IELTS Reading Practice against the clock, with the proof line
112 standalone IELTS Reading passages plus 81 full mock tests, which carry 243 more passages between them, across Academic and General Training. Timed like the real test, with answer explanations that point at the line in the passage that proves the answer and name the trap that was set for you.
Written by Manish Sharma · CELTA and DELTA qualified · 8 years teaching IELTS · Updated 21 October 2026
Practise reading freeFree to start, nothing to sign
2 full passages, every answer explained. No account, no email and no card. After that, 15 days is $12 as a single charge that does not renew.
Academic and General Training
Academic passages and General Training workplace notices, adverts and handbooks, marked with the right paper's rules.
Real 60 minute timing
40 questions, 3 sections, one clock. Reading is a speed test, so we make you practise it as one.
The proof line
Explanations show why the answer is right, which trap was set, and the technique that catches that trap next time.
Every question type
True, False, Not Given, matching headings, sentence and summary completion, matching information and multiple choice.
How IELTS reading practice works
You pick an Academic or General Training passage, the clock starts, and you answer in the same layout as the computer based test. When you finish, the questions open up: the sentence in the passage that carries the answer, the trap the question was built around, and the technique that would have caught it. That is the difference between checking answers and building the skill. Start on a complete test rather than on this page: here are 10 of them, 5 on each paper, with every answer explained.
Academic Reading Test 1: The Development of Electric Vehicles Academic Reading Test 2: The Rise of Urban Farming Academic Reading Test 3: The Science of Sleep Academic Reading Test 4: The Decline of the Honeybee Academic Reading Test 5: The Psychology of Procrastination General Training Reading Test 1: The History of the Wristwatch General Training Reading Test 2: The History of the Bicycle General Training Reading Test 3: The History of Postal Services General Training Reading Test 4: The History of the Umbrella General Training Reading Test 5: The History of the Lighthouse All 81 complete tests
Why candidates run out of time
Most people do not fail Reading on English, they fail it on the clock. 40 questions in 60 minutes leaves about 20 minutes a section, including transferring answers. The fix is reading the questions first, scanning for keywords instead of reading end to end, and refusing to spend more than about 90 seconds on any single question. Timed practice is the only way that becomes a habit.
True, False, Not Given, and the rest
True, False, Not Given is the question type that costs the most marks, because False and Not Given feel the same under pressure. False means the passage contradicts the statement. Not Given means the passage is silent on it. The bank drills that difference, plus matching headings, summary and sentence completion, matching information, and multiple choice.
Academic Reading and General Training Reading are not the same paper
Academic Reading uses three long passages from journals, books and periodicals. General Training uses shorter workplace and everyday texts in sections 1 and 2, then one longer passage in section 3. Because those texts are easier, the band table is set harder rather than more generous: band 6.0 takes 23 correct answers on Academic and 30 on General Training. Practising the wrong paper wastes your preparation, so pick the one your visa or university actually asks for.
IELTS Reading raw score to band, and why the same score is two bands
Reading is marked out of 40, like Listening, but unlike Listening the conversion is not shared between the two papers. Score exactly 30 out of 40 and that is a band 7.0 on Academic Reading and a band 6.0 on General Training: one full band, the same performance, a different paper. Band 7.0 takes 30 correct answers on Academic and 34 on General Training. These are the thresholds BandNine marks your practice against, and they follow the conversion published with IELTS practice material. The exam board does not publish a per paper table and the real boundaries move slightly between versions, so treat the number as what to train past rather than what to land on.
| Band | Academic Reading | General Training |
|---|---|---|
| 9.0 | 39 to 40 | 40 |
| 8.5 | 37 to 38 | 39 |
| 8.0 | 35 to 36 | 37 to 38 |
| 7.5 | 33 to 34 | 36 |
| 7.0 | 30 to 32 | 34 to 35 |
| 6.5 | 27 to 29 | 32 to 33 |
| 6.0 | 23 to 26 | 30 to 31 |
| 5.5 | 19 to 22 | 27 to 29 |
| 5.0 | 15 to 18 | 23 to 26 |
Marks out of 40 that earn each band, side by side. Read any row across and the gap is the same one candidates are surprised by: 30 correct is a 7.0 on Academic and a 6.0 on General Training. Notice also how much narrower the General Training rows are, which is what the next section is about.
How the overall band is worked out Band calculator and visa points
The General Training bands are narrower, so a careless mistake costs more
There is a second effect inside the same table. On Academic Reading band 6.0 covers four raw scores, 23 to 26, so one careless answer can leave you in the same band. On General Training band 6.0 covers two, 30 and 31. One misread instruction in section 1, or one answer written with the wrong number of words, can cost half a band that an Academic candidate would absorb without noticing. That changes where the last ten minutes are best spent: on General Training, checking sections 1 and 2 is usually worth more than squeezing out one more answer in section 3.
Frequently asked questions
How many reading practice tests are there?+
81 full timed mock tests, all of them published in full with every answer explained, plus 112 standalone passages. Counting each passage as one sitting that is 355 reading items, across both Academic and General Training.
Is IELTS Reading practice free?+
Yes. You can work through reading practice free before you create an account.
What is the difference between False and Not Given?+
False means the passage says the opposite of the statement. Not Given means the passage never addresses it. If you have to reason or assume to decide, the answer is almost always Not Given.
How do I finish all 40 questions in 60 minutes?+
Read the questions before the passage, scan for keywords rather than reading every word, give each section about 20 minutes, and never leave a blank. There is no penalty for a wrong guess.
How many correct answers do I need for Band 7 in IELTS Reading?+
30 out of 40 on Academic Reading, and 34 out of 40 on General Training. Those are the thresholds this site scores your practice against. The exam board does not publish a per paper table and the boundary can move by a mark between versions, so train past the number rather than aiming to land on it.
Is General Training Reading easier than Academic Reading?+
The texts are easier and the marking is harder, which mostly cancels out. Band 6.0 takes 23 correct answers on Academic and 30 on General Training, so the same seven answers that leave an Academic candidate comfortable leave a General Training candidate short. Practise the paper your visa or university actually asks for.
How many questions are in IELTS Reading, and how long do I get?+
40 questions in 60 minutes, on both papers. Unlike Listening there is no extra transfer time, so writing your answers onto the answer sheet has to happen inside the hour. That is roughly 20 minutes a section including the transfer.
Does it cover General Training reading?+
Yes. General Training passages use the workplace notices, adverts and handbooks the real GT paper uses, and are marked against the GT band table.
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Both techniques are real and both are oversold. Here is when scanning walks you into the trap, when skimming misses the heading, the third gear nobody teaches, and the timing arithmetic across all three passages.
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