10 Tips for self-studying IELTS Reading effectively for beginners

Reading is an easy skill but also quite a lot of "traps". How to get high score in IELTS Reading test? Let's consult with DOL for some good tips to know how to practice IELTS Reading that is right for you!

1. IELTS Reading test overview

• Structure: The IELTS Reading test consists of 3 passages and a total of 40 questions

• Time: 60 minutes

• Classification: IELTS Reading is divided into 2 test types, IELTS Academic (IELTS Academic) and IELTS General Training (IELTS General) , each with its own characteristics.

Specifically:

IELTS Academic

Content from newspapers, magazines

IELTS Academic Reading has 3 long paragraphs, content on academic topics or real stories

Includes illustrations and diagrams

Notes on academic terms, if any

IELTS General

Content from Ads & Announcements

Part 1 of the IELTS General reading is quite short and the content is mainly about daily life

Part 2 has 2 sections about work

The longest part 3 on topics of general interest

2. Steps to take IELTS Reading

The IELTS Reading test process consists of 4 steps as follows:

• Step 1: Read the title, this will help you understand the most comprehensive content of the entire reading below

• Step 2: Read and underline the key word in the question

• Step 3: Find keywords in the passage and underline them

• Step 4: Choose the answer

3. Types of IELTS Reading

There are 10 popular types of IELTS Reading test as follows:

True/False/Not Given form

With this format, you need to evaluate whether the question agrees with the information in the article or not and choose T / F / NG accordingly. Similarly, for the Yes / No / Not Given form, you also need to see if the question information agrees with the content given by the author in the reading passage.

Matching Heading Questions

In the Matching Headings article format, you need to attach titles to the paragraphs in the article. Because the number of titles is always more than the number of paragraphs and contains distracting information, be careful.

Matching Features

With this form, you need to identify specific information about an event. Then connect with that event to produce a complete sentence with correct meaning.

Matching Information Card Format

This is a type of test that asks candidates to match the given information with the passage containing that information in the reading passage. Therefore, it is the candidate's job to look for specific details in the IELTS reading to see which passage contains the information to connect.

Matching Endings

The test will give you a list of incomplete statements. Along with that is another list that includes the rest (the endings) of these sentences. The candidate's task is to find the correct endings for unfinished statements.

Multiple Choice Card Format

To put it simply, this is a type of test that requires the test taker to choose the correct answer. Accordingly, you need to read and choose the correct answer in the given answer set depending on the context and question requirements.

Short Answer Questions

For this type of test, candidates need to use the information in the passage to fill in the blanks. Pay attention to the number of words allowed to fill in the box to avoid missing or exceeding the specified number of words.

Completing Tables, Charts, Notes, Diagrams

Candidates need to use the information in the IELTS reading passage to fill in the blanks in the data table. Similar to the Short Answer Questions format, notice the number of words allowed to fill in the box.

Completing Sentences

Use the information in the passage to fill in the blanks in the sentence. Notice the number of words allowed to fill in the box.

Completing Diagrams

This type of test requires you to identify the information you are looking for and fill in a graph (diagram) of the vocabulary identified in the IELTS reading passage. Note the number of words allowed to fill in the box to avoid overfilling the prescribed number of words.

For more information about IELTS Reading test types, please refer to the following documents:

4. Effective IELTS Reading practice resources

In this part of the content, DOL will introduce you to documents on how to learn Reading IELTS effectively that are popular with many students.

4.1 Materials for Beginners

Cambridge Vocabulary For IELTS

One of the good resources for learning IELTS Reading is Cambridge Vocabulary For IELTS - The book of the "family" of the IELTS village, published by Cambridge itself. The advantage of the book is that it contains basic and easy-to-learn vocabulary for those who are new to IELTS.

Cambridge Grammar For IELTS

Similar to Vocabulary, Cambridge Grammar For IELTS contains the foundational grammar structures to conquer IELTS. If you are still wondering what material to find for self-study Reading IELTS , you can consider this book.

4.2 IELTS Reading Band 4.0 practice materials

Reading Strategies For The IELTS Test

Speaking of good IELTS Reading resources , it is impossible not to mention Reading Strategies For The IELTS Test. As the name suggests, the advantage of the book is that it provides smart IELTS reading strategies and practice exercises for each type of Reading question.

This is one of the best books to start your IELTS Reading practice and self-study journey. So don't miss it, save it now!

