IELTS READING PREPARATION, TIP #14
UNDERSTANDING THE SCORING SYSTEM
-edited by Shanti
IELTS reading test is similar to listening, it has 40 items which is also the highest score a candidate can get. One correct answer is equivalent to one point for the score that ranges from Band 1 to Band 9 and the scores are reported in whole and half bands. Take a look at the raw scores illustrated below to give an indication of the score you want to achieve.
| General Training | Academic Reading | ||||||
| Band Score | Raw score out of 40 | Band Score | Raw score out of 40 | ||||
|
4 |
15 |
5 |
|
15 |
|||
|
5 |
23 |
6 |
|
23 |
|||
|
6 |
30 |
7 |
|
30 |
|||
|
7 |
34 |
8 |
|
35 |
|||
On the actual Reading test, a candidate will be asked to read three different passages, which contains 2,150 – 2,750 words in total, and answer the questions deliberately. The purpose of the test is to asses one’s reading skills on how well a candidate read the general sense of a passage, the main ideas, the details and also how wide the understanding of inferences and implied meaning; how good one can recognize a writer’s opinion, attitude and purpose and how good one follows the development of an argument.
Whichever version of IELTS one gets, the test takes 60 minutes and a candidate is not allowed to get more time to transfer the answers so it’s wise to write them straight to the answer sheets. Time management here is very essential.
Be mindful of the questions and read instructions carefully. There are 40 variety of question types used. The candidate will be asked to fill gaps in a passage or table, to match heading to text, diagrams or charts, to complete sentences, to give short answers to open questions and answer multiple choice questions. Take note that one word is sometimes asked to answer the questions, short phrases or a simple letter or simple.
There are no penalties for incorrect answers so answer all the questions because you have nothing to lose and if you have more time don’t forget to check and review your answers.
