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Top 5 strategies to ace IELTS Reading & Writing Section

Viral Vora

Viral Vora

Jan 15, 2024

8 mins read

Top 5 strategies to ace IELTS Reading & Writing Section Cover Image

IELTS is the most widely accepted standardized test for English proficiency in the world. And if you are someone who comes from a non-English speaking country like India, taking the IELTS is essential for you to study or immigrate to English-speaking countries. Acing it is important to realize your goal and for one to do that, one should be able to do well in all four modules: Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening. Read further to see how you can do well in the Reading and Writing modules.

Types of Questions In Reading Section

A wide range of reading abilities is tested in the IELTS Reading part, including the ability to skim, read for key ideas, read for details, read for gist, understand logical arguments, and identify the perspectives, attitudes, and purposes of authors. The 60-minute IELTS reading section consists of 40 questions. Here is what you can expect to be asked:

Type Of TasksTask Description
Short AnswersUse the passage’s details to answer questions
Diagram DescriptionLabel/Explain a diagram
Complete a Flow-ChartUtilize the passage’s words to complete the flowchart
Complete A TableUtilize the words from the passage to complete the table
Match Ending Of Sentences By matching the sentence’s beginning and ending from the list, complete the sentence
Correlating InformationChoose the pieces of information from the list that corresponds to each individual category
Choose A TitlePick the right title from the list provided
Select A-ListPick the appropriate word from the list of options. Due to the fact that each question is tied to a single long list of potential solutions, it differs from multiple choice
Multiple Choice QuestionsPick the right response from the three or four alternatives
Complete The SentenceUsing the passage’s information, complete the phrase
Summary CompletionFill in the blanks in the summary with the passage’s relevant terms
Matching Paragraph Information Match the passage’s information with the information provided in the question
True/Yes, False/No, Not GivenDetermine whether the question statements include the author’s opinion or the information
Matching HeadingsSelect a heading from the list that corresponds to a section or a paragraph in the passage

Tips To Ace IELTS Reading

You have understood what is included in the reading segment of IELTS exam and the kind of questions you can expect. Here are some ways you can ace this test.

Don’t Stress Over Understanding Every Word

While it is essential to have a wide vocabulary for the IELTS reading test, stressing over understanding every word will not help you. Candidates who are overly concerned with a word’s meaning panic and take an excessive amount of time to understand terms that may not be relevant to the question.

Suggested: Top Universities Without IELTS Requirement

Carefully Read The Instructions

You might lose many marks because they don’t follow the instructions carefully. This is particularly true for the reading and listening tests because of the detailed directions they provide. You will answer the question incorrectly if you don’t strictly adhere to these instructions.

Time Yourself!

When you spend too much time on one question, you won’t have as much time for the other questions, but if you rush through the test, you’ll miss out on information and possibly become confused. When practicing, you ought to be mindful of your timing. You’ll observe which questions take you longer to complete and which ones take you less time. Your confidence will increase as a result, and you won’t be as anxious throughout the exam.

Be Careful While Writing Your Answers

You will be required to write your responses on an answer sheet during the test. Spending too much time reading and responding to questions while allowing insufficient time to transfer the answers is a common error. 

Don’t Leave Any Blanks

Make sure to try your best on every question, even if you are unsure of the answer. You never know if your answer is correct and it is better to give an answer rather than coming up blank. 

Questions In Writing 

You will have 60 minutes to complete two writing problems on the IELTS Writing Test, each of which calls for a distinct kind of material. Here are some of the types of questions you expect in the test.

Type Of TasksTask Description
Two-sided discussionYou are given two opposing points of view on a subject. You must state each viewpoint’s supporting arguments as well as your own
Agree or disagreeIn this style of question, you are presented with a viewpoint and asked to justify your agreement or disagreement
Advantages and disadvantagesYou will be provided information about a scenario, and you will be asked to weigh its benefits and drawbacks
Problems and SolutionsYou are given a statement regarding an issue, and you must react by addressing the problem in depth, as well as some potential solutions
Direct questionsA statement will be given to you, and you’ll then be asked one or more questions regarding it. One or both of the questions will be related to the topics given such as issues, drawbacks, or whether you agree with it or not

Tips To Ace IELTS Writing

Now that you know what kind of questions can come in the IELTS writing test, how can you do well on it? Take a look at some of these tips that you can use during the  IELTS writing to help you ace the test.

Read What You Write

The main IELTS writing advice is this. Read the paragraph you just finished again before starting the following one. It could seem like a waste of time to you. In that case, you would be mistaken. It’s crucial to join your paragraphs together.

Suggested: IELTS Guide

Be Precise

Choose your strongest topic and write about it. However, you don’t need to include all of your ideas about the topic in your writing. If it’s not your finest answer, don’t stress about it; instead, consider whether it’s the clearest and most precise.

Avoid Writing in Lengthy Forms

Large texts are difficult for the examiner to read and can make it hard to comprehend which means your work will initially be given less attention. Second, you have less time to proofread your work and are more prone to make mistakes.

Suggested: How To Get A 8.5+ Score In IELTS

Understand the Question

Once you comprehend the question, you will be able to create a compelling response and identify the key points that need to be covered. Following those guidelines will help you to create a precise, well-organized response that avoids distraction and doesn’t include too much information.

 Pay Close Attention to Your Grammar and Spelling

When composing your responses for the IELTS writing section, proper grammar usage is an important consideration that you must bear in mind. It is one of the most popular IELTS writing strategies since careless spelling, grammatical faults, and poor sentence structure can cost you hard-earned points.

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Viral Vora
Viral Vora

Viral Vora is the co-founder of MastersBuddy, a platform that is building the world’s best study abroad experience. He is a graduate of IE Business School and KJSCE Vidyavihar. Viral is passionate about helping students achieve their academic, professional, and personal goals.

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