IELTS Reading practice tests
Three passages, 40 questions and 60 minutes, on a screen that works like the computer-delivered exam. When you finish you get your band and the exact line in the passage that proves each answer. Free, no sign-up needed.
Academic Reading
For university entry and professional registration.
Academic Reading · Free
Academic Reading Practice Test 1
60 minutes · 40 questions · 3 parts
Passages: Bees on the Rooftops, The White Gold of the Ancient World, Why We Forget — and Why It Might Be Useful
Start free testAcademic Reading · Free
Academic Reading Practice Test 2
60 minutes · 40 questions · 3 parts
Passages: The Humble Pencil, Farming Upwards, Why Boredom Matters
Start free testAcademic Reading · Free
Academic Reading Practice Test 3
60 minutes · 40 questions · 3 parts
Passages: Lights on the Coast, The Hidden Value of City Trees, Working Less, Achieving More?
Start free testAcademic Reading · Free
Academic Reading Practice Test 4
60 minutes · 40 questions · 3 parts
Passages: The Story of the Tin Can, Sound in the Sea, The Paradox of Choice
Start free testAcademic Reading · Free
Academic Reading Practice Test 5
60 minutes · 40 questions · 3 parts
Passages: Ice Before Refrigerators, Can Happiness Be Measured?, The Return of the Wolf
Start free testAcademic Reading · Free
Academic Reading Practice Test 6
60 minutes · 40 questions · 3 parts
Passages: Reading with the Fingers, Water from the Sea, In Defence of Handwriting
Start free testAcademic Reading · Free
Academic Reading Practice Test 7
60 minutes · 40 questions · 3 parts
Passages: The Long Road to the Bicycle, The Ground Beneath Our Feet, The Myth of Multitasking
Start free test
General Training Reading
For work, migration and secondary education.
General Training Reading · Free
General Training Reading Practice Test 1
60 minutes · 40 questions · 3 parts
Passages: Northfield Community Notices, Harbourside Hotel: Information for New Staff, The Return of the Night Train
Start free testGeneral Training Reading · Free
General Training Reading Practice Test 2
60 minutes · 40 questions · 3 parts
Passages: Holiday Lets and Travel Information, Westbrook Logistics: Your Probation Period, Science by the People
Start free testGeneral Training Reading · Free
General Training Reading Practice Test 3
60 minutes · 40 questions · 3 parts
Passages: Fitness Centres and Pool Information, Carlton Insurance: Hybrid Working Guide for Staff, Fix It, Don't Bin It: The Repair Café Movement
Start free testGeneral Training Reading · Free
General Training Reading Practice Test 4
60 minutes · 40 questions · 3 parts
Passages: Phone Plans and a Health Centre Notice, Greenway Supermarkets: Welcome Pack for New Store Staff, Never Too Late: Learning a Language as an Adult
Start free testGeneral Training Reading · Free
General Training Reading Practice Test 5
60 minutes · 40 questions · 3 parts
Passages: Places to Eat and Waste Collection Changes, Portside Distribution: Health and Safety Guide for New Employees, The Great Allotment Revival
Start free testGeneral Training Reading · Free
General Training Reading Practice Test 6
60 minutes · 40 questions · 3 parts
Passages: Volunteering Opportunities and a Parking Notice, Fairfield Buses: Information for New Drivers, Small Is Beautiful? The Tiny House Movement
Start free testGeneral Training Reading · Free
General Training Reading Practice Test 7
60 minutes · 40 questions · 3 parts
Passages: Adult Learning Courses and a Store Returns Policy, Hartley Engineering: Leave and Absence Guide for Employees, The Village Shop That Refused to Close
Start free test
Short on time? Practise one passage
About twenty minutes each. Check your answers as you go and get an estimated band for the passage.
New to Reading? Read our IELTS Reading tips and tricks before you start.
What's inside each test
The passage topics, the total length of the three passages, and the mix of question types in every test, so you can pick one that practises what you find hardest.
