IELTS Reading Preparation: Training to Increase Your Reading Speed

IELTS Reading is an extremely time-pressured test in which you read three long passages and answer 40 questions in a limited 60 minutes. In fact, many candidates feel that “I understood the content itself, but I ran out of time and couldn't finish.”

Vocabulary and close-reading ability are of course important for improving your reading, but even more decisive for passing or failing is “the speed to read efficiently within the time limit.” In other words, training your reading speed is the shortcut to success in IELTS Reading.

This article introduces concrete “reading speed improvement training” methods for building on your basic English ability to raise your score reliably in limited time.

IELTS Reading tests not only your English ability but also how efficiently you can process information within the time. If your reading speed is insufficient, the following problems arise.

• Running out of time before finishing: With three passages in 60 minutes, you can spend only 20 minutes on average on each text. Very many candidates run short of time partway through.
• Being unable to handle difficult questions carefully: The final passage is long and its questions are complex. To leave enough time for it, you need to secure speed in the early part.
• The risk of getting stuck on unknown words: Trying to understand every single word takes up your time. The faster readers are, the more they “guess from context” and keep reading on.

In short, the faster your reading speed, the more time you have to spare and the more calmly you can answer. Conversely, if you are slow, you panic and make more careless mistakes, which leads to a lower score.

Reading speed cannot be acquired overnight. However, if you keep going with the right methods, it will certainly improve. Here are the basic approaches for training your speed effectively.

1. Do a Fixed Amount of Speed-Reading Practice Every Day

• Use English-language newspapers (The Guardian, BBC, The Japan Times, etc.) and online articles, and make a habit of reading within set time limits.
• You don't need to understand the content in detail; first, focus on “how fast you can read.”

2. Grasp the Key Point of Each Paragraph

• Practice “summarizing each paragraph in one sentence.”
• The aim is not to read the whole text closely but to build the ability to pick out the main idea.

3. Solve Past Papers as Time Attacks

• Using the Cambridge IELTS series, try to finish each passage within 15 minutes.
• Once you are used to it, practice by cutting it to 10 to 12 minutes, and you will have room to spare in the real test.
• When you finish, be sure to review “where you spent your time.”

Once you have the basic approaches down, next comes practical training. Combining the following methods lets you build speed effectively even in a short time.

Training 1: Chunk Reading

• Instead of reading word by word, practice moving your eyes in **chunks of 3 to 5 words**.
• Example: process by units of meaning, such as “the rapid growth of / urban population / in Asia”.
• Rather than translating literally into Japanese, aim to understand in English word order.

Training 2: Sharpen Your Scanning

• To quickly find the information the questions need, practice “picking out with your eyes” numbers, proper nouns, dates and so on.
• Short drills such as “find a number or a person's name within 10 seconds” using newspapers and articles are effective.

Training 3: Close Reading with a Time Limit

• Repeat the practice of “reading a text in 5 minutes and writing a summary.”
• This builds your concentration in a short time and your ability to extract only the information you need.

Training 4: Combining Reading Aloud and Silent Reading

• Reading aloud: Reading while pronouncing builds a brain that understands English in word order.
• Silent reading: Reading without vocalizing is practice for increasing speed.
• Combining both improves the balance between comprehension and speed.

Raising your reading speed is important, but simply reading fast without thought will not lead to a score. Keep the following points in mind as you train.

1. Don't Cling to Words You Don't Know

• A habit of looking things up in a dictionary wastes time in the real test.
• It is important to guess the meaning from the surrounding context and check later if necessary.

2. Avoid Perfectionism

• You don't need to understand 100% of the text; it is enough if you can pick up the information needed to answer the questions.
• Prioritize “understanding the gist + accurately grasping the places you need.”

3. Measure Your Reading Speed Regularly

• Record the number of words you can read per minute (WPM: words per minute); visualizing your growth raises motivation.
• A guide for IELTS candidates is 150 to 200 wpm. Keep practicing toward this.

4. Be Aware of Sustaining Concentration

• Even if your speed goes up, your comprehension drops if your concentration gives up partway.
• Assuming the real test, we recommend practicing in a rhythm such as 20 minutes of focus → 5 minutes of rest.

To get a high score in IELTS Reading, reading speed to win the fight against time is essential, in addition to English ability itself.

• With reading speed, you avoid running out of time and gain the room to work on difficult questions carefully
• Training such as chunk reading and scanning lets you process information efficiently
• Avoiding perfectionism and focusing on the information you need is the key to raising your score

Daily accumulation certainly leads to improved reading speed. It is fine to start with just 5 minutes of speed reading. By keeping up small habits, you will lose the worry of “not having enough time” in the real Reading test and be able to answer with confidence.