IELTS GT | Increase 'Reading-speed' Without Compromising Accuracy

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is trusted by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) to assess English language proficiency of non-native English speakers. The results of a language test, such as the IELTS, must be presented to be eligible for to migrate to Canada. A great IELTS score may frequently if not always, make or break a Canadian immigration application. There are two different types of IELTS tests: the Academic and General Training (GT) tests.

People who plan to immigrate attend the former, whereas students pursuing further education in an English-speaking country attend the latter, as the name indicates. This article will discuss effective techniques for increasing reading accuracy and speed, enabling you to confidently attend the IELTS reading test and get the desired scores.

Why enhance your reading-speed and accuracy? 

For the IELTS Reading test to be successful, increasing reading accuracy and speed is mandatory The IELTS Reading test is a structured assessment that evaluates your comprehension and analysis of written texts. To effectively traverse the provided passages and complete the questions within the allowed time limit, you must possess efficient reading skills. You can increase your productivity by reading more quickly, which allows up more time for critical thinking and accurate responses. Furthermore, increasing reading accuracy guarantees a deeper comprehension of the texts, which results in precise answers and higher grades.

6 techniques and strategies to increase your reading speed

Completing a reading test successfully requires the development of effective reading abilities. You can do far better by reading more quickly, whether it's for a test or any other time-sensitive scenario. The following six useful techniques and guidelines can help you read more quickly without losing accuracy, and thereby ace the reading test:

• Implementing word chunking can help you read more quickly: the traditional practice of reading every word by hand might not be the most effective or efficient one, especially in circumstances where time is of the essence, like tests. Word chunking is a more beneficial method that involves processing several words simultaneously to extract details and information. Begin by reading three to five words at a time and assessing your understanding of the sentence or phrase after you have finished. Your reading comprehension and speed will both significantly increase with consistent practice over several passages.
• Limit rereading to enhance reading efficiency: when a phrase or sentence causes us to become confused or doubtful, our natural tendency is to go back and read it again. But this behaviour wastes time as it causes us to constantly blink between words, which takes a lot of time away. A straightforward method may be used to fix this problem: while you read the text, move your finger along it without looking back. This exercise helps your brain to acquire and remember information quickly while maintaining a forward reading motion. You may improve your reading efficiency and make the most use of your time by ending the pattern of reviewing everything repeatedly.

• Using strategic scanning and skimming to read well: once you've mastered word chunking, skimming the text, and concentrating on the essential ideas is a useful strategy for handling difficult portions. This helps you quickly understand the main points of the passage. Keep an eye out for important details like the title and any associated questions during this first reading. You may quickly scan and take in the essential ideas to determine if the material is centered around teaching strategies. By using strategic reading tactics, you may become acquainted with the passage's general structure and subject, which can prepare you to respond to questions more quickly and accurately.
• Elevate your vocabulary to speed up comprehension: a poor comprehension of words can seriously slow down reading speed. Fortunately, by concentrating on increasing your vocabulary, you may quickly overcome this challenge. Try to increase your general word knowledge. By deliberately increasing the scope of your vocabulary, you will progressively remove the obstacles to understanding, which will lead to faster reading and better performance all around.
• Learn about and read a range of literature similar to the tests: to familiarize yourself with and improve your reading comprehension for the test, it is recommended that you read a variety of texts that are similar to those included in the test. Building your vocabulary by reading a variety of text types, including books, magazines, newspapers, and journals, is one efficient way of achieving this.
• Improve your reading speed by taking regular practice tests: even while the first stages help you increase your reading speed, nothing beats taking genuine practice exams to mimic exam settings in real life. Your reading abilities will significantly improve if you take timed tests regularly and work on the areas that require improvement. This will help you perform very well on the actual IELTS Reading test.