⚡ TL;DR
Australia’s points-tested skilled migration visas (subclasses 189, 190, and 491) require a minimum of Competent English — IELTS 6.0 in every component. Scoring Proficient (7.0 each) earns 10 points; Superior (8.0 each) earns 20 points. With 65 points needed to qualify, English ability is the single highest-value category on the points table. This guide covers every English threshold, the updated approved tests from 7 August 2025, and strategies for maximising your points claim.
Originally published July 2026. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
Why English Scores Matter for Australia PR
The Australian Department of Home Affairs uses a points-based system to assess skilled migration applicants. You need a minimum of 65 points across categories including age, work experience, qualifications, and English language ability. Of these, English proficiency offers the highest possible return: up to 20 points from a single category.
For context, a candidate aged 25–32 receives 30 points for age, and an applicant with a bachelor’s degree receives 15 points for qualifications. Achieving Superior English (20 points) can be the difference between falling short and receiving an invitation to apply.
English Proficiency Levels and Points
The Department of Home Affairs defines five levels of English ability. For points-tested visas, three are relevant:
| English Level |
IELTS Score Required |
Points Awarded |
| Competent |
6.0 in each component |
0 (minimum requirement) |
| Proficient |
7.0 in each component |
10 |
| Superior |
8.0 in each component |
20 |
Source: Australian Department of Home Affairs — English language visa requirements.
The scores above apply to both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. The requirement is that you score at least the stated band in every component (Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking). Your overall band score is not assessed — it is the lowest individual component score that determines your English level.
Visa Subclasses That Use These Points
The English language points table applies to all three of Australia’s main points-tested skilled migration visa subclasses:
| Visa |
Subclass |
Key Feature |
| Skilled Independent |
189 |
No state nomination or employer sponsorship required; grants permanent residency directly |
| Skilled Nominated |
190 |
Requires nomination by a state or territory government; adds 5 points to your total |
| Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) |
491 |
Requires state nomination or family sponsorship in a regional area; adds 15 points; provisional visa leading to PR via subclass 191 |
Source: Australian Department of Home Affairs — Subclass 189 Points Table, Subclass 190 Points Table.
All three subclasses require the same minimum of Competent English and use the same English points allocation.
Approved English Tests from 7 August 2025
On 7 August 2025, the Department of Home Affairs expanded the list of approved English language tests for visa purposes. There are now eight approved tests. The table below shows the minimum scores required for each proficiency level across all approved tests.
| Test |
Competent (0 pts) |
Proficient (10 pts) |
Superior (20 pts) |
| IELTS Academic |
L6 R6 W6 S6 |
L7 R7 W7 S7 |
L8 R8 W8 S8 |
| IELTS General Training |
L6 R6 W6 S6 |
L7 R7 W7 S7 |
L8 R8 W8 S8 |
| PTE Academic |
L47 R48 W51 S54 |
L58 R59 W69 S76 |
L69 R70 W85 S88 |
| TOEFL iBT |
L16 R16 W19 S19 |
L22 R22 W26 S24 |
L26 R27 W30 S28 |
| CELPIP General |
7 each |
L9 R8 W10 S8 |
L10 R10 W12 S10 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced |
L163 R163 W170 S179 |
L175 R179 W193 S194 |
L186 R190 W210 S208 |
| OET |
L290 R310 W290 S330 |
L350 R360 W380 S360 |
L390 R400 W420 S400 |
| LanguageCert Academic |
L57 R60 W64 S70 |
L67 R71 W78 S82 |
L80 R83 W89 S89 |
Source: Australian Department of Home Affairs — Competent English, Proficient English, Superior English.
Important Rules and Restrictions
There are several rules that applicants must understand before sitting a test for Australian visa purposes.
Test validity: Your test result must be from within the 3 years before your visa application date. Results from tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 remain valid until 6 August 2028, depending on the visa subclass.
Online tests are not accepted: The Department of Home Affairs does not accept results from tests delivered entirely online. This includes IELTS Online, PTE Academic Online, TOEFL iBT Home Edition, OET@Home, CELPIP Online, LanguageCert Academic Online, and MET Digital (at-home). You must sit the test at an approved test centre.
