Tips to Ace IELTS Reading- Fill in the Blanks Section

In IELTS Reading- Fill in the Blanks section, the test takers are required to fill in the gaps of summary using words from a box.  There can be more words than you need to use in the blanks.   The fill in the blanks task type of the IELTS reading require candidates to read the summary, pick correct words and fill in the each blank with a suitable word from the box given below.  If you are struggling with the fill in the blanks section of the IELTS reading section, here are several useful strategies that can help you get through the IELTS reading- fill in the blanks/gaps sections.

1.      Read carefully: - When it comes to IELTS reading section, reading the paragraphs carefully is the key.  Do not lose focus and always read the paragraphs carefully. During the reading time, ensure you have understood what the general idea of the passage is.

2.      Skim and Scan: - Skimming and scanning techniques are commonly used in the IELTS reading section.  These techniques involve understanding the main idea of the text without reading the complete sentences.  Most of the candidates make a mistake of doing skimming and scanning incorrectly. You should know that there is a right strategy to do skimming and scanning. You should not miss out essential information while you are skimming and scanning the content.

3.      Read questions first: -   Always read the questions first. This will help you relate which options can be fitted in which places.  Reading the questions will also prepare you what you are going to read and understand the main idea of the paragraph.

4.      Don’t Panic: - Even if you do not know the answer to the question, do not panic.  Just relax and keep looking for the other options. Candidates stop the reading process, when they come across an unknown question.

5.      No Shortcut: - Reading is an activity and it should be done the way it is done.  Do not apply any shortcuts because it will lead to time wastage. You can plan a strategy beforehand to tackle different type of questions but do not apply any shortcuts.

6.      Don’t re-think:- Don’t re-think about already answered questions.  Once you have attempted the questions, move on to next ones and don’t keep thinking about the already answered.

7.      Guessing helps:- Since you receive no negative points for attempting a question wrong, make sure you fill all the blanks even if you think your answers are incorrect. There is still a slight probability of them being right.

8.      Write important details:- It is usually believed that reading section is all about skimming and scanning. But you should always read a paragraph and write down what you understood. This is because it is very important to understand the meaning of the paragraph so that you can retain the information you have read.

9.      Practice papers can help: - After practicing enough practice exams, you would know which questions take more time and which take less time.  The ones you can attempt easily are fine and the ones which take more time need more practice.

10.  Over-confidence kills: - Over-confidence can kill your overall IELTS band scores. It’s good to be confident, but do not be over-confident about your preparation. Just concentrate on the information which has been given to you never deduce things from the information which has been given to you.

General Advice for IELTS Reading

Before attempting questions, take a glance at the text to understand the common idea of what it is about. Then, read the options to be able to answer more efficiently. After having an idea of what the options and paragraphs are about, determine which blanks belong to which paragraphs. This method did a great deal of help. You can also write a short title for each paragraph to make the classification of the questions you need to answer. It takes less time to search for a particular point when you know what each paragraph contains.

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