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IELTS Reading Practice Test 1 (Academic, free, with answer key)

Last updated September 16, 2026

Short answer: Reading Test 1 is a full IELTS Academic Reading test: three passages (sleep, urban farming, printing press), 40 questions in 60 minutes, and your raw score, estimated band on the Academic scale and per-passage breakdown the moment you submit. Free, no sign-up. Take the test first, then check the answer key below; reading it before the test makes the band meaningless.

Start Reading Test 1
3
Academic passages, each with its own page and full text
40
questions in 60 minutes, scored automatically and converted to an estimated band
0
sign-up, email or card to take the test and see your band

This page describes what is in Reading Test 1 and gives the answer key for its 40 questions. The test itself runs on the ParrotTalk Reading page: the button above opens it with Test 1 already selected. The three passages are Academic texts written for ParrotTalk, in the shape of the IELTS Academic Reading test, and each has its own page where you can read it in full before or after the test. This is not an official IELTS test.

What is in this test

PassageTitleQuestionsQuestion types
Passage 1 The Psychology of Sleep 1 to 13 True/False/Not Given (Q1 to 7), Multiple choice (Q8 to 13)
Passage 2 The Rise of Urban Farming 14 to 26 Matching headings (Q14 to 19), Multiple choice (Q20 to 26)
Passage 3 The History of the Printing Press 27 to 40 Summary completion (Q27 to 33), Multiple choice (Q34 to 40)

Allow 60 minutes for the three passages, as in the exam, which leaves about 20 minutes per passage; there is no extra time to transfer answers. The timer starts only when you click Start, the passages are read on tabs, and your progress is saved in your browser, so a reload does not lose your answers. If you finish early, a review panel lets you check your answers until the clock runs out or you submit.

Answer key

Take the test first. The answer key is here so that you can check your work afterwards; if you read it before you start, the band you get at the end tells you nothing about your level.

The answers below are the ones accepted by the automatic scoring, one per question, with the paragraph of the passage that supports each answer. The questions themselves stay on the test page; each passage page lists the question groups without their wording.

Show the answers for Passage 1: The Psychology of Sleep

Questions 1-7, True / False / Not Given

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage? Write TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN.

  1. TRUE (Paragraph 1: 'a period of intense neurological activity during which the brain')
  2. FALSE (Paragraph 2: 'between seven and nine hours of sleep per night')
  3. FALSE (Paragraph 3: 'REM sleep, which occurs multiple times during the night')
  4. TRUE (Paragraph 2: 'increased risk of cardiovascular disease')
  5. NOT GIVEN (Not stated in the passage)
  6. TRUE (Paragraph 4: 'Blue light suppresses the production of melatonin')
  7. NOT GIVEN (Not stated in the passage)

Questions 8-13, Multiple Choice

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

  1. B, Physical restoration and immune strengthening (Paragraph 3: 'deep sleep is critical for physical restoration, cell repair')
  2. B, The cumulative effect of regularly sleeping too little (Paragraph 6: 'the cumulative deficit that builds when a person consistently sleeps')
  3. C, It can only partially restore cognitive function (Paragraph 6: 'this strategy only partially restores cognitive function')
  4. B, Avoiding screens before bedtime (Paragraph 4: 'avoiding screens for at least one hour before bedtime')
  5. C, A temporary feeling of grogginess after a long nap (Paragraph 5: 'sleep inertia, a temporary feeling of grogginess')
  6. B, Regular activity generally improves sleep, but timing matters (Paragraph 7: 'vigorous exercise performed too close to bedtime may have the opposite effect')
Show the answers for Passage 2: The Rise of Urban Farming

Questions 14-19, Matching Headings

Match each paragraph (A-F) with the correct heading from the list below. Choose from: A. A solution with limitations  ·  B. Historical context and modern differences  ·  C. Psychological and social advantages  ·  D. Learning from international examples  ·  E. The technological approach  ·  F. A growing global trend  ·  G. The environmental cost  ·  H. Community-based alternatives

