IELTS Reading Diagram Completion with Tips & Practice Tests
IELTS Reading Diagram Completion involves filling gaps in diagrams based on a passage. Practice is key to mastering this task, as it requires identifying keywords, following word limits, and managing time.
While going through mock tests, test-takers often find images, or rather diagrams in some of them. Many of them get confused about the need of that diagram in a language test and begin to get nervous. Well, it is just an IELTS Reading Diagram Completion question!
What is Diagram Completion IELTS Reading?
We normally use diagrams, a visual representation of a concept, when a text makes it difficult to understand it in words. So, a diagram makes the process more apparent and understandable.
In IELTS Reading, test-takers are provided with a passage, which they have to go through to fill in the gaps of a diagram that could be a technical illustration, an explanation of a natural phenomenon, a flowchart, or a design for anything. The blank labels or a phrase or sentence with missing words are to be filled using words taken directly from a descriptive text or, in some cases, synonyms provided in a table.
Skills Required to Answer IELTS Reading Diagram Completion
There are four important skills that are evaluated through the Diagram completion questions IELTS Reading. They are listed below.
- Knowledge of vocabulary, and test preparation, are very essential to find out the answer within the time limit.
- Test-takers should be able to get an idea of the diagram at a quick glance and identify the part of the passage that contains the appropriate information.
- It is of utmost importance that examinees go through the instructions carefully and pay attention to the word limit or other vital data given within the box.
- Besides understanding the diagram, examinees need to have an improved IELTS vocabulary to identify the keywords/type of word/ synonyms that should fill in the blank. It will help to find the answer quickly.
Steps to Solve IELTS Reading Diagram Completion Questions
The IELTS Academic Reading test will have 40 questions in total. So, test-takers cannot spend a lot of time on just a few questions and leave out the rest. Therefore, they have to plan on how to complete IELTS Reading in less than an hour.
To do so, we have provided some quick steps to follow to solve the IELTS Reading Diagram Completion questions below.
Step 1 – Study the diagram
Pay attention to the various components in the diagram and how they are arranged in the diagram. If it’s a flowchart or a process diagram, pay attention to the arrows to comprehend the flow.
Step 2 – Identify the type of words/keywords
Consider the parts in the diagram that need to be labelled and choose the type of information that should go in the blank. They will assist you find the keywords.
Step 3 – Scan the passage
Once you have identified the keywords or what you believe is the answer, scan the passage. Keywords or the answers are either taken directly from the text or reworded using simple synonyms.
Step 4 – Read the portion of the passage carefully
Now that you have identified the section of the passage where you will get the information, read it carefully. Do not waste your time reading the text line by line. This is where your skimming and scanning ability will come in handy.
Step 5 – Check the spelling and the word limit
Once you have found the answer, ensure that you have used the correct spelling of the word and followed the word limit given in the instructions.
Common Problems While Solving IELTS Reading Diagram Completion
Every type of question, small or big, creates certain complications for the candidates. It is to test whether test-takers, as a language speaker, is capable enough to comprehend the meaning and deliver a response that is necessary.
So, here are some of the common problems that they might encounter while solving the IELTS Reading Diagram Completion questions.
- The most common issue is that test-takers strive to comprehend every detail of the diagram by concentrating too much on it as unfamiliar diagrams can make them nervous and waste time. So, remember that this is a reading comprehension test rather than a technical knowledge test and time management in IELTS Reading is crucial.
- Another significant issue is taking too long to read the entire material rather than swiftly identify the paragraphs that contain the answers.
- Even though there is no negative scoring, if test-takers misspell words in this section, they will get ‘zero’ for that question.
- It has been noted that many test-takers overlook this word limit and write their answers using more words than required. It will also lead to ‘zero’ for that question.
- Tips to Solve IELTS Reading Diagram Completion Topics
Given below are some IELTS Reading tips and techniques to help examinees taking the IELTS General Reading or Academic Reading an extra boost to solve the IELTS Reading diagram completion questions.
- Always underline the keywords in the diagram. They will help you to complete it.
- You should start by locating the passage’s relevant section.
- Always bear in mind that the answer/s will be words from the passage.
- Take note that hyphenated terms like “face-to-face” and numbers count as one word each.
- Determine the word type you require (noun, verb, adjective). You can locate the right response with the help of this.
IELTS Reading diagram completion can be challenging, but with the right approach and plenty of practice, it becomes manageable. By refining the reading skills and developing a systematic approach to tackling these tasks, it will become easier to score well in the IELTS Reading section. Remember, each diagram is an opportunity to demonstrate your understanding and ability to apply information effectively.
Enrol at the IELTS Preparation Centre in Sydney and learn how to achieve your IELTS grade with native speaking examiners as your teachers.
The IELTS Preparation Centre in Sydney always highly recommends the Cambridge Learner’s Dictionary: Definitions & Meanings to best assist all our IELTS preparation students
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/learner-english/
Other highly recommended links:
Cambridge Thesaurus | Synonyms, antonyms and examples
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/index.html
