Time is your biggest enemy in the IELTS Reading section.
You get 60 minutes to answer 40 questions across 3 increasingly difficult passages. That means:
From teaching 10+ years, I’ve seen students lose marks not because they didn’t understand the text, but because they didn’t reach the final passage in time.
Let’s build a flexible, smart time strategy — so you finish the test with confidence, not panic.
Here’s a suggested time breakdown that works for most students:
Section | Time | Tip |
Passage 1 | 15 minutes | It’s the easiest, so build confidence and bank time |
Passage 2 | 18 minutes | Slightly harder — manage focus carefully |
Passage 3 | 27 minutes | Most difficult — leave time to think, double-check |
Tip: If you finish Passage 1 in 12–13 minutes, that’s great. Save those 2–3 minutes for the end.
Skim Before You Read in Detail
Read the Questions First
Use Scanning to Locate Quickly
Watch the Clock (Divide 60 minutes)
Leave and Return
Band 5 Learner | Band 8 Learner |
Reads full passage slowly | Skims to get the map |
Spends too long on hard questions | Moves on, comes back later |
Answers in order only | Answers in best order for them |
Panics in Passage 3 | Saves time for it |
Time Trap | What to Do |
Getting stuck on Matching Headings | Do it after easier questions if needed |
Re-reading everything | Skim first, scan second |
Checking every answer twice | Trust your process and move on |
Finishing Passage 1 too slowly | Aim for under 15 minutes |
You don’t need to time yourself from Day 1.
Start with:
Then move to:
Track how much time you spend per passage and per question. Patterns help you improve.
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