Get Ready For IELTS Reading

Another good IELTS Reading resource that DOL wants to share with you is Get Ready For IELTS Reading. The title also clearly states that the purpose of the book is to convey to the reader the foundational knowledge for IELTS Reading and practice exercises.

4.3 Reading practice materials IELTS Band 4.5 - 5.5

Collins For IELTS Reading

Another good IELTS Reading resource in the IELTS community is the Collins For IELTS Reading book. The book is published by Collins, one of the most prestigious IELTS research units "on earth". The book is easy to read and practice, suitable for those who want to learn IELTS Band from 4.0 - 6.0+.

Improve Your IELTS Reading

The book Improve Your IELTS Reading is suitable for those of you who have Band Reading 5.0+ because it requires you to have a little background. So the exercises in the book will be more difficult and of course, there are more advanced strategies and methods for doing IELTS reading.

Therefore, do not miss one of these good IELTS Reading resources !

4.4 Reading practice materials IELTS Band 6.0 - 7.0

Brainstorm IELTS Reading with Linear

Linearthinking was born to help Vietnamese people learn English in the best way. Based on that, Smart IELTS Reading with Linear brings a smarter IELTS Reading method and mindset, saving you more time for you to self-study Reading IELTS.

You will get rid of the obsession of difficult vocabulary, don't understand after reading, and don't have enough time when reading with just over 200 pages. The book is suitable for all levels of readers, because it focuses mainly on thinking, not just solving problems.

15 Days Practice For IELTS Reading

As the name makes it very clear that this is a book for those of you who have been and are studying for exams, requiring a solid foundation. The book provides a specific 15-day practice route to conquer IELTS Reading.

5. Website to practice IELTS Reading effectively

Here, DOL will introduce you to some reputable Reading practice websites to help self- study IELTS online for free :

• Link Website: https://tuhocielts.dolenglish.vn/luyen-thi-ielts/ielts-reading-practice

• Link Website: https://ieltsonlinetests.com

• Link Website: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org

• Link Website: https://mini-ielts.com/reading

6. Effective IELTS Reading practice tips

In order to help readers find out how to learn Reading IELTS effectively for themselves, DOL would like to share some IELTS reading practice tips as follows:

6.1 Read by topic

Does this tip sound obvious?

Of course, only practicing reading a lot of IELTS reading passages by topic can help you overcome your obsession with IELTS Reading practice. IELTS Reading test with up to 3 paragraphs and each paragraph is longer than 1 side of the paper can make new students feel "overwhelmed".

So outside of IELTS class, let's practice the habit of reading books and newspapers in English by topic to help us get used to reading texts. And thereby reducing the pressure in the process of practicing IELTS Reading .

You can refer to the following sources:

• If you like free news and news updates, visit the website: www.bbc.co.uk

• Read short stories in English for free at www.englishclub.com/reading/short-stories.htm

• If you are interested in health and medical news, please refer to www.healthline.com or www.medicalnewstoday.com

6.2 Allocate time scientifically

If you are just starting to practice Reading IELTS , you may not need to time the test. You just need to focus on strengthening your vocabulary well enough, the method of doing each type of question is fine. However, when it's time to practice, you should start learning how to time yourself to get used to the time pressure of the actual test.

When taking the IELTS Reading test, you only have 60 minutes to complete 3 passages (passage) including the time to transfer answers. So you have to divide the time:

• Paragraph 1: 15 minutes

• Paragraph 2: 18 - 20 minutes

• Paragraph 3: 20 - 23 minutes

The remaining time (about 5 minutes) should be used to transfer the answers to the answer sheet.

6.3 Read the requirements carefully

When doing the IELTS readings , you only need to confuse 1 or 2 words, which can affect the order, tense and meaning of the question. Therefore, you need to concentrate when reading the question to avoid making mistakes.

To overcome this problem, you should make it a habit to skim the question once before choosing an answer. That will make sure you don't get "trapped" when taking the test.

6.4 Apply Linearthinking to conquer IELTS Reading more effectively

Recognizing the above problems and wanting students to have an effective way to learn Reading IELTS , DOL has developed Linearthinking method . This is a more thinking learning method, based on sentence structure to help minimize students' dependence on vocabulary.

Besides, Linearthinking also teaches students how to read the relationship between sentences. This helps students to be able to summarize the content immediately after reading.

