Team Based Learning – IELTS Reading Answers

Kasturika Samanta

14 min read

Updated On Feb 09, 2026

Check out the guide to improve your reading accuracy and comprehension skills with the IELTS Reading passage on ‘Team Based Learning’. Dive into the question types, common mistakes to avoid, and answers with explanations.

Team Based Learning – IELTS Reading Answers

Types of Questions in ‘Team Based Learning’
Common Mistakes to Avoid in ‘Team Based Learning’ for a Band 8+
IELTS Reading Passage on ‘Team Based Learning’
Answer with Explanation for ‘Team Based Learning’

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The IELTS Reading passage on ‘Team Based Learning’ would include academic language and descriptive explanations. This passage would evaluate your potential to comprehend and interpret written texts under time constraints. It is important to keep in mind that accuracy and speed are the two aspects of the IELTS Reading through which you are required to improve your ability to find keywords, paraphrase ideas, and match information correctly. The reading answers along with explanations will help you to sharpen exam strategies, gain confidence, and gradually develop the skills to score a higher band.

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Types of Questions in ‘Team Based Learning’

A common mistake which you might make is reading the entire passage first which could be a very confusing and lengthy process. Therefore, knowing the question types before attempting to read will help you to have a defined purpose. Since each type of question tests a different skill, incorporating the correct strategy will be very important. The following are the question types that appear in the passage ‘Team Based Learning’.

IELTS Reading Summary Completion [Q.26-Q.32]
IELTS Reading Yes, No, Not Given [Q.33-Q.37]
IELTS Reading Matching Endings [Q.38-Q.40]

Common Mistakes to Avoid in ‘Team Based Learning’ for a Band 8+

The passage on ‘Team Based Learning' would give you an opportunity to note the academic tone, paraphrased information, and focus on key details. To achieve a band 8+, it is necessary to use IELTS Exam Preparation Tips for Band Score of 8+. By getting familiar with the common mistakes, your accuracy will be improved and you would also learn to avoid them. Below are some of the common mistakes which you need to avoid when attempting the Reading passage.

1. Reading the text line by line

This could be due to the fear of missing information.
Read the passage quickly first to get the structure and then look for the keywords which you will find in the questions.

2. Paraphrase Information is not considered

Expecting to find the same words given in the question as you go through the passage can affect your time and band scores.
Practice on understanding synonyms and restated ideas.

3. Spending too much time on one question

Trying to find the answer for one question for too long can result in less time remaining for the other questions
Move on to the next question and come back to it later.

4. Answering Yes/No/Not Given incorrectly

Verify the main idea by reading the surrounding information rather than answering based on just the keywords.
Do not use your own knowledge for the answers.

5. No strategy used in time distribution for the questions

Non-timed practice will not help in identifying your key issues with time.
Keep a minute for each question and always practice under exam conditions.

Curious to learn how to improve your reading skills to get a band 9? Check out the video below!

IELTS Reading Passage on ‘Team Based Learning’

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 26-40 which are based on the Reading Passage below.

Team Based Learning

A With the globalisation of information technology (IT) and worldwide access to the Internet, people from all areas of learning are finding themselves using some form of information technology in the workplace. The corporate world has seen a boom in the use of IT tools, but conversely, not enough people with IT skills that can enter the workplace and be productive with minimal on-the-job training.

B A recent issue of the New York Times reports that many companies are looking for smart students who may have a budding interest in IT. Some companies, trying to encourage students to attend interviews, provide good salary packages and challenging work environments. For example, one American IT consulting company offers high salaries, annual bonuses, and immediate stock options to potential recruits. It also brings in 25 to 40 prospective applicants at a time for a two-day visit to the company. This time includes interviews, team exercises and social events. The idea behind the team exercises is that the applicants get to see that they will be working with other smart people doing really interesting things, rather than sitting alone writing code.

C In the past 10 years, employers have seen marked benefits from collaborative projects in product development. Apart from the work environment, there is also a similar body of research indicating that small team-based instruction can lead to different kinds of desirable educational results. In order to prepare IT graduates to meet these workplace requirements, colleges and universities are also beginning to include team-based educational models.

D One of the leaders in promoting team-based education is the American Intercontinental University (AIU), which has campuses worldwide. AIU offers programs in IT with a major portion of the curriculum based on team projects. AIU has a large body of international students and students from different educational backgrounds. This team-based learning gives the students a sense of social and technical support within the group and allows students firsthand experience of both potential successes and of inherent problems encountered when working with others.

E Team-oriented instruction has not been the common mode of delivery in traditional college settings. However, since most college graduates who choose to go into an IT work environment will encounter some form of teamwork at work, it is to their advantage that they are educated using collaborative learning and that they are taught the tools needed to work with different people in achieving common goals or objectives.

In team-based learning, students spend a large part of their in-class time working in permanent and heterogeneous teams. Most teams are made up of individuals with different socio-cultural backgrounds and varying skill levels. Team activities concentrate on using rather than just learning concepts, whilst student grades are a combination of overall team performance and peer evaluation of individual team members.

