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Five common mistakes to avoid in the IELTS Reading test


Ace IELTS Reading: Five common mistakes to avoid

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Five common mistakes to avoid in the IELTS reading test. Are you struggling to get the score you need in the IELTS reading test? Maybe you’re making one of these common mistakes.

Mistake number one.

Trying to read every single word. Sure, it’s essential to read the text but in a time that’s available it’s not always possible to read and understand every single word in a sentence. Don’t worry your aim should be to skim the text for meaning and then scan it for the answers that you need. Try to understand the main ideas of the article if you’re not sure of a particular word or phrase just move on.

Mistake number two.

Not understanding the question. In saying that while you can’t take too long when taking the reading test, being slow and steady and taking a little extra time to read the question properly, will pay off in the long run.

Mistake number three.

Giving two answers. Don’t hedge your bets, sometimes when people are not certain of the answer, they might try to write in two options since there are no half marks in IELTS it has to be marked as wrong. Don’t waste those valuable points.

Mistake number four.

Not transferring everything to the answer sheet. It’s a great idea to take notes of the question paper as you’re reading through the text but just make sure you remember to transfer all the answers to the answer sheet the examiner will not see your question paper.

Mistake number five.

Don’t assume anything. All of the answers to the IELTS reading questions are found in a text key read. Don’t assume anything based on your knowledge or experience. For example, if the test question is, “Smoking is dangerous and can lead to cancer.” is this true false or not given? If the reference text says, “No research showed evidence that smoking is dangerous and leads to cancer.” Then the answer must be false even if that sounds crazy to you.

Finally, experience to see what works for you.

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