  1. Paragraph A: F, A growing global trend (Paragraph A: 'experiencing a remarkable renaissance worldwide')
  2. Paragraph B: B, Historical context and modern differences (Paragraph B: 'the modern urban farming movement differs in both scale and')
  3. Paragraph C: E, The technological approach (Paragraph C: 'one of the most technologically advanced forms of urban agriculture')
  4. Paragraph D: A, A solution with limitations (Paragraph D: 'limiting accessibility for lower-income communities')
  5. Paragraph E: C, Psychological and social advantages (Paragraph E: 'numerous psychological benefits associated with community gardening')
  6. Paragraph F: D, Learning from international examples (Paragraph F: 'Singapore, often cited as a model for urban agricultural policy')

Questions 20-26, Multiple Choice

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

  1. B, The scale and level of technological sophistication (Paragraph B: 'differs in both scale and sophistication')
  2. C, Up to 95% compared to conventional farming (Paragraph C: 'reduce water consumption, sometimes by up to 95%')
  3. B, Their high energy demands may generate significant carbon emissions (Paragraph D: 'the carbon footprint of such operations may exceed that')
  4. C, Community gardens prioritise inclusion over commercial efficiency (Paragraph E: 'they prioritise social inclusion and collective participation over commercial efficiency')
  5. B, Reduced stress (Paragraph E: 'including reduced stress, improved mood')
  6. B, Required new buildings to include food-growing spaces (Paragraph F: 'new residential and commercial developments include green spaces dedicated to')
  7. B, It is being integrated into mainstream city planning (Paragraph F: 'The integration of urban farming into city planning is gaining')
Show the answers for Passage 3: The History of the Printing Press

Questions 27-33, Complete the Summary

Complete the summary using words from the passage. Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.

  1. MONKS (Paragraph 1: 'copied by hand, primarily by monks in monastic scriptoria')
  2. MONTHS (Paragraph 1: 'a single volume could take months or even years')
  3. LETTERS (Paragraph 2: 'His system used individual metal letters, known as type')
  4. 1500 (Paragraph 3: 'by 1500, it is estimated that more than twenty million')
  5. IDEAS (Paragraph 4: 'Luther's ideas spread rapidly because they could be printed')
  6. COPERNICUS (Paragraph 5: 'Nicolaus Copernicus published his revolutionary theory')
  7. MISINFORMATION (Paragraph 6: 'the printing press also enabled the spread of misinformation')

Questions 34-40, Multiple Choice

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

  1. C, Mainz (Paragraph 2: 'a goldsmith from Mainz in present-day Germany')
  2. B, Individual pieces could be rearranged and reused for different texts (Paragraph 2: 'these letters could be rearranged and reused')
  3. C, Twenty million (Paragraph 3: 'more than twenty million books had been produced')
  4. B, It enabled his ideas to reach large audiences quickly (Paragraph 4: 'distributed in large quantities, reaching audiences far beyond')
  5. C, False information could spread widely and cheaply (Paragraph 6: 'produced cheaply and distributed widely')
  6. C, Both periods faced challenges with the spread of false information (Paragraph 6: 'the proliferation of false ideas is one that societies continue')
  7. C, Describe the historical development and impact of the printing press (Paragraph 1: 'one of the most transformative inventions in human history')

Quick answers

Is this Reading test free?

Yes. Reading Test 1 is completely free, with no sign-up, no email and no card, and you can take it as many times as you like. The three passages, the 40 questions, the automatic scoring and the estimated band are all included.

Is this test Academic or General Training?

Academic. The passages are Academic Reading texts and the band uses the Academic conversion table; there is no General Training passage on ParrotTalk. The Reading page lets you tick General Training before you start, and then adds a note that on the real General Training scale the same raw score gives a band about one step lower. The General Training conversion table is on the band score calculator.

How is the Reading band calculated?

From your raw score out of 40, converted to a band with the official-style Academic table. The band and a per-passage breakdown appear the moment you submit, and each wrong answer shows where in the passage the answer was. The full conversion table, Academic and General Training, is on the band score calculator.

Is this an official IELTS test?

No. It is practice material in the format of the IELTS Academic Reading test, with passages written for ParrotTalk, and the band is an estimate to track your progress, not an official result. ParrotTalk is independent and not affiliated with IELTS, the British Council, IDP, or Cambridge English.

Start Reading Test 1 Reading Practice Test 2 All Reading practice tests

ParrotTalk is free, with no sign-up. Bands are estimates, not official IELTS results. See the band score calculator for the full raw score to band tables, Academic and General Training, and read how to practise IELTS Reading for free for the mistakes that cost the most marks.