IELTS Academic 2026 — Complete Prac ce
Test Pack
1. A passage discusses how urban trees reduce temperatures, improve air quality, and provide
habitats for birds. What is the main idea?
A. Birds are increasingly moving into cities.
B. Urban trees provide several environmental benefits.
C. Cities should prohibit private gardens.
D. Air pollution is caused mainly by traffic.
Answer: B
Rationale: The passage presents several benefits of urban trees, making B the broadest and most
accurate summary.
2. A text states that researchers first tested solar panels on small buildings before introducing
them on large commercial structures. Why did they begin with small buildings?
A. Small buildings require no electricity.
B. Researchers wanted to reduce testing risks.
C. Large buildings cannot use solar power.
D. Solar panels were unavailable commercially.
Answer: B
Rationale: Starting with smaller structures allowed researchers to test the technology under
lower-risk conditions.
3. What reading technique is most useful when looking for a specific date?
A. Skimming
B. Scanning
C. Predicting
D. Summarising
Answer: B
Rationale: Scanning involves quickly searching a text for specific information such as dates,
names, or numbers.
,4. A paragraph begins, “Despite the apparent advantages of electric cars, several obstacles
remain.” What is the paragraph most likely to discuss?
A. Benefits that have already disappeared
B. Problems associated with electric vehicles
C. The history of petrol engines
D. How bicycles are manufactured
Answer: B
Rationale: “Despite” signals a contrast, and “obstacles remain” indicates that limitations will
follow.
5. Which statement best describes skimming?
A. Reading every word carefully
B. Searching for a particular number
C. Reading quickly to identify the overall meaning
D. Translating unfamiliar vocabulary
Answer: C
Rationale: Skimming is used to understand the general purpose and main ideas of a text quickly.
6. A passage contains several examples supporting the claim that remote work can increase
productivity. What role do the examples play?
A. They contradict the claim.
B. They provide evidence for the claim.
C. They introduce an unrelated topic.
D. They define remote work.
Answer: B
Rationale: Supporting examples strengthen or illustrate the central claim.
7. If a question asks, “According to the passage, what caused the decline?” what should the
candidate primarily look for?
A. An opinion
B. A definition
,C. A cause-and-effect relationship
D. A conclusion unrelated to the topic
Answer: C
Rationale: The question specifically asks for the factor responsible for a change.
8. Which word most strongly signals contrast?
A. Furthermore
B. Therefore
C. However
D. Similarly
Answer: C
Rationale: “However” introduces an opposing or contrasting idea.
9. Which word most commonly signals a result?
A. Although
B. Consequently
C. Meanwhile
D. Similarly
Answer: B
Rationale: “Consequently” introduces an outcome or result.
10. A heading says “The Decline of Traditional Farming.” Which topic would most likely appear
underneath?
A. Reasons traditional farming has decreased
B. The invention of smartphones
C. Modern cinema
D. Ocean exploration
Answer: A
Rationale: The heading establishes the paragraph's subject as the reduction of traditional
farming.
, 11. What does a writer usually achieve by giving a definition?
A. Introduce a new meaning for an important term
B. Present unrelated evidence
C. End an argument
D. Express uncertainty
Answer: A
Rationale: Definitions clarify terminology that is important to understanding the text.
12. If the statement in a passage says, “Some researchers believe that the method may be
effective,” which word shows uncertainty?
A. Researchers
B. Method
C. Believe
D. Effective
Answer: C
Rationale: “Believe” indicates that the statement is an opinion or interpretation rather than
established fact.
13. What is the best strategy for a “matching headings” question?
A. Read only the first sentence of every paragraph.
B. Identify the central idea of each paragraph.
C. Match headings based on one repeated word.
D. Choose the longest heading.
Answer: B
Rationale: Matching headings tests understanding of paragraph-level main ideas, not isolated
vocabulary.
14. A passage says, “The experiment produced unexpected results.” What does “unexpected”
imply?