TOEFL registration pathway: If you plan to use TOEFL iBT, you must select “Taking TOEFL for Australia” when registering. Results not registered under this pathway are not eligible for Australian visa purposes.
One Skill Retake: The department accepts IELTS results that include a One Skill Retake (OSR) for eligible visa subclasses. Check the specific visa page on the Department of Home Affairs website to confirm eligibility.
Component scores, not overall: Your English level is determined by your lowest individual component score, not your overall band. If you score L8.0, R8.0, W7.0, S8.0, your English level is Proficient (not Superior), because Writing fell below 8.0.
Other Visa Pathways and English Requirements
Not all Australian visas use the points system. Employer-sponsored and family visas have different English requirements:
| Visa Pathway |
English Requirement |
IELTS Minimum |
| Skills in Demand (subclass 482) |
Competent English (varies by stream) |
5.0 overall, minimum 4.5 each (Specialist Skills); 5.0 each (Core Skills) |
| Partner visa (subclass 820/801) |
Functional English (or pay second VAC) |
4.5 overall |
| Student visa (subclass 500) |
Varies by institution and course |
Typically 5.5–6.5 overall |
Strategic Approach: Competent vs Proficient vs Superior
The jump from Competent to Proficient is worth 10 points and requires improving from IELTS 6.0 to 7.0 in every component. For most candidates, this is achievable with focused preparation over two to three months.
The jump from Proficient to Superior is also worth 10 points but requires reaching 8.0 in every component — including Writing and Speaking, where even strong candidates often plateau at 7.0 or 7.5. Consider whether those 10 additional points could be obtained more easily through other categories (such as Professional Year, NAATI credentialling, or partner skills) before committing to months of preparation for Superior English.
If your total without English points is already above 55, reaching Proficient (10 points) gives you 65 and qualifies you to submit an Expression of Interest. If your total is only 45, even Superior English (20 points) will leave you at 65 — enough to qualify but potentially below competitive invitation thresholds for popular occupations.
How to Maximise Your IELTS Score for Australia
Focus your preparation on the component where you score lowest, because your English level is determined by your weakest skill. A candidate scoring L8.5 R8.0 W6.5 S7.5 is assessed at Competent level because of the Writing score alone.
Writing is typically the hardest component to improve. Practise Task 2 essay structures methodically, focus on coherence and cohesion markers, and avoid memorised phrases that sound rehearsed. For Task 1, learn to describe trends, compare data, and summarise processes using precise academic language.
Speaking requires confident, natural delivery rather than memorised answers. Practise extending your responses with explanations, examples, and personal experiences. Record yourself and listen for hesitations, repetition, and pronunciation errors.
Consider using the IELTS One Skill Retake if one component score is holding you back. Rather than resitting all four modules, you can retake the single weak section within 60 days of your original test.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Competent English (IELTS 6.0 each) is the minimum for subclass 189, 190, and 491 — it earns zero additional points.
- Proficient English (IELTS 7.0 each) earns 10 points; Superior English (IELTS 8.0 each) earns 20 points.
- Your English level is set by your lowest component score, not your overall band.
- Both IELTS Academic and General Training are accepted for skilled migration.
- Eight English tests are now approved (from 7 August 2025), but online/at-home versions are not accepted.
- One Skill Retake is accepted for eligible visa subclasses — check the specific visa page to confirm.
- IELTS results must be from within 3 years of your visa application date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use IELTS General Training for Australia PR?
Yes. The Department of Home Affairs accepts both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training for points-tested skilled migration visas (subclasses 189, 190, and 491). The required scores are identical for both versions: 6.0 each for Competent, 7.0 each for Proficient, and 8.0 each for Superior.
What happens if I score 8.0 in three components but 7.0 in one?
Your English level is determined by your lowest component score. In this case, you would be assessed at Proficient level (7.0 each = 10 points), not Superior. You could use the IELTS One Skill Retake to resit only the component that scored 7.0, provided it is available for your visa subclass.
How long is my IELTS result valid for Australian visa purposes?
Your IELTS result must be from within 3 years before your visa application date. For tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 (under the previous test framework), results remain valid until 6 August 2028, depending on the visa subclass.
Is the IELTS Online test accepted for Australian visas?
