IELTS Reading — Finish 40 Questions in 60 Minutes (Band 8 Method)

You don't fail IELTS Reading because the English is hard. You fail because you run out of time. 40 questions, 3 passages, 60 minutes — that's 20 minutes per passage and only 90 seconds per question. Here's how Band 8 students beat the clock.

1. 1Pass 1 (2 minutes) — Skim the passage. Read first and last sentence of each paragraph only.
2. 2Pass 2 (16 minutes) — Answer all easy questions: matching, T/F/NG, sentence completion.
3. 3Pass 3 (2 minutes) — Tackle hardest ones: paragraph headings or multiple-choice.

True / False / Not Given

If the passage doesn't mention it, choose Not Given — even if it "feels" true. The trap is using outside knowledge. Stick strictly to the text.

Paragraph Headings

Read the first AND last sentence of each paragraph. Often the main idea is in one of these two lines, not the middle.

Matching Information

These eat your time. Do them LAST. Look for the question keyword and scan paragraphs for synonyms.

IELTS loves paraphrasing. "Begin" → "commence," "happy" → "content," "big" → "substantial." Build a synonym journal — 5 pairs per day for 60 days = 300 ready-to-use word pairs.