| Test | Passages | Words | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Reading Practice Test 1 | Bees on the Rooftops · The White Gold of the Ancient World · Why We Forget — and Why It Might Be Useful | 1,726 | Completion and short answer 14, True / False / Not Given 6, Matching 6, Multiple choice 8, Yes / No / Not Given 6 |
| Academic Reading Practice Test 2 | The Humble Pencil · Farming Upwards · Why Boredom Matters | 1,820 | Completion and short answer 14, True / False / Not Given 6, Matching 6, Multiple choice 8, Yes / No / Not Given 6 |
| Academic Reading Practice Test 3 | Lights on the Coast · The Hidden Value of City Trees · Working Less, Achieving More? | 1,775 | Completion and short answer 15, True / False / Not Given 6, Matching 6, Multiple choice 7, Yes / No / Not Given 6 |
| Academic Reading Practice Test 4 | The Story of the Tin Can · Sound in the Sea · The Paradox of Choice | 1,803 | Completion and short answer 10, True / False / Not Given 7, Matching 14, Multiple choice 4, Yes / No / Not Given 5 |
| Academic Reading Practice Test 5 | Ice Before Refrigerators · Can Happiness Be Measured? · The Return of the Wolf | 1,698 | Completion and short answer 13, True / False / Not Given 12, Matching 7, Multiple choice 8 |
| Academic Reading Practice Test 6 | Reading with the Fingers · Water from the Sea · In Defence of Handwriting | 1,748 | Completion and short answer 11, True / False / Not Given 6, Matching 9, Multiple choice 8, Yes / No / Not Given 6 |
| Academic Reading Practice Test 7 | The Long Road to the Bicycle · The Ground Beneath Our Feet · The Myth of Multitasking | 1,779 | Completion and short answer 11, True / False / Not Given 6, Matching 9, Multiple choice 8, Yes / No / Not Given 6 |
| General Training Reading Practice Test 1 | Northfield Community Notices · Harbourside Hotel: Information for New Staff · The Return of the Night Train | 1,755 | Completion and short answer 14, True / False / Not Given 14, Matching 6, Multiple choice 6 |
| General Training Reading Practice Test 2 | Holiday Lets and Travel Information · Westbrook Logistics: Your Probation Period · Science by the People | 1,779 | Completion and short answer 11, True / False / Not Given 13, Matching 11, Multiple choice 5 |
| General Training Reading Practice Test 3 | Fitness Centres and Pool Information · Carlton Insurance: Hybrid Working Guide for Staff · Fix It, Don't Bin It: The Repair Café Movement | 1,712 | Completion and short answer 11, True / False / Not Given 13, Matching 11, Multiple choice 5 |
| General Training Reading Practice Test 4 | Phone Plans and a Health Centre Notice · Greenway Supermarkets: Welcome Pack for New Store Staff · Never Too Late: Learning a Language as an Adult | 1,693 | Completion and short answer 11, True / False / Not Given 12, Matching 6, Multiple choice 11 |
| General Training Reading Practice Test 5 | Places to Eat and Waste Collection Changes · Portside Distribution: Health and Safety Guide for New Employees · The Great Allotment Revival | 1,678 | Completion and short answer 11, True / False / Not Given 15, Matching 11, Multiple choice 3 |
| General Training Reading Practice Test 6 | Volunteering Opportunities and a Parking Notice · Fairfield Buses: Information for New Drivers · Small Is Beautiful? The Tiny House Movement | 1,692 | Completion and short answer 11, True / False / Not Given 13, Matching 11, Multiple choice 5 |
| General Training Reading Practice Test 7 | Adult Learning Courses and a Store Returns Policy · Hartley Engineering: Leave and Absence Guide for Employees · The Village Shop That Refused to Close | 1,834 | Completion and short answer 11, True / False / Not Given 13, Matching 11, Multiple choice 5 |
The five question types
Across our 14 Reading tests there are 560 questions. This is how they split:
- Completion and short answer168 questions (30%)
- Fill gaps in sentences, notes, tables or a summary with words from the passage, within a word limit. Copy the spelling exactly.
- True / False / Not Given142 questions (25%)
- Decide whether the passage agrees with a factual statement, contradicts it, or doesn't say. The answers follow the order of the passage.
- Matching124 questions (22%)
- Match headings to paragraphs, information to paragraphs, or statements to people. Answers are not in passage order, so these take longest.
- Multiple choice91 questions (16%)
- Choose the right option. Wrong options often repeat words from the passage but change the meaning.
- Yes / No / Not Given35 questions (6%)
- Like True / False / Not Given, but about the writer's opinions and claims rather than facts. Appears mostly in Academic tests.
How the Reading test is scored
Each correct answer is one mark, and your score out of 40 is converted to a band. General Training needs more correct answers for the same band as Academic because its texts are easier: about 30 correct gives band 7 in Academic, but around 34 in General Training. Spelling counts, and answers over the word limit are marked wrong.
Aim for about 20 minutes per passage, and never leave a blank: there is no penalty for a wrong answer. See how every score converts on the Reading band score chart, and how your Reading band combines with the other skills in the band score calculator.