To improve your band score and excel in the IELTS General Reading test, you need access to reliable and authentic set of IELTS general reading practice tests online, as well as proven strategies and tips that are effective and practical. These resources are suitable for both beginners and those at an advanced level. Also, you can download IELTS reading pdf for free.
The list of authentic IELTS General Reading practice tests from Cambridge IELTS Book 1-19 is on this page.
These authentic examination papers from Cambridge University Press & Assessment provide perfect practice for IELTS General Reading preparation because they closely resemble the real test. The following latest reading practice tests are enough to prepare for the general training reading test.
IELTS General Reading Practice Tests Online
- Cambridge 1-18 Reading Tests for General Training
- IELTS tips and tricks
- Format of IELTS GT reading test
- Matching Headings Questions
- True / False / Not Given Questions
- Yes / No / Not Given Questions
- Matching Paragraph Information Questions
- Summary Completion Question
- Sentence Completion Questions
- Multiple Choice Questions
- List Selection
- Choosing a Title
- Classification Questions
- Matching Sentence Endings
- Table Completion
- Flow Chart Completion Questions
- Diagram Completion Questions
- Short Answer Questions
IELTS Cambridge Books 1-19 General Training Reading Practice Tests
The first two general reading practice tests are sourced from Cambridge IELTS Book 19. Online Practice Test 1 covers topics including Gobridge Tramlink – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), Adorable Knitwear – Online Customer Reviews, How to become a great leader, Resigning from a job in a professional manner and Emojis.
The second test includes discussions on Local campsites, Durridge Heights (DH) Newsletter, A day in the life of a care worker, How to find a good balance between your work and your personal life and City’s ‘Henry’ programme gives children choices while helping parents stay in the driving seat.
GT Reading
The second General Training reading test discusses Purple Rainbow: The Truth, Sports events in New Zealand, What to do if you are made redundant and Palvin’s Restaurant. The fourth general reading practice test covers Customer Reviews of Cafés in the Town of Artingly, Frog Valley Development, Percil Training Institute, Percil Memorial Training Scholarships (3 offered per year), Divided opinions about letting farmland return to its natural state.
Note: The IELTS General Training Reading Test differs from the academic reading test mainly in the language and difficulty level of the texts. Similar to the academic reading, the general training reading test lasts for 60 minutes and includes 40 questions. You can calculate your reading score using our IELTS General Reading band calculator. Understanding the big picture as well as the minor points and distinguishing facts from opinions and attitudes are well known tricks to tackle the IELTS GT reading test and achieve your desired score.
Test 5 & 6 for GT reading practice are taken from Cambridge 18 IELTS book, covers the following topics : What to do if your clothes have been lost or damaged by a dry cleaner, Mechanical lifting equipment, and White storks back in Britain after hundreds of years with answers keys provided at the end of the tests.
Diagram Completion Questions
These questions involve filling in missing parts of a diagram using information from the reading passage or selecting the correct words from a given list. To successfully tackle Diagram Completion Questions, you should carefully read the reading passage, identify relevant details, and use them to complete or label the missing parts of the diagram accurately. In Diagram Completion Questions, answers do not always follow sequence in the reading passage.
Short Answer Questions
In Short Answer Questions in the IELTS reading test, you are required to provide brief responses using words or numbers from the passage to answer the given questions. In Short Answer Questions, answers follow sequence in the reading passage.
The Reading Test 9 and 10 are from Cambridge IELTS 17 and discuss the following topics: Arriving in Singapore by plane raeding answers and Want to rent a property, Local countryside walks and Outdoor activities for all the family. You can find IELTS reading answers at the end of the test.
IELTS tips and tricks
The IELTS General Training reading consists of three parts, but sections one and two may contain multiple texts. The difficulty level gradually increases. The Test 11 and 12 are from Cambridge 17 and discuss the following topics: local countryside walks reading answers and outdoor activities for all the family reading answers.
First Passage of the Reading Test
In the first part of the reading test, you will encounter one, two, or even three texts discussing various aspects of native English life. These texts could be anything from a hotel or restaurant ads to details about sports facilities or educational courses. They are short and provide factual information rather than being descriptive.
The test 13 and 14 are taken from Cambridge Book 16 and discuss about Helping pupils to choose optional subjects, Reducing injuries on the farm, Plastic is no Longer Fantastic, How to choose your builder, Barrington Music Service: Business and Development Manager, and Jobs in ancient Egypt.
14 types of IELTS GT Reading Questions
There are 14 kinds of questions In the IELTS GT reading test,. You have one hour to read three passages and answer 40 questions. These questions come in different types, and for each passage, there are usually 3 or 4 types of questions. To get ready for your test, you need to ensure that you practice each type of question.
The 15 and 16 tests are taken from IELTS 16 GT Book and cover the following topics: Maps Showing Walks Starting from Bingham Town Hall, Qualities that make a great barista, Feathers as Decoration in European History, The best hiking boots, Should you pay someone to write your CV, and History of women football in Britain.
Matching Headings Questions
Matching Headings in IELTS reading involves choosing a heading from a list that fits a section or paragraph. Understand section purposes, differentiate main ideas, and grasp overall content. Tips: read headings first, analyze them before matching, watch for numerals, and follow instructions. Answers may not be in order. Learn these skills for confident and accurate responses in the IELTS reading test.
The test 17 and 18 are taken from Cambridge 15 and discuss about Consumer Advice, Safety when working on roofs, The California Gold Rush of 1849, Harvey Storage, workplace health and safety considerations for plumbers, and Preventing the theft of turtle eggs.
True / False / Not Given / Yes / No / Not Given Questions
In T/F/NG or Y/N/NG questions in the IELTS reading test, your task is to locate information or the writer’s opinion in the passage. Identify details, scan for information, and understand the writer’s opinions. Answers usually follow the passage order.