No. The Department of Home Affairs does not accept results from English language tests delivered entirely online, including IELTS Online, TOEFL iBT Home Edition, and OET@Home. You must sit your test at an approved in-person test centre.
Do I need IELTS Academic or General Training for a student visa?
Student visa (subclass 500) English requirements are set by your education provider, not by the points system. Most universities require IELTS Academic with an overall score of 6.0 to 6.5 and no component below 5.5 or 6.0. Check your institution’s specific entry requirements.
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Originally published July 2026. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
⚡ TL;DR
Essential strategies and practice techniques for this IELTS Reading passage. Learn question types, timing, and how to secure the answers.
Published 3 July 2026.
The Blog post contains the following IELTS Reading Questions:
IELTS Reading Matching Headings
IELTS Reading Yes/No/Not Given
IELTS Reading Summary Completion
Stay informed and prepared for success – Explore our comprehensive Reading Test Info page to get valuable insights, exam format details, and expert tips for mastering the IELTS Reading section.
IELTS Reading Passage: The Evolution of Language
The Evolution of Language
A. Language everywhere changes over time; it has to. A central reason that necessitates modification is to allow for developments in our world to be expressed. For example, the technological revolution alone has been responsible for the addition of a plethora of words to our vocabulary: hard drive, software, modem to name just a few. The Japanese writing script katakana, which was originally introduced in the 9th century as a means by which Buddhist monks could correctly interpret Chinese pronunciations, is now most commonly used to embrace foreign words for which there is no original Japanese character; pizza or hamburger for example. Likewise, the western world’s exposure to and familiarity with foreign cultures now means that words such as sushi, naan bread, and kebab, for example, are used by diners regularly.
B. However, the expansion of our vocabulary is just one element involved in how and why language evolves. Given the variation of dialects or regional accents present in most language systems, it is clear that an individual’s interpretation of what is correct and commonly used will vary quite dramatically since this perception is based upon a combination of factors including the age, educational level and region of the country a person is from. As we go about our daily lives and interact with others from different backgrounds and experiences, the language we hear is often taken on board and incorporated into how we communicate ourselves. Many phrases with American origins are now commonplace in British English, for example, due to the frequency with which they are heard on television and in the movies.
C. Changes in language are often driven by the young and many such changes are commonly considered by older people to be a disintegration of standards rather than an evolution and an improvement. Let’s consider an Americanism commonly used by youngsters in all parts of the English speaking world. Used as an alternative to “Tom said…” it is now commonplace to hear “Tom goes, the pay rise was unacceptable.” or, “Tom was all, the pay rise was unacceptable.”; much to the horror of many traditionalists. However, this modification could also be considered to be adding to and not detracting from our ability to communicate effectively. To illustrate, let’s consider the original phrase “Tom said”; it is used solely to show the listener that we are reporting the words of Tom, while the modern variation, “Tom goes” has the same meaning. However, if the speaker chooses instead to use the latter phrase, “Tom was all”, they are also able to convey the message that Tom had an emotional reaction to the situation they are reporting, therefore a much more effective method of communicating information has been created, some may say. However, should the now commonly used texting abbreviations such as ‘gr8t’ (great) and ‘l8r’ (later) become permanent replacements of the original words, it is likely that even the most liberal amongst us would be horrified.
D. Variations on the language are usually more readily accepted into informal language before being absorbed for use in formal writing. Examples of words that we now commonly use, but were once considered incorrect, are ‘pea’ and ‘hopefully’. Let’s take pea; it derived from the word ‘pease’, which is an uncountable noun that has the same form regardless of whether one or more pease were being spoken about. However, this was commonly overlooked and misunderstood, and through error, the singular form of the vegetable became ‘pea’. More recently ‘hopefully’ was considered by many to be an inappropriate alternative to ‘I hope’; at best only accepted in informal use. The word hopefully is now’ fully acceptable in both informal speech and formal writing.