G In a team-based environment, the teacher takes on the role of a facilitator and manager of learning, instead of just providing information to passive students. The facilitator/teacher also guides the team in identifying their goals and establishing standards of team performance. Team exercises then help the students to improve their problem-solving skills by applying theory to simulated real-world situations. Working as a team allows students to adopt new roles and empowers them to control their own learning. Students in teams are taught to use each other as resources and accept the responsibility of managing tasks.

H Team members must also study assigned material individually to ensure their preparation for classes. There are individual assessment tests to measure if students have not only read the assigned material, but also understand the concepts of the module, and can apply them to given problems. Additional team assessment tests present a problem for discussion and require consensus, helping students learn critical communication skills. This also enables them to deal with conflicts between members before they escalate to crises. Team presentations (written or verbal) allow the team to focus and build cohesion, with team members sharing the responsibility for presenting and persuading the audience to accept their viewpoints. Feedback on how the team is functioning with task management, team dynamics and overall work is given by the facilitator. Team exercises that are application-oriented help students experience the practical application of concepts and learn from other students’ perspectives.

I Team-based classrooms are especially beneficial in colleges with international students. Since this type of learning encourages people to listen and communicate with others, share problems, resolve personal conflicts, and manage their time and resources, it is a great environment for students who are in a new social situation. Since social interaction plays an important role during teamwork, team learning has an added advantage for students who are not comfortable in traditional classroom settings. It allows students from different cultures to understand their differences and use them productively. This type of learning environment also allows students to express themselves freely in a team context, rather than feeling singled out as when answering questions in a traditional classroom.

J This learning model was designed to better prepare students for today’s global workplace. Students are encouraged to explore ideas together, build communication skills and achieve superior results. It is likely that employers will increasingly seek out students with these skills as we move into the future.

Questions 26-32

Complete the summary below.

Choose your answers from the box below the summary.

There are more words than you will need to fill the gaps.

Although IT is one of the leading career choice (example) made by graduates today, the industry’s demand for qualified applicants 26 ____________ the supply of skilled IT personnel. Despite the 27 _____________ widespread use of computer technology in all areas of life, 28 ______________ face difficulties recruiting people whose education has equipped them to commence working productively without further training. Several business organisations now offer income and other 29 ____________ inducements to potential employees. They also include group 30 ___________ in their selection procedures, often inviting up to forty 31 _____________ to their company for the two-day visit. In this way, the company can demonstrate the reality of the working 32 _________________ which is more likely to involve challenging co-operative projects than individualised tasks.

List of Words

exceeds	extracts	choices	candidates	employees
admiration	previous	financial	employment	regularity
advantages	employers	environment	activities	current

Questions 33-37

Do the following statements reflect the views of the writer of the passage? Write:

YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer

NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer

NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

33 The American Intercontinental University includes team-based learning in all its courses on all its campuses.

34 The composition of teams is changed regularly.

35 Theoretical problems are the most important team activity.

36 The team members participate in assessment of other team members.

37 International students prefer traditional classroom learning to team-based learning.

Questions 38-40

Choose one phrase from the list of phrases A-H below to complete each of the following sentences.

There are more phrases than questions so you will not use all of them.

38 Students’ work is assessed …

39 The teams make a joint presentation …

40 The need to achieve consensus assists …

List of Phrases

to compete with other teams as judged by the facilitator.
by individual tests and exams.
to see who has the strongest point of view in the group.
individually, by their peers and as a team.
in the development of communication skills.
to practise working as a group while putting theory into practice.
to assist international and non-traditional students.
in getting to know new friends and colleagues.

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Answer with Explanation for ‘Team Based Learning’

Let’s compare your answers with the right ones but remember to focus on keywords and their location in the passage. This technique would help you in the reasoning process and boost your comprehension skills. In this way, you would build your confidence and accuracy which are essential tools for getting a higher IELTS Band Score.