Yes/True: Same information is given in the passage.
No/False: Opposite information is given in the passage.
Not Given: Information is not given in the passage.
The reading test 19 and 20 are taken from IELTS 15 GT Book and offer the following topics: Young Fashion Designer UK competition, Working for a small company may be better than you think, How animals keep fit, New cycle path to Marshbrook Country Park, How to make your working day more enjoyable, and Animals can tell right from wrong. The answers are given at the end of the test.
Matching Paragraph Information Questions
Your Task is to match information in the question to a paragraph in the passage. You need to Scan or identify specific information to find the answers.
Tips: You should paraphrase the question information and locate information in the passage. Remember, Answers do not come in order in these type of questions.
The GT Reading Practice Test 21 and 22 are taken from Cambridge 14 General Training Book and discuss about the Transition Care for The Elderly, College car parking policy staff, PAPYRUS, Five reviews of the Wellington Hotel, Dress regulations at work, and San Francisco Golden Gale Bridge.
Summary Completion Question
To handle Summary Completion Questions in IELTS GT Reading, You should read the summary, note missing information, and identify keywords that fit grammatically correct in the sentence. Scan the passage for relevant details, ensuring the inserted words fit logically. Paraphrase and choose words coherently, stay within the word limit, and practice recognizing key information swiftly. Summary Completion Questions are generally answered in order, following a sequence in the passage.
The GT Test 23 and 24 are taken from IELTS 14 and provide details about Your Guide to Entertainment in Westhaven, Guide to employees on workplace monitoring, Research on improving agricultural yields in Africa, The best travel wallets, Vacancy for food preparation assistant, and THE ROLE OF THE SWISS POSTBUS.
Sentence Completion Questions
When approaching Sentence Completion Questions in the IELTS GT Reading Test, begin by carefully reading the sentence and noting its context, keywords, and clues. Seek information in the passage that aligns with the context and logically completes the sentence. Emphasize paraphrasing and grasp the sentence’s meaning. Verify for grammatical consistency and ensure your chosen words match the sentence structure. Answers for Summary Completion Questions typically appear in a sequence.
The Practice Test 25 and 26 taken from Cambridge 13 GT Book and explain about The best suitcases, Border Crossing for Commercial Vehicles, A visit to oymyakon, the world’s coldest town, Online roommate finder Toronto, Why you should delegate tasks to team members, and DINOSAURS AND THE SECRETS THEY STILL HOLD.
Multiple Choice Questions
For Multiple Choice Questions in the IELTS GT Reading test, first, you should read the question and choices. Look for important words and understand the context. Scan the passage for matching details. Find synonyms or reworded options in the text. Watch out for misleading information and make sure your answer fits the passage’s overall meaning. Answers typically follow a sequence in the passage or paragraph. You should Practice finding key details quickly to improve your IELTS reading score.
The Reading Test 27 and 28 are taken from IELTS 13 General Training Book and discuss about New York Late Starters String Orchestra, Employees’ health and safety responsibilities, Vanilla the most wonderful flavor in the world, The guardian newspaper travel, A case study of a risk assessment for general office cleaning, and Tuning up your leadership skills.
List Selection
List Selection questions involves choosing the correct option from a list to match specific information in the passage. To perform exceptionally well in List Selection tasks, you should scanning and understanding information given in the passage. Pay attention to any specific instructions regarding the format of your answers (e.g., using letters). Remember that the answer keys come in order.
The GT Practice Test 29 and 30 are taken from Cambridge 12 GT Book and provide details about Bath international music festival, Marketing advice for new businesses, A brief history of automata, LOST DAMAGED OR DELAYED INLAND MAIL CLAIM FORM, North Sydney Council, and Crossing the Humber estuary.
Choosing a Title
You need to carefully read the passage and identify the main theme or purpose. Focus on understanding the overall message conveyed by the passage. Paraphrase the titles provided and match them with the central idea of the passage. Titles often capture the main idea of the passage, so choose the one that best aligns with the main subject or purpose.
The Test 31 and 32 are taken from IELTS 12 Cambridge Book and discuss about Evening Courses, Benefits for staff of Hamberton Hospital, Marine Ecosystems, Music Clubs, Negotiating a better salary package for your new job, and Mass appeal of the mantra rays.
Classification Questions
You have to choose which category the information belongs to from a list given in the reading section. You need to locate information in the given passage, look out for paraphrases and categorize them to find the correct answer.
The General Training Reading Practice Test 33 and 34 are taken from Cambridge 11 GT Book and provide details about is your child at school today, GZJ Travel Recruitment Info, The Zebra’s long walk across Africa, Sustainable School Travel Strategy, Tips for giving an effective business presentation, and What is it like to run a large supermarket.
Matching Sentence Endings
In this type of questions, you are going to Complete sentences by matching the start of the sentence with the correct ending given in a list. Locate and understand information given in the passage to perform well.
The IELTS Practice Test 35 and 36 are taken from IELTS 11 General Training Book and discuss about Summer activities at London’s Kew Gardens, HOW TO ORGANISE A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS CONFERENCE, Efforts to save a special bird the spoon-billed sandpiper, Visitor attractions in southern England, How to prepare for an interview, and Understanding Hares.
Test 33 and 34 are coming soon.
Table Completion
This type of question requires you to complete the table using the correct word from the reading passage. Understand and locate specific details in the IELTS reading passage to solve table completion questions.
Test 35 and 36 are coming soon.
Flow Chart Completion Questions
Your task is to complete the given flow chart completion questions choosing the correct words from the reading passage. You should understand the questions and the reading passage to answer this type of questions. In flow chart completion questions, answers do not always follow sequence in the reading passage.