E. Some people believe that traditional usages of language are always more superior and refined than modern variations even when the reasons behind the rule were dubious in the first place. For example, it was once seriously frowned upon to split an infinitive in a sentence and even today it is considered grammatically incorrect to do so. To demonstrate, let’s consider the following sentence: ‘The examiner asked me to quietly leave the room’; this was considered incorrect as the word ‘quietly’ splits the infinitive of the verb ‘to leave’. The origins of this rule hail back to the 17th century when scholars believed that the English language should be adapted to follow the rules of Latin; then considered the perfect language. Since splitting infinitives in Latin is impossible, it was decided that splitting infinitives in English, even though possible, was not acceptable. Given those initial motivations behind the rule were questionable and the clarity of the meaning of the sentence is not compromised in the ‘incorrect’ form, it could be argued that this grammar rule is a prime example of an unnecessary sanction which is likely to be abandoned in the future.
F. As language evolves, changes in grammar structures that would confuse the actual meaning of the sentences are unlikely; however, the meanings of words are often modified or altered beyond recognition by different generations and can be easily misinterpreted by other social groups. Take, for example, the modern version of the word ‘bad’ meaning ‘great’ when used in contemporary slang. Many slang words remain dated in the era in which they are developed, for example, words like ‘to beef, meaning to complain (introduced in the 1920s) are not only dated but may not even be understood in a modern context, while others such as ‘guy’ become absorbed into mainstream language. Who knows what future generations will add to the ever-changing environment of communication?
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Questions
Questions 1-4
Reading Passage has six paragraphs A-F
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs B,C,E and F from the list of headings below
Write the correct number i-viii in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet
List of Headings
Historical acceptance of change
The Generation Gap
Influences on speech
Ancient writing in Asia
Cultural evolution and its impact on language
Slang expected in the future
Questioning logic
The lifespan of vocabulary
Example: Paragraph A; Answer: v
1.Paragraph B2.Paragraph CExample: Paragraph D; Answer: i3.Paragraph E4.Paragraph F
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Questions 5-10
Do the following statements reflect the claims of the writer in Reading Passage?
YES if the statement reflects the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about thisWrite the correct answer YES,NO or NOT GIVEN in boxes 5-10 on your answer sheet.
5. If language were static, it would negatively affect our ability to incorporate other cultures into our own way of life.6 The language we grow up knowing and that we adopt through new experiences have equal effects on the way we speak.7 English used in Britain has changed more than American English over recent years.8 Some older variations of language are more expressive than more modern forms. 9 All modern adaptations of language are suitable for mainstream use.10 All word usage has changed over time due to misunderstandings of meaning.
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Questions 11-13
Complete the summary of paragraphs E and F with the list of words A-H below.
Write the correct letter A-H in boxes 11-13 on your answer sheet.
Some grammar rules such as avoiding 11 ____________ are deeply entrenched in history and were created by academics who wished to perfect the English language. It is likely, however, since they do not impact on the 12 ______________ of the sentence that such rules are likely to be 13 ______________ in the future. In the same way, many contemporary words in common usage today are likely to become defunct.
A SlangB Split infinitivesC Grammatically incorrectD MeaningE RecognitionF DisregardedG MisinterpretedH Confusion
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Answers for the evolution of language
1. Answer: iii2. Answer: ii3. Answer: vii4. Answer: viii5. Answer: Yes 6. Answer: Not given 7. Answer: Not given8. Answer: Not given 9. Answer: No 10. Answer: No 11. Answer: B12. Answer: D13.Answer: F
We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or on the Facebook page.
The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest. If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.
Originally published July 2026. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
⚡ TL;DR
A practical IELTS preparation guide with strategies, examples, and tips to help you achieve a higher band score.
Published 3 July 2026.
The Blog post contains the following IELTS Reading Questions:
IELTS Reading Matching Headings
IELTS Reading Yes/No/Not Given
IELTS Reading Summary Completion
Stay informed and prepared for success – Explore our comprehensive Reading Test Info page to get valuable insights, exam format details, and expert tips for mastering the IELTS Reading section.
IELTS Reading Passage – Robots
Robots
Since the origin of human ingenuity, humans have created an increasing variety of clever tools to handle nasty, dangerous, or tedious jobs. This tendency has resulted in robotics, the science of equipping machines with various human capabilities.
