IELTS Band 9 Revision Guide
Exam Countdown
Reading Test Format
- Time: 60 minutes (no extra time for transferring answers)
- Structure: 3 long passages of increasing difficulty
- Questions: 40 questions total (usually 13-14 per passage)
- Text types: Academic journals, textbooks, magazines, newspapers
- Topics: Academic subjects (science, history, social sciences, etc.)
- Word count: 2,150-2,750 words total
Band 9 Requirements
- Score needed: 39-40 correct answers out of 40
- Reading speed: Able to process ~900 words in 20 minutes
- Comprehension: Full understanding of complex texts, implicit meanings, and writer's attitudes
- Vocabulary: Recognition of advanced vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and academic terms
- Inference: Ability to draw conclusions from information not explicitly stated
- Skimming/Scanning: Mastery of techniques to locate specific information quickly
Reading Question Types: Strategies for Band 9
Multiple Choice Questions
Questions with 3-4 possible answers where you select the correct option(s). They may test factual information, inference, or the writer's views.
- Read the question carefully and identify the focus before looking at options
- Underline key words in the question to guide your search in the text
- Locate the relevant paragraph using scanning techniques
- Read the paragraph thoroughly to understand the context
- Analyze each option against the text, looking for paraphrasing and synonyms
- Eliminate obviously incorrect options first
- Verify your answer by ensuring it matches the text's meaning, not just containing similar words
- Be cautious of options that are partially correct but don't fully answer the question
Key insight: The correct answer is often paraphrased from the text rather than using identical wording. Look for synonyms and restructured sentences.
Identifying Information (True/False/Not Given)
Questions that present statements about factual information in the text, requiring you to determine if they are true, false, or not given in the passage.
- Understand the exact definitions:
- TRUE: The statement matches information in the text
- FALSE: The statement contradicts information in the text
- NOT GIVEN: The statement cannot be determined from the text
- Identify key nouns, verbs, and qualifiers in the statement
- Scan for these key terms or their synonyms in the passage
- Once located, read the surrounding text carefully
- Compare the statement with the text word by word, checking for subtle differences
- Be alert to qualifying words (some, all, never, always) that can change meaning
- For "Not Given," resist the urge to use outside knowledge or make assumptions
Key insight: The most common mistake is confusing "False" with "Not Given." If the text presents related information but doesn't specifically address the statement, it's "Not Given," not "False."
Identifying Views/Claims (Yes/No/Not Given)
Similar to True/False/Not Given, but focuses specifically on the writer's views, opinions, or claims rather than factual information.
- Understand the exact definitions:
- YES: The view matches the writer's stated opinion
- NO: The view contradicts the writer's stated opinion
- NOT GIVEN: The writer doesn't express a view on this specific point
- Look for opinion indicators: "I believe," "in my view," "arguably," "clearly," etc.
- Distinguish between facts the writer presents and opinions they personally hold
- Be careful with reported opinions of others vs. the writer's own views
- Pay attention to tone and modality (must, might, could, should) which can indicate stance
- Consider the overall argument being made in addition to specific statements
Key insight: Writers often signal their opinions through subtle language choices. Look for evaluative adjectives, adverbs of degree, and emphatic phrases that reveal their stance.
Matching Information
Questions that ask you to find specific information in the passage and match it to the correct paragraph or section.
- Begin by quickly reading the information points you need to locate
- Identify key words, especially unique nouns, names, or specialized terms
- Scan each paragraph for these key terms or their synonyms
- When you locate potential matches, read carefully to confirm accuracy
- Focus on the main idea of each paragraph to guide your search
- Use paragraph topic sentences to help narrow down options
- Remember that answers may not follow the order of paragraphs
- Check if any paragraphs contain multiple answers or if any aren't used
Key insight: Effective skim-reading of paragraph openings and closings can rapidly narrow your search. The first and last sentences often contain key information about the paragraph's content.
Matching Headings
Questions that require you to match heading statements to paragraphs based on the main idea or purpose of each paragraph.
- First read all the heading options to understand the range of topics
- For each paragraph, identify the controlling idea (main point)
- Pay special attention to topic sentences and concluding sentences
- Look for repeated themes, terms, or concepts within the paragraph
- Find the heading that captures the paragraph's main idea, not just a detail
- Cross off headings as you use them (unless instructed that they can be used more than once)
- If unsure, mark paragraphs with obvious matches first, then return to difficult ones
- Verify your choices by checking that each heading accurately summarizes its paragraph
Key insight: A heading reflects the entire paragraph's purpose, not just specific details. Train yourself to identify the controlling idea that unifies all information in the paragraph.
