How to Finish 3 IELTS Reading Comprehension in Less Than 60 Mins?

One of the most challenging parts of the IELTS Reading module is completing the test within the allocated time. Many aspirants consider it a big hurdle to complete the IELTS Reading Comprehension in 60 minutes. Although it seems impossible to complete all the 40 questions of the 3 IELTS Reading Comprehension passages within an hour, it is achievable when proper strategies are implemented. 

The IELTS Reading test requires you to solve 40 questions in 60 minutes, which means you need to solve each question within 90 seconds approximately. The IELTS Academic Reading test is divided into three sections of increasing difficulty. In contrast, the IELTS General Reading test consists of several short passages and one long passage in part 3, which is generally long with an abstract topic.

Different types of Questions

Before appearing for the IELTS Reading exam, ensure that you are familiar with the different kinds of questions which are asked in the IELTS Reading module, such as, 

• Multiple-choice questions
• Matching information 
• Matching sentences 
• Flowchart completion
• Table completion
• True/False/Not Given Questions 
• Yes/No/Not given Questions 
• Summary completion and so on 

Here are a few strategies that can help you finish 3 IELTS Reading passages in Less Than 60 Minutes.

It is crucial for an aspirant to repeatedly practise the IELTS mock tests as only practising will help optimize their skills to perform better under pressure. Check out the description below to know the right strategies to complete the IELTS Reading Comprehension within the stipulated time.

Split your time effectively

You will have an hour to solve 40 questions of all three passages, so you must use your time wisely. Moreover, the last passage in both IELTS Academic and General Reading tests will be difficult, so devote some more time to it. Try to complete each section within 20 minutes, i.e., read, understand the passage, and answer the questions for 15-16 minutes and transfer your answers into the answers sheet within 4-5 minutes. This way, you will have some extra time to solve the questions in the third passage. Time yourself while practising the mock tests.. 

Go through the instructions.

Before jumping to write the answers, read the instructions carefully. Do not write answers which exceed the word limit. Many aspirants lose their marks in IELTS Reading as they don’t heed the instructions properly.

Skim & scan the passage

The first and foremost strategy you need to use is skimming and scanning the passage. Skim the passage for 3-5 minutes to understand the general idea behind it and scan the passage to quickly find specific information such as names, numbers, figures, etc. It is very important to skim the first paragraph at the beginning of each passage to get an overview of the topic. At the same time, it is necessary to scan the passage to identify the keywords. It is highly suggested to use a strategic approach while scanning the reading passage for answers.

Do not spend more time on a single question.

Ensure that you do not spend more than a minute on a single question. Few questions may require extra time to solve, but do not devote too much time thinking to find a solution. Instead, move on and solve other simple questions. Later, you can solve the pending questions or guess the answer if you have spare time in the end. But make sure to mark the difficult questions so that you know which question to come back to. Otherwise, you may forget it.

Do not read the entire passage.

It’s a waste of time if you keep reading the entire passages in the IELTS Reading section. Before reading the passage, go through the questions and underline the keywords. Later, look for those keywords, synonyms/paraphrased words in the passages. It will be easier to locate answers using keywords in the first and second passages, but it might be difficult to do the same in the third passage as it will be lengthy. So, do not bother reading the entire passage. Instead, read the passage associated with the questions and mark your answers.

Improve your Vocabulary

Many of the IELTS Reading module questions focus on a synonym of the answer in the passage. So, the exam analyzes your vocabulary as much as it analyzes your reading skills. Therefore, improving your vocabulary will allow you to locate and identify the correct answers quickly. So, work on developing your vocabulary as a part of daily exam preparations. 

Things will not happen overnight. So take your time to practice the IELTS Reading tests. Smart and consistent preparation can pay off on IELTS Reading. Don’t limit yourself to IELTS practice materials; reading newspapers and magazines is an excellent way to improve your comprehension skills and get desired results in the IELTS Reading module.

Also check: 

• IELTS Reading tips
• IELTS Reading Practice Test
• True False Not Given IELTS Reading
• IELTS Reading recent actual test
• IELTS Academic Reading test papers with answers pdf

Check More IELTS Reading Answers