The Time Budget
Each reading part has its own timer — you can't borrow time from Part 1 to use in Part 4. This is unlike IELTS where you manage one big clock. Learn the budget:
| Part | Time | Questions | Seconds/Question | |---|---|---|---| | Part 1: Correspondence | 11 min | 11 | 60 sec | | Part 2: Diagram | 9 min | 8 | 67 sec | | Part 3: Information | 10 min | 9 | 67 sec | | Part 4: Viewpoints | 13 min | 10 | 78 sec |
Part 4 gives the most time per question because the passage is longest and hardest. Don't waste this buffer — you'll need every second.
The First 60 Seconds Rule
In every part, spend the first 30–60 seconds previewing the questions (not reading the passage). This tells your brain what to look for before you start reading.
For Parts 1 and 4, quickly identify which questions are comprehension (requires finding info in the text) and which are cloze (fill-in-the-blank). Tackle cloze first — they're faster and build confidence.
For Parts 2 and 3, skim question stems to identify keywords you'll be scanning for in the passage.
The Skip-and-Return Strategy
If a question takes more than 90 seconds, skip it:
1. Pick your best guess from the remaining options 2. Note the question number mentally 3. Move to the next question 4. Return to skipped questions only if you have time remaining
Never leave a question blank. There's no penalty for wrong answers, so always select something. A rushed guess has a 25% chance; a blank has 0%.
Part 4 — The Time Killer
Part 4 (Reading for Viewpoints) is where most candidates run out of time. The passage is long, the questions require nuanced understanding, and the cloze blanks add pressure.
Counter-strategy: - Read the first and last paragraph fully (they contain the thesis and conclusion) - For middle paragraphs, read the first sentence only, then scan when a question points there - Do cloze blanks first (they only require local context) - Save viewpoint questions for last (they require understanding the whole passage)
If you practice this approach, 13 minutes is more than enough for 10/10.