Reading guide
IELTS Reading question types
Every format rewards the same core habit: follow the exact instruction, locate evidence, and answer only what the text supports. These original mini-examples introduce every renderer currently supported by NorthPrep.
Single choice
What it tests: Locating one precise claim and distinguishing it from plausible nearby details.
Classic trap: Choosing an option that repeats passage words but changes the relationship between them.
Mini-example: Text: “The roof garden reduced afternoon heat more than either wall treatment.” Question: Which measure had the largest afternoon effect? Answer: the roof garden, because the comparison is explicit.
Multiple choice
What it tests: Recognising every supported option when more than one answer is required.
Classic trap: Stopping after the first true option or selecting a true detail that does not answer the question.
Mini-example: Text: “The library extended weekend hours and added a quiet floor; membership stayed unchanged.” Choose two changes. Answer: weekend hours and a quiet floor.
True / False / Not Given
What it tests: Comparing factual statements with what the passage states.
Classic trap: Using outside knowledge or treating missing information as false.
Mini-example: Text: “The ferry trial begins in June.” Statement: The trial starts in June. Answer: TRUE. A claim about the ticket price would be NOT GIVEN because no price appears.
Yes / No / Not Given
What it tests: Identifying whether a statement agrees with the writer’s view or claim.
Classic trap: Answering from factual possibility instead of the writer’s expressed position.
Mini-example: Text: “The council should keep one lane car-free after the trial.” Statement: The writer wants every lane reopened to cars. Answer: NO.
Matching headings
What it tests: Recognising the main purpose of a paragraph rather than one detail.
Classic trap: Matching a heading because one keyword appears in both places.
Mini-example: Paragraph: Bees fan their wings and move water through the hive when temperatures rise. Best heading: “How a colony controls heat,” because it covers the whole paragraph.
Matching information
What it tests: Finding which paragraph contains a named fact, example, reason, or comparison.
Classic trap: Assuming answers follow paragraph order or matching by topic alone.
Mini-example: Paragraph A describes a launch date; Paragraph B explains why the date changed. Information: a reason for the delay. Answer: Paragraph B.
Matching features
What it tests: Connecting statements with people, places, periods, or other labelled features.
Classic trap: Selecting the person mentioned nearest the keyword without checking who made the claim.
Mini-example: Rao measured noise; Chen argued that lighting changed behaviour. Claim: lighting affected behaviour. Answer: Chen.
Matching sentence endings
What it tests: Completing meaning and grammar by linking sentence beginnings to supported endings.
Classic trap: Choosing a grammatically smooth ending whose meaning is not supported.
Mini-example: Text: The smaller battery charged slowly but retained power longest. Beginning: “The smaller battery…” Ending: “…kept its charge for the longest period.”
Sentence completion
What it tests: Selecting exact passage words that complete one sentence within its word limit.
Classic trap: Copying extra words or changing a noun form so the sentence becomes ungrammatical.
Mini-example: Text: “Visitors leave wet umbrellas at reception.” Complete: Visitors must leave wet umbrellas at ___. Answer: reception.
Summary completion
What it tests: Following a condensed version of a passage and supplying words that preserve its logic.
Classic trap: Filling a blank from general memory instead of checking the surrounding grammar and source passage.
Mini-example: Text: “Cooling began after sunset.” Summary: The cooling process started after ___. Answer: sunset.
Note completion
What it tests: Extracting compact facts into labels or bullet-style notes.
Classic trap: Ignoring that note grammar may omit articles while the word limit still applies.
Mini-example: Text: “Bring a steel water bottle.” Note: Required item — ___ water bottle. Answer: steel.
Table completion
What it tests: Matching information across rows and columns before entering a precise value.
Classic trap: Reading the correct row but the wrong column.
Mini-example: Text: North route — 25 minutes; South route — 40 minutes. Cell: South route / journey time. Answer: 40 minutes.
Flow-chart completion
What it tests: Following stages, causes, or decisions in the correct sequence.
Classic trap: Choosing a nearby process word without checking what happens immediately before and after the blank.
Mini-example: Text: Sort the seeds, soak them overnight, then plant them. Flow: sort → ___ → plant. Answer: soak overnight.
Form completion
What it tests: Transferring practical details into labelled fields.
Classic trap: Putting the right detail in the wrong field or including a label already printed on the form.
Mini-example: Notice: “Return applications to West Desk.” Form field: Return location: ___. Answer: West Desk.
Short answer
What it tests: Answering a direct question with exact passage language under a word or number limit.
Classic trap: Giving a full sentence when only a short phrase is allowed.
Mini-example: Text: “The final inspection occurs on Tuesday.” Question: On which day is the final inspection? Answer: Tuesday.
Plan, map, or diagram labelling
What it tests: Connecting a written description with spatial or visual labels.
Classic trap: Reversing left and right because the passage describes movement from a different viewpoint.
Mini-example: Text: “The tool shed stands immediately east of the greenhouse.” Label the building to the greenhouse’s right. Answer: tool shed.
IELTS is a registered trademark of the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and Cambridge Assessment English. NorthPrep is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by them.