READING
IELTS Reading tests a variety of reading skills, and although the question formats are the same, the text styles are different for Academic and General Training. You will be given around 60 minutes to answer 40 questions, and there are 3 different reading texts to read.
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IELTS Reading Test Format
The IELTS Academic Reading section is divided into 3 parts with each of these parts consisting of a long paragraph text. The difficulty level increases from part 1 to part 3. These texts are usually related to subjects like science, sociology and can even be some form of illustration.
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The IELTS General Training section is also divided into three parts. Part 1 and 2 of this section will have one or two texts and Part 3 will contain a long difficult passage on a general topic of interest. Part 1 of this section has texts related to everyday life, courses or some kind of service provided. Part 2 of this section has texts related to jobs, application procedures, etc.
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As IELTS General Training Reading section is easier than the IELTS Academic Reading section, the scores vary accordingly too. More questions need to be answered correctly on a General Training section to receive the same grade as an Academic Reading section.