IELTS Reading gives you 60 minutes and 40 questions spread across several passages, with a single band from 0 to 9 at the end. It sounds simple until you are actually in it: the clock does not pause, and the questions are not all asking for the same kind of answer.
Most lost marks are not really about vocabulary. They are about time and question type. Here is what tends to make the difference.
Where candidates actually lose marks
- Running out of time on the last passage. If you spend too long perfecting the first set of answers, the final section gets rushed or skipped. Decide on a rough time budget per passage before you start, and move on when it is up.
- Reading the question type wrong. True/False/Not Given, matching headings, and short-answer questions each want a different reading strategy. Know which one you are looking at before you start hunting for the answer.
- Losing marks to spelling. Answers copied straight from the passage should be copied exactly. A small typo can cost a mark that had nothing to do with comprehension.
- Leaving blanks. There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so an educated guess always beats an empty box.
Practising it for real
Tips only go so far without practice under the real conditions: the same timing, the same question types, and a band you can trust. ParrotTalk's Reading practice runs to the real IELTS format, with your band calculated using the official Cambridge scoring table, and it is 100% free with no sign-up. Retake it as many times as you want and watch your band move on the dashboard as you go.
The short version: real timing, real question types, an honest band score, and it costs nothing.
If you only have an hour to spare, the Quick Mock Test covers all four skills back to back and gives you a full picture in one sitting.