Answer	Question Type	Answer Location	Answer Explanation
26. exceeds	Summary completion	Paragraph A, lines 3-5	In the mentioned lines, it is stated that the corporate world has seen a boom in the use of IT tools, but conversely, not enough people with IT skills that can enter the workplace and be productive with minimal on-the-job training. It means that even though IT is one of the leading career choices made by graduates today, the demand for the industry is more than or exceeds the number of skilled people entering the industry. The keywords are “demand for qualified applicants” and “supply of skilled IT personnel”. Thus, the word “exceeds” is the most suitable word for this question.
27. current	Summary completion	Paragraph A, line 3	In the summary question, it is given that despite the widespread use of computer technology in all areas of life. The keywords are “widespread use”, “computer technology” and “in all areas of life”. Even disregarding the blank, the sentence is already complete. Therefore, the answer word will be an adjective that will make the phrase following it – “widespread use” clearer. The paragraph talks about pervasive modern technology trends and thus we can determine that the answer is “current”.
28. employers	Summary completion	Paragraph A, lines 4-5	In the specified lines it is stated that “not enough people with IT skills that can enter the workplace and be productive with minimal on-the-job training.” The keywords are “face difficulties” and “recruiting”. Here, the word “recruiting” tells us that the answer word will be the person or organization that is facing increased demand for employees. In the given list of words, only the word “employers” has the stated meaning and therefore, it fits correctly as the answer.
29. financial	Summary completion	Paragraph B, lines 4-5	We know from the line that “For example, one American IT consulting company offers high salaries, annual bonuses, and immediate stock options to potential recruits.” The keywords are “business organisations”, “offer”, “income” and “inducements”. From where the blank is situated in the sentence, we can determine that the answer word is an adjective. The paragraph elaborates upon the salary and benefits packages that the companies are offering to their prospective hires. All of these are financial benefits provided by the company and therefore the correct adjective for inducements will be “financial”.
30. activities	Summary completion	Paragraph B, line 7	We know that some hiring tactics “includes interviews, team exercises and social events.” The keywords are “group” and “selection procedures”. The paragraph discusses how companies will select employees during hiring processes. The word “team” used here is interchangeable with the keyword mentioned i.e. “group”. Thus we can conclude that the team exercises mentioned are the relevant hiring method being discussed. The word from the word list that has the same meaning is “activities”. Thus, the correct answer is activities.
31. candidates	Summary completion	Paragraph B, line 7	The keywords are “inviting”, “up to forty” and “two-day visit”. From the passage, we know that the company will bring in “20-40 prospective applicants”, and we can determine that the answer will be a synonym of applicants. In the given word list, “applicants” is the correct choice.
32. environment	Summary completion	Paragraph B, line 8	The keywords are “this way”, “demonstrate”, “the reality of the working”, “co-operative projects” and “individualised tasks”. The keyword “this way” is referring to the new method of picking applicants which is group activities because “the applicants get to see that they will be working with other smart people doing really interesting things.” The sentence states that this method helps the applicants get to know other people which increases co-operation when working. This has a positive effect on the environment at work. Thus, we can conclude that here, “environment” is the correct answer.
33. No	Yes/No/Not Given	Paragraph D, line 2-3	The keywords are “The American Intercontinental University”, “team-based learning”, “all its courses” and “all its campuses”. The paragraph states that the AIU “offers programs in IT with a major portion of the curriculum based on team projects.” It is stated that though the AIU includes team-based learning in their curriculum – it is not present in all the courses. Thus, we can determine that the question statement is No.
34. No	Yes/No/Not Given	Paragraph F, lines 1 – 2	The keywords are “the composition of teams”, “changed” and “regularly”. In the paragraph, it is stated, “students spend a large part of their in-class time working in permanent and heterogeneous teams”. Here, the word “permanent” is an autonym – i.e. the opposite of the word “changed”. Thus, the question statement is the opposite of the information given to us in the paragraph. Thus, the answer is No as the statement is not correct.
35. No	Yes/No/Not Given	Paragraph H, line 11	The keywords “theoretical problems” and “most important team activity”. The paragraph states that “Team exercises that are application-oriented help students experience the practical application of concepts…”. Thus, team activities are focused on practical problems, not theoretical ones. Thus it would be wrong to conclude that theoretical problems are the most important among the team activities. As the question statement is not correct, the answer is No.
36. Yes	Yes/No/Not Given	Paragraph G, lines 7-8	From the mentioned lines, we learn that “Students in teams are taught to use each other as resources and accept the responsibility of managing tasks.” Thus, we can determine that both team performance and individual student grades are evaluated. Thus, the question statement is a correct interpretation of this information and is correct.
37. Not Given	Yes/No/Not Given	N/A	There is no information in the paragraph on whether International students prefer team-based learning or traditional classroom learning. Thus, we cannot determine the veracity of the statement and the information is Not Given.
38. D	Match sentence endings	Paragraph G, lines 4-8, Paragraph H, line 2	From the relevant lines of Paragraph G – Team exercises then help the students to improve their problem-solving skills by applying theory to simulated real-world situations. Working as a team allows students to adopt new roles and empowers them to control their own learning. Students in teams are taught to use each other as resources and accept the responsibility of managing tasks – it is pointed out that students are assessed as a team as well as by peers. Moreover, from the lines in the following paragraph – – “There are individual assessment tests [..] Additional team assessment tests” we can determine that student work is assessed on individual levels as well. The correct answer is D.
39. F	Match sentence endings	Paragraph H, lines 7-9	The keywords are “make a joint presentation”. The paragraph states, “Team presentations (written or verbal) allow the team to focus and build cohesion with team members sharing the responsibility for presenting and persuading the audience to accept their viewpoints.” The team presentation is a part of the team exercises. Thus, team presentations help students practically apply the concepts. The correct answer is F.
40. E	Match sentence endings	Paragraph H, lines 4-5	The keywords are “team” and “consensus”. The paragraph states, “team assessment tests present a problem for discussion and require consensus”. From this, we can determine that consensus achievement is required to help students in learning critical communication skills. Therefore, the correct answer will be E.

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Continue the practice by attempting various passages so that you get familiar with different question types. Remember to put the timer on so that you can answer the questions with ease and efficiently. This step-by-step method would help build your confidence for the actual exam day and improve your overall performance.

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