The IELTS academic reading exam is a 60-minute test that assesses your reading skills in an academic context. The test consists of three sections, each containing one long text that ranges from 2,150 to 2,750 words. The texts are authentic and are taken from books, journals, magazines, and newspapers. The texts cover a variety of academic topics and are suitable for non-specialist audiences.
The test contains 40 questions in total, which are divided into different types.
The questions are always in the same order as the information in the texts. The answers are either one word only, no more than two words, no more than three words, or no more than three words and/or a number. If you are doing the paper version of the test, you have to write your answers on an answer sheet using a pencil. Each correct answer receives one mark. Scores out of 40 are converted to the IELTS 9-band scale. Scores are reported in whole and half bands.