Matching Features
Questions that require matching specific features (e.g., theories, findings, people) with statements or descriptions from a list.
- Read through all the features and statements first to understand the scope
- Identify distinguishing characteristics of each feature
- Scan the text for mentions of each feature (names, theories, etc.)
- Read carefully around these mentions to find relevant descriptions
- Look for synonyms and paraphrasing between the text and statements
- Pay attention to contextual clues that link features to descriptions
- Use process of elimination for features with similar characteristics
- Double-check that your matches are specifically mentioned, not assumed
Key insight: This question type often requires careful distinction between similar features. Create a mental framework of unique attributes for each feature to avoid confusion.
Matching Sentence Endings
Questions presenting incomplete sentences that must be completed using a list of possible endings to create accurate statements based on the text.
- Read all sentence beginnings and potential endings to understand the context
- Check each sentence beginning for key names, terms, or concepts
- Locate these key elements in the passage
- Read the surrounding text carefully to understand what is being described
- Test potential endings by combining them with the beginning to form complete sentences
- Verify grammatical coherence of the combined sentence
- Ensure logical continuity and accurate meaning based on the passage
- Cross off endings as you use them (unless instructed that they can be used more than once)
Key insight: Both grammatical fit and logical meaning are essential. The correct ending must form a grammatically correct sentence that accurately reflects information from the passage.
Summary/Note/Table/Flow-Chart Completion
Questions requiring you to complete a summary, notes, table, or flow chart by filling in missing information from the text.
- Read the summary/notes/table completely first to understand the overall topic
- Identify the specific section of the text the summary relates to
- Pay attention to the words before and after each gap to determine
what's needed:
- Part of speech (noun, verb, adjective)
- Singular/plural form
- Type of information (date, name, concept)
- Check if answers come from a list or directly from the text
- If from a list, analyze each option against the context of the gap
- If direct from text, scan for relevant sections using key words surrounding the gap
- Verify your answers fit grammatically and logically in the context
- Double-check word count restrictions (often limited to one, two, or three words)
Key insight: The summary often condenses or paraphrases the original text. Look for synonyms and alternative phrasing when searching for answers.
Diagram Label Completion
Questions requiring you to complete labels on a diagram based on information in the text, testing understanding of processes, structures, or systems.
- Examine the entire diagram first to understand what it represents
- Identify the specific section of the text that discusses the diagram's subject
- Look for descriptive language about components, processes, or sequences
- Match the visual elements of the diagram with their textual descriptions
- Pay attention to the spatial relationships shown in the diagram
- Note technical vocabulary that might be used for specialized parts
- Check if answers must come from a list or directly from the text
- Verify word count restrictions and spelling precision
Key insight: Technical diagrams often appear in passages about scientific processes or physical structures. Familiarize yourself with descriptive technical vocabulary for various fields.
Short-Answer Questions
Questions requiring brief answers (usually a limited number of words) based on factual information from the text.
- Read the question carefully to identify exactly what information is needed
- Note the word limit specified (typically 1-3 words)
- Identify key words or phrases in the question to guide your search
- Scan the text for these key terms or their synonyms
- Once located, read carefully to extract the precise answer
- Use the exact form of words as they appear in the text (unless grammar requires adjustment)
- Check that your answer directly addresses the question
- Verify that your answer contains only the necessary information within the word limit
Key insight: Short-answer questions often test precision and attention to detail. The answer must be complete but concise, containing exactly the information requested.
Advanced Reading Techniques for Band 9
Strategic Reading
Optimize your approach to each passage for maximum efficiency.
- Question-first approach: For most question types, read questions before the passage to focus your reading
- Topic sentences: Pay special attention to first and last sentences of paragraphs
- Paragraph mapping: Create mental maps of key information in each paragraph
- Time management: Allocate approximately 20 minutes per passage
- Difficult questions strategy: Skip and return to challenging questions rather than getting stuck
Advanced Comprehension
Develop deeper understanding of complex academic texts.
- Inference skills: Practice reading between the lines for implied meanings
- Author's attitude detection: Identify subtle indicators of writer's stance
- Contextual vocabulary: Deduce meanings of unfamiliar words from context
- Discourse markers: Use transition words to follow the logical flow
- Counterargument identification: Recognize when the author presents opposing views
Speed Reading
Increase reading speed without sacrificing comprehension.
- Skimming: Quickly identify main ideas and organization
- Scanning: Locate specific information using key words
- Chunking: Process groups of words rather than individual words
- Peripheral vision training: Expand visual field to see more text at once
- Subvocalization reduction: Minimize mental "pronouncing" of words
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