⚡ TL;DRIELTS General Training Reading has 3 sections with 40 questions, completed in 60 minutes. Texts progress from short everyday documents (ads, notices) to longer general-interest passages. The question types are the same as Academic Reading, but the scoring scale differs — GT requires more correct answers per band.
Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
Test Format
| Section | Texts | Source Type | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section 1 | 2–3 short texts | Advertisements, timetables, notices, instructions | Easiest |
| Section 2 | 2 texts | Workplace documents — job descriptions, contracts, policies | Medium |
| Section 3 | 1 longer text | General-interest article or passage | Hardest |
Question Types
GT Reading uses the same question types as Academic Reading:
- Multiple choice
- True / False / Not Given (or Yes / No / Not Given)
- Matching headings, features, or information
- Sentence completion
- Summary completion
- Short-answer questions
- Diagram/flow-chart completion
Time Management
With 60 minutes for 40 questions, time pressure is significant. Recommended allocation:
| Section | Time | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Section 1 | 15 minutes | Quick scanning — answers are usually explicit in the text |
| Section 2 | 20 minutes | Skim for structure, then locate specific information |
| Section 3 | 25 minutes | Read carefully — requires inference and understanding of opinion |
Key Strategies
- Read the questions first for Sections 1 and 2 — then scan the text for answers.
- Skim the passage first for Section 3 — understand the overall argument before tackling questions.
- Watch for paraphrasing: Answers rarely use the exact words from the question. Look for synonyms.
- True/False/Not Given: “Not Given” means the information is simply absent — don’t infer.
Related Resources
🔑 Key Takeaways
- 3 sections, 40 questions, 60 minutes — difficulty increases through the test.
- Section 1 uses everyday texts; Section 3 is similar to Academic Reading in difficulty.
- GT requires more correct answers per band than Academic Reading.
- Read questions first for Sections 1–2; skim the passage first for Section 3.