5 tips to improve your IELTS reading have helped!
This table explains some key words and phrases from the tips above to make them easier to understand:
| Word | Word Group | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Analyse | Verb | To study something carefully to understand it better |
| Reflection | Noun | Thinking carefully about something you did |
| Skim | Verb | Read quickly to get the main idea |
| Scan | Verb | Look quickly through text to find specific information |
| Qualifying word | Noun | A word that changes or limits the meaning of another word |
| Prefix | Noun | A group of letters added to the start of a word to change its meaning |
| Syntax | Noun | The rules for the order of words in a sentence |
| Academic sentence | Noun | A long sentence often found in textbooks or formal writing |
| Discipline | Noun | The ability to control yourself and work carefully |
| Improvement | Noun | The act of getting better at something |