IELTS Academic Reading: Question Logic and Evidence Matching
The Reading domain tests comprehension of long academic texts: gist, main ideas, detail, inference, the writer’s opinion and the structure of an argument. You have 60 minutes for three passages and 40 questions, with no extra transfer time, so the clock is part of the test.
What the paper contains
- Three passages drawn from books, journals, magazines and newspapers, roughly 2,150–2,750 words in total.
- Question families include True/False/Not Given, Yes/No/Not Given, matching headings, matching information, matching features, multiple choice, sentence endings and summary completion.
- Each question is worth one mark; there is no penalty for a wrong answer.
Core rules
- False means the passage contradicts the statement; Not Given means the passage neither confirms nor contradicts it. If you cannot find evidence either way, do not choose False.
- Yes/No/Not Given asks about the writer’s claims or views, not about facts in general.
- Matching headings tests the main idea of a paragraph, not a repeated keyword.
- Matching information may use a paragraph more than once and does not follow passage order.
Worked example
Passage: “The 2019 trial recruited 480 adults and found no measurable difference in sleep quality between the supplement and placebo groups.” Question 1: “The trial found a difference in sleep quality between the groups.” Answer: False - the passage says “no measurable difference”, which contradicts the statement. Question 2: “More than 400 adults took part.” Answer: True - 480 is more than 400. Question 3: “The trial lasted six months.” Answer: Not Given - duration is not mentioned.
Traps that cost marks
- Choosing Not Given when the passage paraphrases the statement closely.
- Matching a heading because it repeats a word from the paragraph.
- Spending so long on Passage 1 that Passage 3 is rushed; all 40 marks count equally.
- Ignoring instructions such as “NB You may use any letter more than once.”
- Leaving blanks: an unanswered question is always zero, while a reasoned guess may be right.