IELTS Academic Reading Part 1 Overview
(1) About Academic Reading Part 1
Part Total Time: Around 20 minutes
Number of questions: 13
Reading Part 1 Screen
In the IELTS Academic Reading Part 1, you’ll encounter the first of three reading passages, generally the easiest and shortest among them. Here’s a detailed breakdown of what to expect in Part 1:
1. Passage Details
- Length and Complexity: The passage is usually around 600–800 words and is less complex than the subsequent two passages.
- Topics: Topics are academic but designed for a general audience. Subjects could include social sciences, history, the environment, technology, or other areas of general knowledge. The material doesn’t assume deep knowledge in any field.
- Source and Style: Passages are often sourced from academic journals, magazines, or books and are slightly simplified. They are structured to be informative, factual, and accessible.
2. Question Types
Part 1 features a range of question types to test different reading skills. You may encounter:
- Multiple Choice: Choose the correct answer(s) from a list of options. This question type tests your understanding of specific details, overall meaning, or opinions in the passage.
- True/False/Not Given: You’ll need to determine whether statements are true, false, or not given based on information in the passage. This type assesses your ability to interpret and match ideas directly with the text.
- Matching Headings: Match each paragraph or section of the passage with a list of possible headings. This question type tests your ability to understand the main ideas of sections of the passage.
- Sentence Completion: Complete sentences with words from the passage, testing your vocabulary and comprehension of key ideas.
- Short-Answer Questions: Provide brief answers to questions about the text, often focusing on specific details.
These questions generally require factual understanding and are more straightforward than those in Parts 2 and 3.
3. Skills Tested
- Skimming and Scanning: Quickly locating specific details or understanding the main gist of a passage or paragraph.
- Understanding Vocabulary in Context: Identifying the meaning of words and phrases based on surrounding context, which may include synonyms or paraphrased information.
- Identifying Main Ideas and Details: Grasping the main points and understanding how details support these points.
- Grammatical and Structural Understanding: Recognizing sentence structures and understanding complex information with relative ease.
4. Scoring and Difficulty Level
- Easiest of the Three Passages: Part 1 is generally less challenging than Parts 2 and 3, giving you a confidence boost to start the reading test.
- One Point per Correct Answer: Like the rest of the Reading section, each correct answer in Part 1 counts as one point. Your score across all three parts is converted to the 9-band scale.
- Use of Synonyms and Paraphrasing: IELTS often rephrases questions or answers, so identifying synonyms and equivalent phrases within the passage is essential.
