What are the short texts in IELTS General Training Reading Section 1?
So Section 1 comes in two shapes. Either you get a page of different short texts on one theme (a timetable, a notice and a price list for the same leisure centre), or one composite text made of several similar short texts (five adverts, labelled A to E). The language is everyday. The difficulty is a busy page where every text seems to hold what a question asks about.
The usual mistake is to read the page from the top for every question. With six questions and three texts, that is eighteen reads. The fix is a habit you already use in real life: if you want to know when a pool opens, you look at the timetable, not the locker notice. Each short text has one job, and each question asks for one kind of detail. Match the two, and you read one text per question.
How to do IELTS General Reading Section 1: route, then read
Before you read anything closely, spend a few seconds labelling each text by its job: its title and layout give it away. A grid of days and times is a timetable. A list with prices is a price list. A block of sentences with must, please do not or from (date) is a notice of rules or changes. An advert sells: it says what you get, what it costs and how to book.
Which kind of text holds which kind of detail
| The question asks… | Detail type | Route it to… |
|---|---|---|
| when, what time, which days, how long | Time | The timetable, and its footnotes |
| how much, how cheap, any discount | Price | The price list, or the price line of each advert |
| must, may not, allowed, what happens if | Rule or condition | The notice |
| who can, what age, members only | Who it is for | Eligibility lines: prices by age, conditions |
| how to book, where to go, who to contact | Action | The end of an advert or notice |
BandLadder advice, not an exam rule: a guide to where these details usually sit in everyday texts.
The route-then-read method
- 1
Label the texts. Give each text a one-word job from its title and layout: times, prices, rules, advert. About five seconds each.
- 2
Name the detail. For each question, find the word that says what kind of detail it wants: a time, a price, a rule, a who, an action.
- 3
Route. Write the text letter next to the question before you read closely. Now each question has one place to look.
- 4
Read the whole routed text. Read all of that one text, small print included. Footnotes and "please note" lines are where Section 1 hides answers.
- 5
Re-route, do not restart. If the answer is not there, try the next most likely text. Never go back to reading the whole page from the top.
IELTS General Training Reading examples: one page, three texts
Here is a page of three different short texts, as in the first shape of Section 1. The questions are True/False/Not Given. Route first: questions 1 and 4 ask about a locker rule (Text B), 2 and 5 ask about a time (Text A), and 3 asks about a ticket condition (Text C).
The questions: 1. Swimmers need a coin to use a locker. 2. The adults-only session runs on two evenings a week. 3. A 10-swim card can be shared with family members. 4. Anything left in a locker after closing is thrown away the same day. 5. On weekdays, swimmers must leave the main pool by 8.45 pm.
Selbury Vale Leisure Centre Text A: Pool opening times Main pool: Mon–Fri 6.30 am–9.00 pm; Sat–Sun 8.00 am–6.00 pm Learner pool: daily 9.00 am–5.00 pm Adults-only swim: Tue and Thu 7.00–9.00 pmQ2 Please note: the pool closes 15 minutes before the times shownQ5 so that staff can check the water. Text B: Notice about lockers All changing-room lockers now open with a four-digit code you choose yourself, instead of a coinQ1. Lockers are emptied at closing time, and anything left inside is kept at reception for two weeksQ4. Please do not leave valuables in the poolside cubbies, which cannot be locked. Text C: Prices Single swim: adult £5.20, child (5–15) £2.80, under 5 free with a paying adult 10-swim card: adult £46, valid for six monthsQ3 Swim and gym monthly pass: £34 (includes one induction session, booked at reception)
- → Q1 False: lockers now use a code "instead of a coin". You read only Text B.
- → Q2 True: Tuesday and Thursday are two evenings. You read only Text A.
- → Q3 Not Given: Text C gives the card's price and how long it lasts, but says nothing about sharing it. Do not fill the gap from what other pools allow.
- → Q4 False: items are kept at reception for two weeks, not thrown away the same day.
- → Q5 True, but only if you read the routed text to the end: 9.00 pm minus 15 minutes is 8.45 pm. The answer is in the footnote, not the grid.
Question 5 shows why step 4 says to read the whole routed text: a learner who only scanned the grid would see 9.00 pm and answer False.
Matching information with several adverts: compare one line, not five texts
In the second shape, the texts all have the same job: four adverts for party venues, say. Every advert has a price, a rule and a car park, so route by slot instead of by text. Name the detail type, read that one slot in each advert, and compare. You read four short lines, not four adverts, and you check every advert before writing a letter.
The questions: Which venue… 1. charges less on some weekdays? 2. has a price that depends on how long the party lasts? 3. lets you cook your own food on site? 4. does not let guests bring their own drinks? 5. may be hard to park at on certain days?
