Academic Reading gives you 60 minutes for three long passages and 40 questions. There is no extra transfer time. Running out of time on Passage 3 is the most common reason students score below Band 6.5.
The 20-20-20 rule
Aim for roughly 20 minutes per passage. Passage 1 is usually the easiest — finish in 17–18 minutes to bank time for Passage 3.
Reading strategies that save time
- Skim first: Read title, introduction, topic sentences, and conclusion (2–3 min)
- Don't read every word: Locate answers using keywords from the question
- Match headings last: Do factual questions before matching headings in a passage
- Guess and move on: Never spend more than 90 seconds stuck on one question
Question-type order (recommended)
- True / False / Not Given or Yes / No / Not Given
- Gap fills and sentence completion
- Multiple choice
- Matching (headings, information, features) — slowest for many students
Academic vs General Training
General Training Reading uses shorter, more practical texts (ads, notices, workplace documents) in Sections 1–2. Section 3 is still academic-style. Time pressure is similar — practise both if you are taking General.
Build speed with timed Reading mock tests at NGA. Review wrong answers to see if the issue was vocabulary, paraphrase recognition, or time.