The learner can apply skimming and scanning to a short academic passage and budget the 60 minutes across three passages and 40 questions.
Skimming, Scanning and the 60-Minute Plan
Skimming, Scanning and the 60-Minute Plan
IELTS Academic Reading gives you 60 minutes for three passages and 40 questions. You must transfer your answers onto the answer sheet as you go — there is no extra time at the end. A practical rule is to spend roughly 20 minutes per passage, including reading and answering.
Skimming means reading quickly for the gist — the main idea of each paragraph. You do not read every word. You read the title, the first sentence of each paragraph, and any topic-sentence signals to build a mental map of the text. Use skimming before you start the questions so you know where different ideas are located.
Scanning means moving your eyes fast across the text to locate a specific word, number, name or idea. You already know what you are looking for, so you ignore everything else. When you find the area, you read carefully only those few lines. Crucially, the answer will often be expressed in different words from the question — a paraphrase or synonym. For example, a question might say 'inexpensive' but the text says 'low-cost'. Train yourself to look for meaning, not the exact word.
If one question is taking too long, move on and come back. Leaving a blank costs marks; a guess has a chance. Never let one hard question eat three minutes of your time.
Lesson notes
Skimming, Scanning and the 60-Minute Plan
IELTS Academic Reading gives you 60 minutes for three passages and 40 questions. You must transfer your answers onto the answer sheet as you go — there is no extra time at the end. A practical rule is to spend roughly 20 minutes per passage, including reading and answering.
Skimming means reading quickly for the gist — the main idea of each paragraph. You do not read every word. You read the title, the first sentence of each paragraph, and any topic-sentence signals to build a mental map of the text. Use skimming before you start the questions so you know where different ideas are located.
Scanning means moving your eyes fast across the text to locate a specific word, number, name or idea. You already know what you are looking for, so you ignore everything else. When you find the area, you read carefully only those few lines. Crucially, the answer will often be expressed in different words from the question — a paraphrase or synonym. For example, a question might say 'inexpensive' but the text says 'low-cost'. Train yourself to look for meaning, not the exact word.
If one question is taking too long, move on and come back. Leaving a blank costs marks; a guess has a chance. Never let one hard question eat three minutes of your time.