A Brindlecombe Barn A converted barn for up to 80 guests. Hire is for the whole day only: £420, or £350 Monday to ThursdayQ1. Our kitchen team provides all food, and outside caterers are not permittedQ4 trap. Free parking for 30 cars. B Brindlecombe Cricket Pavilion Room for 50, with a veranda overlooking the ground. £45 an hour, minimum three hoursQ2. You are welcome to bring your own food and drink. Ten minutes' walk from the station; no parking on match daysQ5. C Mill Lane Hall A simple hall for up to 120. £160 per day, 9 am to 11 pm. Use of the kitchen, with oven and fridge, is included, so you can prepare your own mealQ3. Car park behind the hall, free after 6 pm. D Brindlecombe Boathouse Up to 40 guests on the upper deck. £600 per evening, including a three-course meal from our chef. Guests may not bring alcoholQ4; drinks are served from our bar only. Pay-and-display car park next door.
- → Q1 A: price slot. Only the barn has a lower weekday rate.
- → Q2 B: price slot. B charges by the hour; A, C and D charge a fixed amount.
- → Q3 C: food slot. B lets you bring food, but only C mentions a kitchen to cook in.
- → Q4 D: food-and-drink slot. A bans outside caterers (food), which is not the same as guests' drinks.
- → Q5 B: getting-there slot. "On certain days" is a paraphrase of "on match days".
✗ Q4: A says "not permitted", so A is the answer.
✓ Q4 asks about guests' drinks; A's rule is about outside caterers. D is the answer.
Rule words like "not permitted" are everywhere in Section 1. Check the rule is about the thing the question names.
Your turn: IELTS General Training Reading Section 1 practice
Brindlecombe Summer Fair, Saturday 12 July Text A: Programme 10.00 Gates open 11.00 Dog show (entries taken at the show ring until 10.30) 13.00 Brass band on the main lawn 15.30 Tug-of-war final 17.00 Gates close If it rains, the brass band will play in the marquee and the tug-of-war will be cancelled. Text B: Notice to stallholders Stalls must be set up by 9.30. Vehicles must leave the field before the gates open and may return only after 17.15. Each stall has one electricity socket; heaters and kettles are not allowed. Text C: Tickets and parking Adults £6 on the day, or £4.50 if bought online by Thursday. Children under 12 free. Car parking £3 per car, cash only.
Route each question to a text first, then answer. Questions 2–5 are True/False/Not Given.
- Which text would you read to find the latest time a stall can be ready?
- A. Text A
- B. Text B
- C. Text C
Show answer
Text B
It is a time, but a time that is a rule for stallholders, so it lives in the notice: "set up by 9.30".
- A stallholder may drive onto the field at 13.00.
- A. True
- B. False
- C. Not Given
Show answer
False
Text B: vehicles must leave before 10.00 and may return only after 17.15.
- You can still enter the dog show twenty minutes after the gates open.
- A. True
- B. False
- C. Not Given
Show answer
True
Text A: the gates open at 10.00 and entries are taken until 10.30, so 10.20 is still in time. The answer is in the bracket, not the time column.
- In wet weather, the brass band will not play.
- A. True
- B. False
- C. Not Given
Show answer
False
Text A's footnote: the band moves into the marquee. It is the tug-of-war that is cancelled.
- Car parking can be paid for by card.
- A. True
- B. False
- C. Not Given
Show answer
False
Text C: parking is "cash only".
BandLadder questions
Practise it now
Use the method on original BandLadder questions. Attempt them free and see your score.
Questions
FAQ
What kind of texts are in IELTS General Training Reading Section 1?+
Everyday texts you would need when living in an English-speaking country, such as notices, advertisements and timetables. ielts.org says the section may have two or three short texts or several shorter ones.
Do I need to read every short text for every question?+
No. Decide what kind of detail each question needs (a time, a price, a rule) and which text holds that kind of detail, then read only that text in full.
How long should I spend on General Training Reading Section 1?+
The whole paper is 60 minutes for 40 questions. BandLadder advice is to aim for about 15 minutes on Section 1, which is usually the quickest, so Section 3 gets more time.
Can I use the same letter twice in matching information?+
Only when the instructions say "You may use any letter more than once". Some sections may also not be used at all.
Is IELTS General Training reading easier than Academic?+
The texts are different rather than simply easier. General Training uses everyday and workplace texts in Sections 1 and 2 and one longer general-interest text in Section 3. Both papers have 40 questions in 60 minutes.
What are the most common traps in Section 1?+
Answers hidden in footnotes and "please note" lines, rule words like "not permitted" that apply to a different thing from the one the question names, and Not Given statements that common sense seems to answer.
Sources
- IELTS General Training: Reading test format (ielts.org), paper summary and question types 1–3: https://ielts.org/take-a-test/test-types/ielts-general-training-test/ielts-general-training-format-reading
- IELTS Academic: Reading test format (ielts.org), paper summary: https://ielts.org/take-a-test/test-types/ielts-academic-test/ielts-academic-format-reading
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