A. The researchers predicted exactly what happened.
B. The results differed from what researchers anticipated.
C. The experiment was cancelled.
D. The results were necessarily incorrect.
Test Pack
1. A passage discusses how urban trees reduce temperatures, improve air quality, and provide
habitats for birds. What is the main idea?
A. Birds are increasingly moving into cities.
B. Urban trees provide several environmental benefits.
C. Cities should prohibit private gardens.
D. Air pollution is caused mainly by traffic.
Answer: B
Rationale: The passage presents several benefits of urban trees, making B the broadest and most
accurate summary.
2. A text states that researchers first tested solar panels on small buildings before introducing
them on large commercial structures. Why did they begin with small buildings?
A. Small buildings require no electricity.
B. Researchers wanted to reduce testing risks.
C. Large buildings cannot use solar power.
D. Solar panels were unavailable commercially.
Answer: B
Rationale: Starting with smaller structures allowed researchers to test the technology under
lower-risk conditions.
3. What reading technique is most useful when looking for a specific date?
A. Skimming
B. Scanning
C. Predicting
D. Summarising
Answer: B
Rationale: Scanning involves quickly searching a text for specific information such as dates,
names, or numbers.
,4. A paragraph begins, “Despite the apparent advantages of electric cars, several obstacles
remain.” What is the paragraph most likely to discuss?
A. Benefits that have already disappeared
B. Problems associated with electric vehicles
C. The history of petrol engines
D. How bicycles are manufactured
Answer: B
Rationale: “Despite” signals a contrast, and “obstacles remain” indicates that limitations will
follow.
5. Which statement best describes skimming?
A. Reading every word carefully
B. Searching for a particular number
C. Reading quickly to identify the overall meaning
D. Translating unfamiliar vocabulary
Answer: C
Rationale: Skimming is used to understand the general purpose and main ideas of a text quickly.
6. A passage contains several examples supporting the claim that remote work can increase
productivity. What role do the examples play?
A. They contradict the claim.
B. They provide evidence for the claim.
C. They introduce an unrelated topic.
D. They define remote work.
Answer: B
Rationale: Supporting examples strengthen or illustrate the central claim.
7. If a question asks, “According to the passage, what caused the decline?” what should the
candidate primarily look for?
A. An opinion
B. A definition
,C. A cause-and-effect relationship
D. A conclusion unrelated to the topic
Answer: C
Rationale: The question specifically asks for the factor responsible for a change.
8. Which word most strongly signals contrast?
A. Furthermore
B. Therefore
C. However
D. Similarly
Answer: C
Rationale: “However” introduces an opposing or contrasting idea.
9. Which word most commonly signals a result?
A. Although
B. Consequently
C. Meanwhile
D. Similarly
Answer: B
Rationale: “Consequently” introduces an outcome or result.
10. A heading says “The Decline of Traditional Farming.” Which topic would most likely appear
underneath?
A. Reasons traditional farming has decreased
B. The invention of smartphones
C. Modern cinema
D. Ocean exploration
Answer: A
Rationale: The heading establishes the paragraph's subject as the reduction of traditional
farming.
, 11. What does a writer usually achieve by giving a definition?
A. Introduce a new meaning for an important term
B. Present unrelated evidence
C. End an argument
D. Express uncertainty
Answer: A
Rationale: Definitions clarify terminology that is important to understanding the text.
12. If the statement in a passage says, “Some researchers believe that the method may be
effective,” which word shows uncertainty?
A. Researchers
B. Method
C. Believe
D. Effective
Answer: C
Rationale: “Believe” indicates that the statement is an opinion or interpretation rather than
established fact.
13. What is the best strategy for a “matching headings” question?
A. Read only the first sentence of every paragraph.
B. Identify the central idea of each paragraph.
C. Match headings based on one repeated word.
D. Choose the longest heading.
Answer: B
Rationale: Matching headings tests understanding of paragraph-level main ideas, not isolated
vocabulary.
14. A passage says, “The experiment produced unexpected results.” What does “unexpected”
imply?
A. The researchers predicted exactly what happened.
B. The results differed from what researchers anticipated.
C. The experiment was cancelled.
D. The results were necessarily incorrect.
