Key takeaways
- Skimming gives you the gist and structure of a passage. Scanning finds a specific word, number or name. IELTS Reading needs both.
- Spend about 20 minutes per passage. Skim for two minutes, then work through the questions in order, scanning for keywords.
- Answers usually appear in the same order as the questions for most task types, which helps you stay on track.
- Match meaning, not only words. The passage almost always paraphrases the question.
IELTS Reading gives you 60 minutes for three passages and 40 questions, with no extra time to copy answers. Reading every word of every passage at normal speed will not fit. Skimming and scanning are the two techniques that let you move quickly without losing accuracy. They are different skills, and good candidates switch between them depending on the question.
Skimming: reading for the gist
Skimming means moving your eyes quickly over a text to understand what it is about and how it is organised. You are not trying to understand every sentence. You are trying to answer three questions: what is the topic, what is the writer's main point, and what does each paragraph do?
- Read the title and any subheading. They tell you the topic.
- Read the first sentence of every paragraph. In academic writing this often states the paragraph's main idea.
- Glance at the last sentence of the passage, which often gives a conclusion.
- Notice words that signal structure: however, for example, as a result, in contrast.
- Stop after about two minutes and say to yourself what the passage is about.
Scanning: finding specific information
Scanning means looking for a particular word, number, name or date without reading the surrounding text. Think of looking for a name in a phone list. Your eyes move quickly and stop only when they see the target. Scanning is what you do for most completion, short answer and True, False, Not Given questions once you know what to look for.
- Underline the keywords in the question: names, numbers, dates and unusual nouns are the easiest to find.
- Predict what the answer will look like: a number, a place, a noun. This tells your eyes what to look for.
- Move your eyes down the paragraph in a Z shape, rather than reading line by line.
- When you find the keyword, slow down and read the sentence before and after it to confirm the answer.
How to use both in one passage
| Step | Technique | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Understand the topic and structure | Skim | About 2 minutes |
| 2. Read the first question and underline keywords | Question analysis | 30 seconds |
| 3. Find the keywords in the passage | Scan | About 1 minute |
| 4. Read around the keyword and decide the answer | Careful reading | About 1 minute |
| 5. Repeat for the next question, starting where you stopped | Scan and read | Rest of the 20 minutes |
Keywords and paraphrase
The passage rarely uses the same words as the question. If the question says 'a decline in sales', the passage may say 'a drop in revenue'. This is why scanning for exact words only works for names, numbers and dates. For other keywords, scan for the idea and for synonyms. Keep a small list of common pairs in your head: increase and rise, reduce and cut, important and significant, begin and start.
Techniques by question type
| Question type | Best approach |
|---|---|
| True, False, Not Given | Scan for the topic, then read the whole sentence. Decide whether it agrees, contradicts or is silent. Do not use outside knowledge. |
| Matching headings | Skim each paragraph for its main idea, then match to the heading, not to a single word. |
| Sentence or summary completion | Scan for the keywords around the gap. Check the word limit and the grammar of the gap. |
| Multiple choice | Scan for the topic, read the relevant lines carefully, and eliminate options that are too strong or not stated. |
| Matching information | Scan each paragraph for the idea named in the statement. The same paragraph can sometimes be used once only. |
We cover two of the hardest types in more detail in our guides to True, False, Not Given and matching headings, and our time management guide shows how to split your 60 minutes.
Common mistakes
- Reading every word of the passage first and running out of time.
- Scanning only for exact words and missing paraphrases.
- Choosing an answer because you recognise a word, without checking the whole sentence.
- Staying on one hard question for more than two minutes.
- Ignoring the word limit on completion tasks.
A weekly practice plan
- Monday and Tuesday: skim one passage in two minutes, write a one sentence summary and compare it with the passage.
- Wednesday: scan practice. Pick ten facts from a passage and time yourself finding each one.
- Thursday: do one full passage under 20 minutes.
- Friday: review every wrong answer by finding the sentence that proves the right one.
- Weekend: take one full Reading test under 60 minutes.
Try the techniques on our IELTS Reading practice tests, which include True, False, Not Given, matching and completion questions with explanations.
Frequently asked questions
Is skimming allowed in IELTS Reading?
Yes. There is no rule against it, and it is the best way to understand the structure quickly. You still need to read carefully around each answer.
How long should I spend skimming a passage?
About two minutes. If you spend longer you are probably reading, not skimming.
Should I read the questions or the passage first?
Skim the passage for the gist, then read the questions. Reading the questions first helps with scanning, but skimming first helps with matching headings.
What if I cannot find the keyword?
Look for a synonym or the idea itself. If you still cannot find it after a minute, move on and come back at the end.