How I Got a 9 in IELTS Reading: The Most Effective Prep Strategies 📝

In this post I'll share how I scored 9 in IELTS Reading: how I prepared, getting ready for the IELTS, and test-day tips! I've also rounded up some free computer-delivered practice resources from around the web on my blog, so you can try them out, see whether the computer test suits you, and get a feel for what the IELTS tests!

I highly recommend taking the computer-delivered IELTS; it makes Reading and Writing much easier. On the computer you can look at the questions and the passage side by side, which makes it easier to spot the words the questions paraphrase.

For Writing on the computer, you can also rearrange things at any time and even copy and paste. It's a huge difference from writing by hand and saves a lot of time. If you type fairly fast, I strongly recommend the computer test: you have a chance to write more in a short time and rework your structure quickly.

What to focus on for IELTS Reading

Reading is all about building a feel for the language: you need to get good at spotting how the questions paraphrase the text! Building your test-taking skills can quickly sharpen your instincts for vocabulary and questions, making it easier to find the paragraph each question refers to! IELTS questions usually follow the order of the passage, so it's easy to find the matching sentence.

Paraphrasing accounts for roughly 80% of Reading questions, so it really matters! Keep that mindset while you work and pick out the synonyms. Questions very often hinge on paraphrase, so when you memorize vocabulary, learn the synonyms at the same time. Paraphrasing isn't only useful in Reading, either; in Writing it helps you avoid repeating the same word.

From how often each kind of question comes up, here's what to focus on when preparing for the IELTS

1. Watch for paraphrasing as you practice; it makes your studying more efficient

2. Use the questions to locate paragraphs in the passage. Look first at what the question is asking, such as wh- questions, names or verbs, so you don't spend too long reading the whole passage

3. Internalize these techniques as you practice and review. Sort questions by type, find the types you're weaker at, and then practice those specifically!

4. When reviewing mistakes, don't just copy the question down and do it again. Think about what the question was testing (e.g. paraphrasing). That's when you read the passage closely, and only the paragraphs that were tested, not the whole thing

How to approach the questions, and Reading question types:

Try this approach when you practice with past papers or mock tests!

Step 1: Circle keywords so you can locate the answers. Keywords can be names, figures (percentages), negatives (never, hardly), years and so on

Step 2: Answer as you read (since the passage and the questions usually follow the same order). There's [no need] to read the whole passage

Step 3: For harder questions, such as paragraph headings and T/F/NG, go through the questions once and then go back to the relevant part of the passage for the answers

True, False, and Not Given

The tricky part: even if a piece of reasoning sounds perfectly sensible, if the passage doesn't state it clearly, you can't answer T or F! And watch out for a sentence that closely resembles the passage but swaps the subject or a condition!

• True: the statement says something very close to the passage [paraphrase]

• False: the statement says the opposite; antonyms

• Not Given: not in the statement; the relationship doesn't exist

For sweeping statements, such as ones containing words like Must, Always or All, the answer is "usually" False

According to the explanation on the IELTS IDP official website:

• "False" means the statement contradicts the passage, or the writer's view or position is clearly different from the statement, i.e. the view the writer expresses or the position they take is the opposite of the statement;

• "Not given" means the statement is neither confirmed by nor contradicts the passage, or that the writer's view or position is not confirmed or there is no contradiction.

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