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IELTS Reading practice tests

Short answer: a full IELTS Reading test is three passages and 40 questions in 60 minutes, marked out of 40 and converted on a fixed band table. Every test in this library is written in the Cambridge style at that exact length and mark split, and every one has a separate answer page naming the trap behind each wrong option.

12 tests · 40 questions each 60 minutes each

6 tests

Academic Reading Series

Full 40-mark Academic papers at the standard exam difficulty

Three passages, 40 questions, 60 minutes — the same shape and mark split as the real Academic Reading paper (13 + 13 + 14). Passage 1 is general-interest, Passage 2 denser, Passage 3 the most abstract. Start here if you are targeting band 6.5 to 7.5.

3 tests

Band 8+ Academic Series

The same format, harder texts and heavier paraphrase

Identical structure to the Academic series, built at the difficulty band 8 and 9 candidates need: longer sentences, more abstract argument, and distractors that survive a careful first read. Sit these once you are consistently scoring 30+ on the standard series.

3 tests

General Training Reading Series

Social survival, workplace and one longer general-interest text

The General Training paper: Section 1 notices and advertisements, Section 2 workplace documents, Section 3 one longer general-interest text. Same 40 marks and 60 minutes as Academic, but the General Training conversion is stricter — you need more correct answers for the same band.

On the size of this library: it is deliberately small and growing in reviewed batches. Every passage is written for this site and every answer key is checked by hand before it is published, because a wrong key in a reading test is worse than no test at all. If you want unlimited fresh passages now rather than a fixed set, generated practice by question type has no limit.

Practise one question type instead

A full paper tells you your band. It does not tell you which of the 11 question types cost you the marks — for that, drill the type on its own.

Passage topics in this library: Archaeology, Art, Biology, Consumer Affairs, Culture, Decision Science, Ecology, Economics, Education, Engineering, Environment, Everyday Life, History, Linguistics, Microbiology, Ocean Science, Physics, Psychology, Social History, Social Science, Technology, Transport, Urban Design, Volunteering, Workplace. For practice by subject, see the 31 topic passages.

IELTS Reading practice tests — common questions

Are these IELTS reading practice tests free?

Yes, and no account is needed. Read the passages, answer, get each passage marked, and open the full answer key. A free account adds saved history and per-question-type band tracking.

How long is an IELTS Reading test?

60 minutes for three passages and 40 questions, with no extra time to transfer answers. Most candidates aim for roughly 20 minutes per passage, spending slightly less on Passage 1 to bank time for Passage 3.

Are these Cambridge IELTS practice tests?

They are written in the Cambridge style, not taken from a Cambridge volume. That means the same three-passage structure, the same 13 + 13 + 14 mark split, passages of the same length and register, and the same 11 question types with the same trap patterns — original texts built to that specification. Nobody can legally give you a scanned past paper, and a site offering one is distributing copyrighted material.

What does "Cambridge-style" actually mean here?

Five things are matched deliberately: three passages of roughly 700–950 words rising in difficulty, 40 questions split 13 + 13 + 14, 60 minutes with no transfer time, question types drawn from the same eleven the real paper uses, and distractors built on the same trap patterns — synonym substitution, overstatement, and answers placed after their distractor.

How many correct answers do I need for band 7?

30 out of 40 on the Academic conversion. Band 6.5 starts at 27 and band 8 at 35. The full table is on every answer page and on the Reading band calculator.

Is Academic Reading harder than General Training?

The Academic texts are harder, but the General Training conversion is stricter to compensate — a GT candidate needs more correct answers for the same band. Sit the module you booked, not the one that looks easier.

Should I do full tests or practise by question type?

Both, in that order. Drilling one question type is how a weakness gets fixed; a full timed paper is how you find out whether it did. Doing only full papers tends to preserve the weakness, because the mix hides which type is failing.

Around the Reading paper

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