The modern world is being increasingly inhabited by semi-intelligent gadgets, whose presence we hardly notice but whose growing prevalence has eliminated significant human drudgery. Our factories are filled with the buzz of robot assembly arms. We perform our banking transactions at automated teller machines, which thank us politely for the transaction. The subway trains are operated by tireless robo-drivers. Our mine shafts are excavated by robotic moles, and nuclear disasters like Three Mile Island and Chernobyl are cleared away by radiation-resistant robotic muckers.Such is the broad range of uses anticipated by the Czech playwright Karel Capek, who introduced the word “robot” in 1920 (the Czech word “robota” translates to “forced labor”). As development speeds up, the experiment is becoming exploitable at a rapid pace.
Other developments promise to increase the capabilities of human operators. Due to the constant miniaturization of electronics and micromechanics, there are now robot systems that can perform various types of brain and bone surgeries with submillimeter precision and with far better accuracy than highly competent surgeons can accomplish with their hands alone. At the same time, long-distance control methods will keep people far enough from risk. In 1994, Dante, a ten-foot-tall NASA robotic explorer with spider-like legs and video camera eyes, scaled the deadly rim of an Alaskan volcano while experts were in California, 2,000 miles away, observing the action on a satellite and supervising Dante’s descent.
However, for robots to progress to the next phase of labor-saving utility, they must perform tasks with little human supervision and also be capable of making at least some decisions for themselves; these objectives are extremely difficult to achieve. According to one expert, we can’t yet give a robot adequate common sense to reliably deal with a dynamic world, although we understand how to tell a robot to solve a specific problem. In reality, the search for natural artificial intelligence (AI) has produced a variety of interesting results. Although there was a brief period of initial optimism in the 1960s and 1970s when it seemed that transistor circuits and microprocessors might become capable of performing equivalently to the human brain by the 21st century, researchers have already extended their estimations by decades, if not centuries.
In their attempt to model thought, they discovered that human perception is much more complicated than previously assumed and that the approximately 100 billion neurons in the human brain are much more skilled. They have created robots that can detect a fraction of a millimeter of misalignment in a machine panel in a regulated factory environment. However, the human mind can take in a scene that is changing quickly and ignore the 98% of it that is useless, instantly focusing on the woodchuck by the side of a meandering forest road or the lone questionable face in a bustling crowd. The most advanced computing systems on Earth cannot get near that level of capability, and neuroscientists are still not sure how we can achieve it.
Despite this, information theorists, neuroscientists, and computer specialists are merging their abilities to discover ways of giving robots a level of intelligence resembling that of humans. One method abandons the linear, logical layout of typical electrical circuits in favor of the disorderly, ad hoc arrangement of neurons in a real brain. These so-called “neural networks” don’t require programming. A system of feedback signals allows them to “teach” themselves by reinforcing the electrical pathways that create the correct answers and, in contrast, eliminating the connections that led to the wrong ones. Eventually, the net arranges itself into a system that can identify specific forms or pronounce particular phrases.
In some fields, researchers are attempting to establish a more organic relationship between humans and robots with the hope that one day machines could take over some duties presently carried out by people, like those in, for example, nursing homes. In Japan, where the number of senior residents is rapidly growing, this is particularly necessary. The Science University of Tokyo has therefore developed a “face robot” as a prototype, which is a life-size soft plastic replica with a female head, including a video camera inserted in the left eye. The objective of the researchers is to build robots that people are comfortable with. They are focusing on the face because they believe that the most efficient and crucial way to express emotional messages is through facial expressions. We analyze facial expressions to determine whether a person is happy, scared, angry, or nervous and interpret those messages. Thus, the Japanese robot is designed to recognize emotions in the individual it is “looking at” by detecting changes in the spatial arrangement of the individual’s eyes, nose, brows, and mouth. It determines the emotion by comparing the configurations with the database of common facial expressions. The robot then adjusts its plastic face to the right emotional response using a set of small pressure pads.
Instead of trying to imitate human intelligence or emotions, other labs are using a different strategy. In the same way that computer design has shifted away from a centralized mainframe to a multitude of separate workstations and single processors have taken a back seat to arrays of smaller units that divide a large problem into parts that can be tackled simultaneously, many scientists are now examining the possibility that large numbers of semi-intelligent robots could produce intelligence that is more than the sum of their parts. That’s what beehives and ant colonies do, and various teams are proposing that legions of tiny animals cooperating in ant colony patterns may be dispatched to investigate the climate of planets or to inspect pipes in unsafe industrial settings.
