Cambridge 8 Reading Test 1: answers and online practice
The whole test on one page: all 40 answers with a self-marker that turns your score into a band, and the 3 passages with their explanations. Haven't sat it yet? Take it online first, then come back and mark it.
3 passages · 40 questions · 60 minutes
The 3 passages in this test
Answer key and self-check
Type what you wrote and hit mark. Hide the key first if you haven't done the test yet.
| Q | Your answer | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Questions 1-4 · Matching information to paragraphs (A-H) | ||
| 1 | D | |
| 2 | B | |
| 3 | F | |
| 4 | E | |
| Questions 5-8 · Matching events to nationalities | ||
| 5 | B | |
| 6 | F | |
| 7 | D | |
| 8 | A | |
| Questions 9-13 · Flow-chart completion | ||
| 9 | ship's anchorAlso accepted: anchor / an anchor / the anchor | |
| 10 | escape wheelAlso accepted: wheel | |
| 11 | tooth | |
| 12 | long pendulumAlso accepted: pendulum | |
| 13 | second | |
| Questions 14-19 · Matching headings (i-x) | ||
| 14 | ii | |
| 15 | iii | |
| 16 | v | |
| 17 | iv | |
| 18 | viii | |
| 19 | vii | |
| Questions 20-26 · TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN | ||
| 20 | FALSE | |
| 21 | FALSE | |
| 22 | NOT GIVEN | |
| 23 | TRUE | |
| 24 | TRUE | |
| 25 | FALSE | |
| 26 | TRUE | |
| Questions 27-30 · Sentence endings (A-G) | ||
| 27 | E | |
| 28 | B | |
| 29 | A | |
| 30 | F | |
| Questions 31-40 · Table completion (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS) | ||
| 31 | sender | |
| 32 | pictureAlso accepted: image | |
| 33 | receiver | |
| 34 | sensory leakageAlso accepted: fraud / outright fraud | |
| 35 | fraudAlso accepted: outright fraud / sensory leakage | |
| 36 | computers | |
| 37 | human involvement | |
| 38 | meta-analysis | |
| 39 | lack of consistency | |
| 40 | big enoughAlso accepted: large enough | |
Your score out of 40 as an IELTS Reading band
| Correct answers | Band |
|---|---|
| 39-40 | 9.0 |
| 37-38 | 8.5 |
| 35-36 | 8.0 |
| 33-34 | 7.5 |
| 30-32 | 7.0 |
| 27-29 | 6.5 |
| 23-26 | 6.0 |
| 19-22 | 5.5 |
| 15-18 | 5.0 |
| 13-14 | 4.5 |
| 10-12 | 4.0 |
Academic Reading scale. Cut-offs shift slightly between tests, so read it as an estimate.
Questions people ask about this test
- Can I take Cambridge 8 Reading Test 1 online?
- Yes. Langujet has the full Cambridge IELTS 8 Test 1 reading paper: all three passages and 40 questions, timed at 60 minutes and marked the moment you finish.
- What band is 30 out of 40 in IELTS Reading?
- About Band 7.0. On the Academic Reading scale, 39-40 correct is Band 9.0, 37-38 correct is Band 8.5, 35-36 correct is Band 8.0, 33-34 correct is Band 7.5. The exact cut-offs move a little from test to test, so treat it as an estimate.
- Where are the explanations for each answer?
- Each passage has its own page: A Chronicle of Timekeeping, Air Traffic Control in the USA, Telepathy. They show the line in the passage that proves every answer and the traps in each question type.
Sit this test on Langujet, then come back
The full Cambridge 8 Test 1 reading paper: all three passages, 60 minutes, marked the second you finish with a review of every answer. Already done it? Take it again and see if the same traps still get you.
Cambridge IELTS 8, Test 1, Reading. The passages and questions belong to Cambridge University Press and are not reproduced here. The answers are published for self-marking. Get the book for the full material, or sit the test on Langujet.