How do you feel about the IELTS reading section?
Many, many people think that the reading section is the hardest part of the IELTS exam.
Yes, they feel that it’s even more difficult than the speaking, writing and listening sections!
It’s true that you have to work very fast and that reading requires a lot of concentration.
Yes, you need to keep yourself very focused to find the
right answers too many questions.
10 Top Tips for Scoring High on the IELTS Reading Section
1. PLAN YOUR TRAINING FOR IELTS READING:
·
You
should spend time
·
Developing
vocabulary and paraphrasing limitation
·
Practicing
particular question types
·
Developing
speed in locating information
·
Doing
practice test not under exam conditions so you can work on skills
·
Doing
practice tests under exam conditions to test your score and improvement
2. YOU MUST PREPARE:
Like all
tests, you need to prepare. Even native speakers need to prepare by learning
about the different types of questions and developing the right skills.
3. DEVELOP YOUR SPEED READING SKILLS:
This test has
a strict time limit which will really challenge your ability to complete the
questions in time. You must develop speed reading skills to be able to find
your answers quickly. This means you must be able to scan the passage quickly
to locate information.
4. IELTS PRACTICE READING TESTS:
You can find
practice tests online for free or you can buy the IELTS Cambridge Test books
(number 10 is the most recent). You should use IELTS practice reading tests for
two purposes:
·
To
develop your skills, practice different types of questions and enhance your
vocabulary
·
To
test yourself under exam conditions to check your score and check if you have
developed or no.
5. DON’T TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE FULL PASSAGE:
Your task is
to locate answers only. Most questions test your ability to locate specific
information given to you and then to comprehend the sentence or sentences which
contain that information. There are only two types of questions which will
require a more detailed understand of the whole passage — matching headings and
choosing a title. All other questions are based on locating information.
6. GRAMMAR:
Question
types such as summary completion and sentence completion require that the
sentence is grammatically correct when you have put the answer in. This means
that grammar can help you to spot the right answer. Many students asking me why
one answer is correct and the other is not — the reason is often grammar
related. You will see this when you do practice reading lessons.
7. KEY WORDS:
Each question
will have key words to help you locate the information in the passage and to
spot the right answer. You should learn to spot key words and use them
correctly. You should also check whether the key words can be paraphrased. You
will soon learn to use key words correctly when you review your answers in
practice reading lessons. Some key words are obvious, for instance names,
dates, numbers, places etc. Other key words are more subtle.
8. DEVELOPING VOCABULARY:
This is one
of the key reasons why students don’t get the score they need. Learn vocabulary
is not just about learning the meaning of a word, it is about learning when you
can and can’t use a word. It is also about what collocations can be used with
words, for example verbs and match nouns. You should write words lists that
include common paraphrases and also common traps. You can do this by learning vocabulary
from practice reading passages.
9. GETTING USED TO DIFFICULT PASSAGES:
If you have
time before your test, you should be widening your reading skills and
familiarity of complicated passages on a range of topics. read the bbc news,
the new scientist, the economist etc.
10. KNOW YOUR WEAKNESSES:
Unless you
know your weaknesses, you won’t know how to improve. You must check the reasons
why you are getting your answers wrong or right. If you are getting answers
wrong due to your understanding of the passage, then you know you must improve
your English language. If you are getting your answers wrong because your
couldn’t find the information or you didn’t understand the question or you ran
out of time, then the problem is your technique and strategies. Spend time
reviewing your performance.
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