Tips to pass the reading test

5 more tickets to IELTS crash review course up for grabs

Do you want to attend a free, four-day IELTS crash review course? Here’s how: Read through this article and answer the practice questions below. Post your answers to the three questions in the comment section of the online version of this article at inquirer.net (global nation section (inquirer global pinoy). Early birds get the prize: The first five to comment with the correct answers will receive a free gift certificate to the author’s review center in Metro Manila.

THE READING exam is the second part of the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam, a requirement for those who want to work or migrate to an English-speaking country.

Unlike the first part, which requires listening to tapes, this module asks an applicant to read a test booklet then answer questions within an hour. It usually starts at around 10 a.m.

The Reading module is divided into three sections: three texts or articles between 750 to 950 words each which you must read to answer the questions.

The IELTS reading module is the easiest to perfect because almost all the answers are actually in the text.

So here are more tips to improve your IELTS score:

Follow the 1-minute-rule

You need to finish the whole set of 40 questions. Very often candidates, in their desire to get a high score, insist on staying with a difficult item and waste time. It would be wise to allot at least one minute for each question. If it takes too long then make a logical guess, mark the question with an asterisk and move on. You can just return to it when you have finished all the questions.

Use your eyes

You also need to practice the art of skim-reading. This is essentially looking for the main idea or gist of a particular passage without reading the whole thing. Skim the material and look for a key word or phrase. Start looking at the passage from the bottom left part of the text to the right , then from the bottom to the top, then from the right side to the left , and then from the left side to the right. You will see the answer either before or after the key word. Analyze the text and answer immediately. With practice, you can answer most of the reading questions using this technique.

Do not over-analyze

The IELTS is an English exam. It is not an exam to test your IQ. When taking a practice exam, take note of how you answer questions. Usually examinees answer a question and then change their answer because they are unsure or they analyze too much. Then when they check their work they find out that their first answer was correct. If this happens to you often enough, then it only shows that you have enough skills in English to answer using your stock knowledge or instinct. Just check your answer once then leave it alone. You may regret changing it.

First things first

The first thing to read in the Reading test booklet is the statement or question followed by the title and then the passage. If you read the passage first without an idea of what you are looking for then you are just wasting your time. Read the question, read the passage and answer as you go along. This is more efficient and will save you a lot of time.

Note synonyms

You will find a lot of synonyms and paraphrasing in the IELTS reading module. There are three types. Type 1 is when you have the exact word (e.g “regulate”) in both the statement and the passage. Type 2 is when you find a word (e.g “allocate”) in the statement and you find a word (e.g.”distribute”) in the passage (a different word with the same meaning). Type 3 is when you find a phrase (e.g. “harmful substance”) in the statement and you find “dangerous drugs” in the passage (a dangerous drug is an example of a harmful substance).

Again, constant practice is the key. You need to read a lot of English materials such as magazines, and newspapers.

The author is head coach of Queen’s English IELTS Review Center. (www.qeieltsreview.com)

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PRACTICE QUESTIONS
1.How many articles will they ask you to read in the reading test?
2.How much time will you be given to answer the questions?
3.Do you want to attend a crash review class in Metro Manila?

(You’re not qualified to join if you already won a gift certificate to the IELTS review center two weeks ago or if you work for the Inquirer group of companies. If you live too far away from Metro Manila, we also suggest you pass.)