You can learn more about how to solve problems and practice Reading IELTS online by Linearthinking in the video below:

6.5 Make a vocabulary sheet from the IELTS reading passages

For those of you who are just starting to learn about how to self-study Reading IELTS , vocabulary is often an obsession, especially academic vocabulary like words in IELTS reading.

DOL knows that for beginners, when doing an IELTS reading, it is easy to feel "overwhelmed" by the amount of new vocabulary. Sometimes I don't even understand what this reading is about!

So, the ideal way to practice IELTS Reading here is that every time you complete a reading, you should draw your own vocabulary sheet. Or from the topic of that reading, learn by yourself, learn more vocabulary on the same topic and put them into the appropriate context.

Needless to say, the more IELTS vocabulary you know, the easier the IELTS Reading test will be for you. Vocabulary is very, very important if you are looking to get a high band score. As you prepare for the exam, remember to learn new words often. Your goal is to learn 15 to 20 new words every day.

https://magoosh.com/ielts/ielts-reading-tips

Improve your English vocabulary with the book "English Vocabulary In Use":

6.6 Practice IELTS Reading by lesson format

Each type of lesson will correspond to its own strategy to note, please review in the form of articles to choose how to practice Reading IELTS according to the appropriate strategy.

Refer to the IELTS Reading practice exercises for each type of article in the following documents:

6.7 Re-analyze the answer

When designing how to self-study Reading IELTS, have you ever wondered: "Why am I wrong in this sentence" or "I read the right passage but still choose the wrong one"?

To understand why you are wrong and avoid repeating these mistakes when doing other IELTS Reading tests, when you practice IELTS Reading online or offline, don't forget to check and re-analyze your answers after you're done. From there, increase the rate of "eating points"!

You can learn more about Skimming & Canning skills during the IELTS Reading test here:

6.8 Practice paraphrase skills

What are paraphrases ? In simple terms, paraphrase is the reinterpretation of a clause or a sentence without changing the meaning of the original sentence.

In IELTS Reading , test takers often create questions by taking out a piece of information from the passage and paraphrasing that piece of information. If you have a rich and varied synonyms, you can easily find the passage that contains the answer. And if the paraphrase skill is still weak, you will spend a lot of time in finding the answer!

Therefore, practicing the ability to paraphrase regularly is extremely important for every student to practice Reading IELTS . So how to practice paraphrase skills ?

After completing an IELTS Reading test, instead of just looking for the answer and then moving on to another test, take the time to re-analyze the question and the passage containing the answer to note synonyms.

6.9 Use English - English dictionary

Remember to use an English - English dictionary while practicing Reading IELTS in particular and when studying IELTS in general whenever possible to increase your reflexes using English. Besides, not every word in English can be translated into Vietnamese.

While learning vocabulary, the most effective way and help you remember words for the longest time is to learn in English. At the same time combine to make sentences using that word. In addition, to learn and look up phrases that can be combined in the process of studying and preparing for IELTS, you can go to Ozdic.com dictionary to learn more!

6.10 Pay attention to important keywords

Underlining important keywords is one of the most useful ways to self-study Reading IELTS . Help learners easily grasp the order of main ideas in the passage, as well as save time in reading comprehension.

Besides, underlining also helps learners to check their answers more easily, ensuring that the answers are not wrong. Personal name, phone number, course name or word with similar meaning,... are keywords that you can underline.

7. Frequently asked questions

How much time should be spent on each section of the IELTS reading comprehension test?

An average of 20 minutes should be spent on each section of the test. However, part 3 is often the most difficult part of IELTS Reading. So if you can finish part 1 and 2 early, please spend more time on part 3.

Why is IELTS Reading difficult?

The questions in IELTS cover many categories. Test takers must read a lot, be it books, magazines, newspapers, or other resources to prepare for the exam. The level of difficulty depends on the level of each candidate.

How to get band 9 in IELTS Reading?

Effective time management is the key to getting Band 9 in the IELTS Reading test. Learn tricks for answering comprehension-based questions without reading the entire passage.

Skim the passages while noting key words. In addition, while practicing Reading IELTS , you should read a lot of texts from academic journals, newspapers and books.

Through the above article, DOL has summarized the necessary information about the IELTS Reading test as well as suggested how to practice IELTS Reading effectively. Hopefully that will help readers in the process of practicing Reading and get the expected score.

In addition, do not forget to regularly follow the website www.dolenglish.vn to update the IELTS Reading method and many other skills such as Writing, Speaking, Listening. DOL English always accompanies you!