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IELTS Reading Passage 1 practice tests

Practise the first part of the Reading test on its own: Passage 1 for Academic, or Section 1 for General Training. Each one takes about twenty minutes, with the answers explained.

Time
About 20 minutes
Questions
13 or 14
Academic
One long passage
General Training
Short everyday texts

Academic Reading: Passage 1

Each one opens straight into that part. Check your answers as you go, see why each one is right, and get an estimated band at the end. Free, with no account needed.

General Training Reading: Section 1

What to expect in the first part of Reading

The Reading test has three parts and 40 questions in 60 minutes. The first part is where you should aim to work fastest, because the later parts usually need more time.

In Academic Reading, Passage 1 is a long text of the kind found in books, magazines and newspapers. It tends to be descriptive and factual, so the questions are often True / False / Not Given and sentence or note completion.

In General Training, Section 1 is two or three short factual texts from everyday life: notices, advertisements, timetables or instructions. The questions test whether you can find and understand specific information quickly.

Tips for Passage 1

  • Do not read every word first. Read the title and the first sentence of each paragraph to see what the text covers, then go to the questions.
  • Use the order. For True / False / Not Given and completion questions, the answers come in the same order as the text. Find one answer and the next is further down.
  • Know what Not Given means. False means the text says the opposite. Not Given means the text does not say either way. Do not use what you already know about the topic.
  • Copy words exactly. In completion questions the answer is taken from the text. Copy the spelling and keep to the word limit.
  • Finish early if you can. Time saved here is time for the last part, which is usually the hardest.

More advice: IELTS Reading tips and tricks.

Questions

Is Passage 1 the easiest in IELTS Reading?
It is usually the most straightforward, because the text is mostly factual. The marks are worth the same as in the other parts, so careless mistakes here are expensive.
How long should I spend on each Reading passage?
About 20 minutes. The Reading test is 60 minutes for three parts and 40 questions, and there is no extra time to copy your answers.
What is the difference between Academic Passage 1 and General Training Section 1?
Academic Passage 1 is one long text. General Training Section 1 is two or three short everyday texts, such as notices and advertisements.
Do these practice tests come with answers?
Yes. Press "Check these answers" under each group of questions to see which are right, the correct answer, and the words from the passage that prove it. At the end you get an estimated band for the part.

Practise the other parts