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IELTS Academic Reading · 113 questions

Practice IELTS Academic Short Answer questions free

Short Answer Questions are quick marks when you answer in the fewest words and copy them exactly. Practice unlimited questions from real Academic passages, each with a full explanation.

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Sample question with full explanation
Short Answer Questions
113 questions in the pool
Paragraph A

The festival was held every four years, an interval known as an Olympiad, which the ancient Greeks used as a unit of time.

Answer the question. Choose ONE WORD from the passage.

What name was given to the four year interval between the Games in ancient Greece?

How to approach Short Answer Questions

Short Answer Questions ask a direct question that you answer with words taken from the passage, within a strict word limit such as no more than three words. The questions follow the order of the passage. The skill is finding the answer fast and writing it in the shortest correct form.

1
Read the word limit
Note how many words you may use. Going over the limit makes a correct answer wrong.
2
Turn the question into a keyword
Pull out the question word and the main idea, then scan for that idea in the passage.
3
Find the answer in order
Questions follow the passage order, so each answer comes after the previous one.
4
Answer in the fewest words
Write only the words that answer the question, taken straight from the text, with exact spelling.
5
Confirm it answers the question asked
Check your answer matches the question word, such as a place for where or a reason for why.
Common mistakes to avoid
Writing a full sentence as the answer.
Answer in the fewest words within the limit. Extra words can make the answer wrong.
Paraphrasing instead of using the passage words.
Take the answer straight from the text and spell it exactly.
Answering a different question word than the one asked.
Match the question word. Where needs a place, when needs a time, who needs a person.
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RARahilWriting 7.0★★★★★

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SASamanyuReading 7.5★★★★★

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RARahilWriting 7.0★★★★★

My Writing went from a 6 to a 7. Getting band feedback on Task 1 and Task 2 separately, with the exact reason for each criterion, finally showed me what an examiner is looking for.

SASamanyuReading 7.5★★★★★

Reading used to wreck my timing, but I got to 7.5. The AI explains why each answer is right, not just the key, so the question types finally clicked.

DIDiyaListening 7.5★★★★★

Listening was my weakest skill and I scored 7.5. The practice covers every accent, and the section breakdown showed me precisely where I was dropping marks.

RVRaviSpeaking 7.0★★★★★

The Speaking practice gives instant feedback on fluency, pronunciation and grammar, exactly like a real examiner. It built my confidence and I scored a 7.

RSRahul S.Writing 7.5★★★★★

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TATanishaReading 7.5★★★★★

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HIHiyaSpeaking 6.5★★★★★

Practising Speaking with instant AI feedback after every answer made a huge difference to my confidence. I reached 6.5 and finally stopped freezing up in the test.

RSRahul S.Writing 7.5★★★★★

Writing always confused me until the AI started marking Task 1 and Task 2 criterion by criterion. I hit 7.5, and the model answers showed me exactly how to lift my responses.

TATanishaReading 7.5★★★★★

I reached a 7.5 in Reading. Unlimited realistic passages plus the per question review after every test meant I could see exactly where I went wrong and fix it.

SPSpandanListening 7.5★★★★★

The Listening mocks with full transcripts and answer review pushed me to 7.5. Being scored in about a minute meant I never had to wait to know where I stood.

HIHiyaSpeaking 6.5★★★★★

Practising Speaking with instant AI feedback after every answer made a huge difference to my confidence. I reached 6.5 and finally stopped freezing up in the test.

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Practice Short Answer Questions until it clicks

Work through 113 real Academic questions of this type, each with a full explanation and an instant band score.

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Questions about Short Answer Questions
How long should my answer be?
As short as possible within the stated word limit, often no more than three words. Write only what answers the question, using words from the passage.
Can I write the answer in my own words?
No. The answer must come from the passage. Copy it exactly, including spelling.
Do the questions follow the passage order?
Yes. Short Answer Questions run in passage order, so each answer appears after the previous one.
Is this Academic Reading?
Yes, the passages are IELTS Academic. Short Answer Questions appear in both Academic and General Training.
Practice other reading question types
All IELTS Academic Reading practice
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