Menu

IELTS Academic Reading Practice Test 2026 – 30 Questions Band 7+

IELTS Academic Reading Practice Test 2026 – 30 Questions Band 7+

Complete this advanced practice test to boost your score.

Question 1: True/False/Not Given: ‘The IELTS Academic Reading test contains three passages totalling approximately 2,750 words.’

Question 2: True/False/Not Given: ‘Candidates who score Band 6.5 in IELTS Reading have demonstrated near-native English reading comprehension ability.’

Question 3: Passage: ‘Urban sprawl has been linked to increased vehicle dependency, longer commuting distances, and reduced walkability in suburban communities.’ Which claim is directly supported?

Question 4: Matching Headings: A paragraph discusses how microplastics enter the ocean via stormwater runoff from urban surfaces. The best heading is:

Question 5: Sentence Completion: ‘IELTS Writing Task 1 requires candidates to describe, summarise or explain information presented in a graph, chart, table, ___________.’

Question 6: Passage: ‘Despite widespread belief that multitasking enhances productivity, cognitive research consistently demonstrates that human attention is fundamentally serial, not parallel.’ What does ‘serial’ mean here?

Question 7: The author of the multitasking passage would most likely agree with which statement?

Question 8: Passage: ‘The Amazon Basin, encompassing over 5.5 million km² of tropical rainforest, produces approximately 20% of the world’s oxygen through photosynthesis.’ What is the Amazon Basin’s primary function described here?

Question 9: True/False/Not Given: ‘Scientists have calculated that the Amazon Basin produces exactly 20% of global oxygen.’

Question 10: Passage: ‘Epigenetics investigates heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations to the underlying DNA sequence.’ ‘Heritable’ means:

Question 11: Which title is MOST SUITABLE for the epigenetics passage?

Question 12: Passage: ‘Globalisation has accelerated the diffusion of cultural practices, creating hybrid cultural identities that blend local traditions with global influences.’ ‘Diffusion’ most nearly means:

Question 13: What does the globalisation passage suggest about cultural identity in the modern era?

Question 14: Passage: ‘The Great Barrier Reef, extending over 2,300 kilometres, faces existential threats from ocean warming, acidification, and crown-of-thorns starfish infestations.’ Which threat is biological, not chemical or physical?

Question 15: Paragraph: ‘Cognitive bias refers to systematic patterns of deviation from rationality in judgment.’ Which example best illustrates ‘cognitive bias’?

Question 16: Passage: ‘The Kyoto Protocol required developed nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while developing nations were not subject to legally binding targets.’ True or False: ‘All nations were equally required to reduce emissions under the Kyoto Protocol.’

Question 17: Sentence Completion: ‘Oceanic thermohaline circulation, driven by differences in water __________ and salinity, regulates global climate patterns.’

Question 18: Passage: ‘Critics of fast fashion argue it perpetuates a linear economy — take, make, dispose — rather than a circular model that reuses resources.’ The ‘circular model’ refers to:

Question 19: True/False/Not Given: ‘Fast fashion companies are legally required to adopt circular economy practices in the EU.’

Question 20: Passage: ‘Antibiotics revolutionised medicine in the 20th century; however, antimicrobial resistance now threatens to render many treatments ineffective.’ The word ‘however’ signals:

Question 21: Which conclusion is best supported by the antibiotic passage?

Question 22: Passage: ‘While renewable energy capacity has grown exponentially, grid infrastructure challenges — particularly energy storage — remain significant barriers to full adoption.’ An ‘exponential’ growth rate means:

Question 23: What does the renewable energy passage identify as the PRIMARY barrier to full adoption?

Question 24: Matching Features: ‘A passage explains that coral polyps, the organisms that build reef structures, expel their symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) when water temperature rises.’ This paragraph describes:

Question 25: Passage: ‘Urbanisation rates in Sub-Saharan Africa are projected to double by 2050, creating both significant infrastructure challenges and economic opportunities.’ What can be inferred?

Question 26: Passage: ‘The Stanford Prison Experiment, later widely criticised for ethical violations, demonstrated how situational factors can override individual morality.’ What does this imply about human behaviour?

Question 27: Passage: ‘Unlike classical genetics, which focuses on single gene-to-trait relationships, systems biology analyses how networks of genes and proteins interact to produce emergent biological behaviours.’ The contrast drawn is between:

Question 28: True/False/Not Given: ‘Systems biology has completely replaced classical genetics in modern research.’

Question 29: Passage: ‘The Hawthorne Effect describes the tendency of individuals to alter their behaviour when they are aware of being observed.’ An employee who works harder knowing their manager is watching is exhibiting:

Question 30: Which research method would MOST likely be affected by the Hawthorne Effect?