6 Common Mistakes in IELTS Reading to Avoid for High Score

Have you ever missed answering questions in IELTS Reading because you were too busy reading the whole passage?

If yes, then we have got you covered. IELTS Reading can be demanding and consuming, but it can be equally fulfilling and rewarding with the right approach. Today, we shall explore the Top six Mistakes in IELTS Reading and pragmatic ways to overcome them. By the end of this blog, you will have learned key IELTS tips & strategies to:

A.  Find out the correct answer in a short time
B.  Discover practical tips to avoid pitfalls

Top 6 Common IELTS Reading Mistakes to Avoid

1. Reading Word by Word in IELTS Reading Test

This is a very common IELTS reading mistakemade by many! YOU need NOT understand or dig deep rather, just skim and scan.

What is skimming and scanning?

It is two very important skills you must learn wherein you just need to go through the passage without getting into details to get an overall gist of the passage; to identify the purpose or the main theme of the passage. This is called skimming.

Now, how to do skimming in IELTS reading?

• Read the headings and the first line of each paragraph.
• Look for important words like nouns, or verbs. It shall give you key information. You may also underline them. (but not too much, just the keywords)

Now,that you have recognized the aim of each text, you may go for scanning to find answers to specific IELTS Reading questions.

The easiest way of scanning in Reading is to FOCUS on vocabulary. But do not go for the exact words from the question rather look out for synonymous words too. For eg: if the question has the keyword “densely populated”, in the text you may locate the word “crowded” and find the answer near that.

The bottom line is to locate the keywords in the text and hunt the answer.

Tip: Skimming and scanning are essential skills that need to be practiced as we often don’t use them in our daily lives.

2. Struggling to Understand the IELTS Reading Questions

It is one of the common mistakes in IELTS Reading, especially with a few question types like True/False/Not Given or YES/NO/NOT GIVEN to not be able to comprehend/analyze the question and decide the category it would fall in. The best way is to compare the statement with the information in the passage.

a. If the information is given in the text and aligns with the question, then it is a True

Passage: “Taj Mahal is the least visited monument in Delhi.”
Statement: “Taj Mahal has the lowest footfalls in Delhi.”
Answer: TRUE (Same meaning, different words).

b. If the information is given in the text and contradicts the question, it is a False

Passage: “Taj Mahal is the second least visited monument in Delhi.”
Statement: “Taj Mahal has the lowest footfalls in Delhi.”
Answer: FALSE (contradicts the information).

c. If you cannot find any information then naturally it is Not Given

Passage: “Taj Mahal is a popular tourist attraction in Delhi.”
Statement: “It has the highest footfalls in the city.”
Answer: NOT GIVEN (Statement has a similar meaning but being popular does not necessarily imply that it has the highest footfalls).

3. Overlooking Important IELTS Reading Instructions

If your answers are not as per the given instructions in the question you will lose marks even if the answer you wrote is correct. A BIG LOSS.
So to avoid it, read the instructions carefully and write the answer accordingly. Some of the common instructions are as follows:

a. WRITE ANSWER IN ONE WORD

b. WRITE ANSWER IN ONE WORD AND/OR ONE NUMBER that means you can include one word and one number, or either one word or one number.

c. Write in numbers (be careful with Roman numbers; I, II, III, IV, V, VI or Arabic numbers; 1,2,3,4,5)

4. Transferring Answers at the Last Minute in IELTS Reading

Do you transfer the answers to the answer sheet in the END? If yes, then you may end up losing your well deserved marks. Have a habit of transferring the answers the moment you find them with correct spell check as you lose marks for every answer with incorrect spelling.

5. Relying on Background Knowledge in IELTS Reading

A lot of IELTS Exam takers use either pre-existing knowledge or information they know something about. It leads to incorrect choice of answer. You must go for the answer that supports the information given in the text.

For Eg:

If the text says “Survey has found that there are more females in India than males”

Question:Research has found that the male population in India exceeds the female population. (True/False/Not Given)

Your answer should be FALSE, even if we know that the male population outnumbers the female population in India.

6. Skipping Proofreading in IELTS Reading

Do you find proofreading boring and neglect it? If yes then you shall again lose your hard-earned marks. Not only that you must check for the spelling but also DO check whether the answer is in SINGULAR or PLURAL form. For instance, if, in the passage, the answer is DISHES and you write it DISH, then it would go wrong.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, avoiding these common mistakes in IELTS Reading will definitely help you perform better and improve your scores. The key takeaways include:-

• Always read the instructions and answer accordingly.
• Practice and use techniques of skimming and scanning.
• Transfer answers on the spot.
• Always proofread for spelling errors
• Decide the answer based solely on the information given in the text.

By implementing these strategies, you will surely be able to improve your scores. Remember that PRACTICE is the key; INVEST your time practicing the techniques for better scores in the IELTS Exam.