IELTS Academic Reading, three passages
Three passages, 60 minutes
- Academic Reading is 60 minutes for 3 passages and 40 questions.
- There is no extra transfer time. Write your answers on the sheet as you go.
- Reserve time for all three passages. Do not let one unfamiliar topic consume the whole hour.
A passage may be about glaciers; it will not ask you to pack a coat.
Practice
How many questions are in Academic Reading?
Three passages, 40 questions in 60 minutes.
What you read
- Texts come from books, journals, magazines and newspapers, written for a non-specialist audience.
- One passage may include a diagram, graph or illustration.
- Topics range across science, history, the environment and society. You do not need specialist knowledge.
Practice
Complete: Academic Reading lasts ___ minutes, including transfer time.
There is no extra transfer time. Write on the answer sheet as you go.
Question types you will meet
- True / False / Not given (or Yes / No / Not given for the writer's views).
- Matching headings, matching information, matching features.
- Summary, note, table or flow-chart completion.
- Multiple choice, short answers, diagram labelling.
Practice
Where do Academic Reading passages come from?
Academic passages are from books, journals, magazines and newspapers. Notices belong to General Training.
How to practise
- Do one sample task from the Library to learn a type, then do three passages under 60 minutes.
- For True / False / Not given: Not given means the passage does not say, not that you are unsure.
- Copy spelling from the passage in completion tasks. A grammar change that is not asked for is wrong.
Practice
You should reserve some of the 60 minutes for all three passages.
There are three passages in one 60-minute section. A difficult topic early on should not prevent you from reaching the later passages.
Official samples
- The Library files are one task type at a time. They are shorter than a full paper on purpose.
- Sources, checked on 19 September 2026: IELTS Academic Reading, sample test questions.
Practice
Match the task to what it asks.
Each type has a method. Mixing them up costs easy marks.