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Questions 1 – 6
Reading Passage has seven A – G. From the list of headings below choose the most suitable heading for each paragraph. Write the appropriate numbers (i – x) in boxes 1 – 6 on your answer sheet.
Paragraph A
Paragraph B
Paragraph C
Paragraph D
Paragraph E
Paragraph F
ExampleAnswerParagraph Giii
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Questions 7 – 11
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage? In boxes 7 – 11 on your answer sheet, write
YES if the statement agrees with the information.NO if the statement contradicts the information.NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this in the passage.
7. Robots are capable of making accurate visual judgments.8. The present usage of robots was accurately predicted by Karel Capek.9. The most advanced robotic systems are those of the Japanese.10. The NASA robot named Dante saved lives.11. The robots can replicate the internal functions of the brain.
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Questions 12 – 14
Complete the summary below with words taken from Paragraph F. Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 12 – 14 on your answer sheet.
A (12.)_______ is installed inside the head of the Japanese “face robot” prototype, which is used to observe people. It then checks the (13.)________ of common facial expressions to determine what emotions the person is having. The robot uses several (14.)_______ to change its expression as a reaction to this expression.
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1. X2. I3. vii4. ii5. vi6. viii7. Yes8. Yes9. Not Given10.Not Given11. No12. video camera13. database14. pressure pads
We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or on the Facebook page.
The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest. If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.
Originally published July 2026. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
⚡ TL;DR
A practical IELTS preparation guide with strategies, examples, and tips to help you achieve a higher band score.
Published 3 July 2026.
The Blog post contains the following IELTS Reading Questions:
IELTS Reading Matching Headings Features.
IELTS Reading Sentence Completion
IELTS Reading Matching Headings Questions.
Stay informed and prepared for success – Explore our comprehensive Reading Test Info page to get valuable insights, exam format details, and expert tips for mastering the IELTS Reading section.
IELTS reading passage – Space
Space
Will we find new frontiers or is humanity reaching the end of the universe?
People need to find more creative ways to supply space as populations rise.
A. In his book “An Essay on the Principle of Population,” which was published in 1798, Thomas Malthus projected that by the middle of the 1800s, the unregulated rise of the human population would overflow the farming land that was necessary to feed humanity. A great deal has transpired since then. Since this purported turning point that occurred more than 150 years ago, humankind has continued to advance despite being considerably more constrained.
B. Unrestrained population increase is obvious. Urbanization is a more visible worldwide phenomenon than before as more people migrate from rural areas to cities like Tokyo, Mexico City, and Mumbai in search of a better living. Megacities with more than 10 million inhabitants are cropping up on every continent. Now overpopulated, they’re eager for land. The expanding human population is fueling a voracious need for real estate, despite advances in agricultural technology. Personal, public, corporate, national, human, and flora/fauna space is at a premium in the next century. They are desperate for one resource that is becoming more valuable: land, and the human population is now at an all-time high. More land is needed for a variety of infrastructure facilities in addition to housing. While advances in agricultural technology mean humanity may be able to feed the people thronging to these huge metropolises, an unparalleled thirst for real estate is being fueled by the growth of the human race. Green pastures are turned into airports, and virgin forests are cleared for food and firewood. In poorer locations, newly exposed land becomes desert, completing the destruction cycle.
C. The most popular way to use pricey space for living and working has been to build upwards; therefore, the desire for ever-taller apartments and commercial buildings in big cities like New York, Shanghai, and Singapore. The British Library, which houses millions of books, was built entirely underground not only for transportation networks but also for garbage storage, book depositories, etc. in London. The global building has become more innovative in recent years. Many countries, including Holland and the UK, have restored marshes and floodplains. Like Venice, Italy, housing complexes and airports have been built off-shore. In Japan, Kansai International Airport was built on a man-made island at great expense. In Dubai, a very inventive and expensive palm tree-shaped housing complex is being developed close to the shoreline. Global warming’s rising sea levels threaten these and other developments.
