Back to: IELTS Basics
Task Types
There are several task types in the IELTS Reading test. Here are the most common ones:
- Multiple Choice: You will be asked to choose the correct answer from a list of options.
- Matching: You will be given a list of options and asked to match them to specific items or categories.
- True/False/Not Given: You will be given a statement and asked to determine if it is true, false, or if there is no information to support either answer.
- Sentence Completion: You will be given a sentence with a missing word or words and asked to fill in the blank(s) with the correct answer.
- Summary Completion: You will be given a summary of a passage with missing words or phrases, and asked to fill in the missing information.
- Short Answer: You will be asked to provide short answers (usually one or two words) to questions based on the information provided in the passage.
- Diagram Labeling: You will be given a diagram or illustration and asked to label specific parts or features.
It’s important to familiarize yourself with each task type and practice strategies for approaching each one effectively.
IELTS Reading Test Score Calculation
The IELTS Reading test is scored based on four criteria:
- Task Response: This criterion assesses how well you have understood and responded to the task. You will be scored on how accurately you have answered the questions and how well you have addressed the specific requirements of each task type.
- Coherence and Cohesion: This criterion assesses how well you have organized and linked your ideas within and between sentences. You will be scored on how well you have used transitional phrases, linking words, and sentence structure to make your writing easy to follow.
- Lexical Resource: This criterion assesses your vocabulary and how accurately and appropriately you have used it in the context of the passage. You will be scored on how well you have used a range of vocabulary, including academic and subject-specific words.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: This criterion assesses your ability to use a range of grammatical structures accurately and appropriately. You will be scored on your ability to use a variety of sentence structures, verb tenses, and grammatical features, as well as how accurately you have used them.
Each criterion is scored on a band scale of 0 to 9, and your final score will be the average of the four scores.