This practice set is designed for South African candidates preparing for the IELTS Academic test — used for university admission in the UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, and for professional registration (nursing, medicine, physiotherapy) in those countries. It covers the knowledge and reasoning skills tested across the Reading and Language components of the IELTS Academic exam.

IELTS Academic Reading has three passages of increasing complexity and 40 questions in 60 minutes — time management is critical. Every question type tested in this practice set appears in the real IELTS exam. For South African nurses applying to the UK NMC, the minimum IELTS requirement is typically 7.0 overall with no component below 6.5 or 7.0.

Remember: IELTS Reading rewards efficient scanning, not careful word-by-word reading. Practise locating information quickly within a passage rather than reading everything thoroughly.

Study tip: For True/False/Not Given questions: True = the text explicitly says this. False = the text explicitly contradicts this. Not Given = the text does not address this at all. The Not Given category is the one that catches most candidates.

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Further reading: British Council South Africa — IELTS Information

IELTS Academic Practice Test — Reading & Language