D. But when Earth is at capacity, where will humanity go? Numerous theories have been put up regarding the expansion of the human population into space. Marshall Savage, for instance, predicted that by the year 3000, there will be five quintillion people living throughout the solar system, with the majority of them residing in the asteroid belt. Savage’s ardent admirer Arthur C. Clarke currently asserts that humanity will be present on the Moon, Mars, Europa, Ganymede, and Titan, and in orbits around Venus, Neptune, and Pluto by the year 2057. According to Freeman Dyson, the Kuiper belt could become the future home of humanity within a few generations.
E. Huge space stations with human habitation are now a possibility rather than simply a pipe dream. The planet is currently orbited by a permanent multinational space station. Recently, the first commercial tourist visited the space, and additional trips are scheduled for the near future. Although this is just the beginning, space hotels are soon to be built. Where humanity may end up is unknown. Though I’m sure I’m not the only one who fantasizes about spending my summer vacations on a floating hotel in the Andromeda nebula or on a distant planet watching the moons rise, the concepts of the off-world settlement are not outlandish.
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Questions 1 – 5
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage?I n boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet writeYES if the statement reflects the claims of the writerNO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writerNOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
The concept of the habitation of outer space by mankind is unimaginable.
The destruction of land for food and firewood is linked to desertification.
Arthur C Clarke was the only person to predict that mankind will inhabit other parts of the solar system.
Shortage of space has also led to underground building construction.
The building of the airport in Japan costs much more than that of the housing complex in Dubai.
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Questions 6 – 9
Reading passage 1 has five sections A – E. Choose the correct heading for sections B – E from the list of headings below.
List of Headings
i. How the problem of land scarcity has been overcome in the pastii. Various predictions about future solutions to a lack of spaceiii. The effects of population growth on land availabilityiv. The importance of the new British Libraryv. An expanding populationvi. A description of a mega-cityvii. A firm belief that human habitation of outer space will occurviii. The importance of having an international space station
Example AnswerSection A: v
6. Section B7. Section C8. Section D9. Section E
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Questions 10 – 13
Complete the sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
10. The movement of rural people to cities is a _______11. The land is now very _______, as a result of the growing demand for space.12. The feeding of the human race will perhaps be guaranteed by changes in _______13. Besides the demands of accommodation, the land is needed for various _______
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Recommended Questions:
Renewable Energy IELTS Reading Question with Answer
Space IELTS Reading Answers
1. No 2. Yes 3. No 4. Yes 5. Not given6. iii 7. i 8. ii 9. vii 10. Worldwide phenomenon11. Infrastructure facilities12. Agriculture technology 13. Valuable
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Originally published July 2026. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
⚡ TL;DR
Essential strategies and practice techniques for this IELTS Reading passage. Learn question types, timing, and how to secure the answers.
Published 3 July 2026.
The Blog post contains the following IELTS Reading Questions:
IELTS Reading Matching Headings
IELTS Reading Yes/No/Not given.
IELTS reading sentence completion
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IELTS Reading Passage – The Developing World
The Developing World
The developing world is made up of Asia and Africa’s underdeveloped economies. Oceania and Latin America are viewed as a single entity that shares traits with the developed world, including poverty, large fertility rates, and financial reliance. The developing world was previously referred to as “the third world.” By drawing a parallel between the “third estate”—the common french people before and during the French Revolution—and the monks and nobility who made up the “first” and “second” estates, respectively, the French researcher Alfred Sauvy first used the phrase in 1952. According to Sauvy, “the poor country is nothing, and it strives to be something,” similar to the third estate. The phrase, therefore, indicates that, like the third estate, the third world is abused and also that, as the third estate, its future is one of revolution. It also expresses a second point that Sauvy also touches on a nonalignment. This is because the developing world does not belong to either the developed capitalist world or the affluent former communist union. At the 1955 meeting of Afro-Asian nations conducted in Bandung and Indonesia, the term “third world” was coined. Le Tiers-Monde was a book written in 1956 by a group of social researchers affiliated with Sauvy’s Research Center of Population Studies in Paris. Francois Perroux, a French economist, created the same-named journal three years later, focusing on issues related to backwardness. By the 1950s, the phrase was often used in French media to allude to Asia’s developing nations like Oceania, Latin America, and Africa. However, in an attempt to destroy the stigma associated with the phrase “third world,” national politicians and social pundits now refer to it as the “developing world.”
The emerging world shares several characteristics with other nations, including skewed economies that are heavily dependent on manufacturing basic goods for the developed world, rural social structures, rapid population growth, and pervasive poverty. However, the developing world is starkly defined since it contains nations with differing levels of economic growth. And while the majority of third-world nations have impoverished rural areas and urban squatter settlements, their ruling classes typically have rich lifestyles.
The integration of the undeveloped nations into the global capitalist economy through invasion or indirect dominance is related to the confluence of circumstances in Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Latin America. The biggest economic impact of Western dominance was the development of the first global market ever. Industrial capitalism upended ancient economies and, in fact, entire communities by establishing sub-economies connected to the West all across the developing globe and by importing other contemporary institutions. Lack of development resulted from this setback.
The industries of underdeveloped nations sometimes consist of just a few modern economic activities, such as mining or the growing of agricultural products, because they have been tailored to the requirements of developed countries. Large foreign businesses have frequently maintained control over these operations. Large consumers in the economically powerful Western nations typically set prices for goods produced in developing nations, and commerce with the West accounts for the vast majority of their revenue. The capitalization of the nations under foreign rule was severely constrained during the colonial period by open abuse. Also, after decolonization (in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s), the emerging world’s economies only gradually grew or just did not. This was large because of the worsening “balance of trade,” or the ratio between the value of the commodities a country must buy from abroad and its revenue from export sales to other nations. When import prices increase more quickly than export revenues, the trade agreements are considered to be deteriorating. The majority of goods traded internationally are priced by consumers in industrialized nations, so the worsening situation of poor nations was not unexpected. Only the oil-producing nations were able to avoid the repercussions of the Western dominance of the global economy after 1973.
Without accounting for population growth, no analysis of the underdeveloped world could hope to evaluate its prospects. The birth rate is still increasing at unheard-of rates, even though the mortality rate from diseases linked to poverty remains high enough to raise concerns on a global scale. Population development in the global world will undoubtedly limit meaningful increases in livelihoods and put people in stagnating economies at risk of rising levels of starvation and malnutrition.
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The Developing World Reading Question
Question 1-5 :
Choose the most suitable heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below :
(Guide: Candidates need to match the paragraphs with the correct heading from I to vii)
List of Headings
The great divide between rich and poor.
The status and destiny of the developing world follow a European precedent.
Economic progress in the developing world slowed down In political unrest.
More people, less food.
Western countries refuse to acknowledge their history of colonization.
Open trade is the main reason these countries become impoverished.
Rivalry in the developing world between capitalist and former communist countries.
Prices and conditions set by outsiders
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Questions 6–9:
Do the following statements agree with the given passage?(Guide: Candidates need to answer the questions by answering Yes or No or Not Given)
6. Agriculture still plays a role in the economy of developing countries. ________7. The population of the developing world increases at such a fast rate because they constantly need to renew the labor force________8. Countries that spend more on imports than come from exports can experience problems. ________9. In the developing world, oil-rich countries are also victims of dominance by Western powers. ________
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Questions 10-13:
Complete each sentence with the correct ending given below :
A: economic dependence on developed countries.B: that decolonization took a long time to achieve.C: dictate the needs of industrialized countries.D: share common characteristics.E: that many economies stagnated.F: a society that wants something it does not have.
10. Companies in the developing world _____11. The term third world implies __________12. One factor that is prevalent in the developing world is ________13. One consequence of the term of trade was __________
Enhance your sentence completion skills in the IELTS Reading section. Click here to access our comprehensive guide and learn effective strategies for filling in missing words or phrases in sentences.
Unlock your full potential in the IELTS Reading section – Visit our IELTS Reading Practice Question Answer page now!
Recommended Questions:
Renewable Energy IELTS Reading Question with Answer
The Developing World IELTS Reading Answers
1. Answer: ii2. Answer: ii3. Answer: vi4. Answer: viii 5. Answer: iv6. Answer: Yes7. Answer: Not given8. Answer: yes9. Answer: No10. Answer: D11. Answer: F12. Answer: A13. Answer: E
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The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest. If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.
