Cambridge 9 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 1-7 · TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN | ||
| 1 | FALSE | |
| 2 | NOT GIVEN | |
| 3 | FALSE | |
| 4 | TRUE | |
| 5 | NOT GIVEN | |
| 6 | TRUE | |
| 7 | NOT GIVEN | |
| Questions 8-13 · Short answers (NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS) | ||
| 8 | richAlso accepted: the rich / only rich / the only rich | |
| 9 | commercialAlso accepted: commercial possibilities | |
| 10 | mauve | |
| 11 | PullarAlso accepted: Robert Pullar | |
| 12 | FranceAlso accepted: in France | |
| 13 | malaria | |
| Questions 14-17 · Matching headings (i-vii) | ||
| 14 | iv | |
| 15 | vii | |
| 16 | i | |
| 17 | ii | |
| Questions 18-20 · Short answers (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER) | ||
| 18 | several billion years | |
| 19 | radioAlso accepted: radio waves / radio signals | |
| 20 | 1000Also accepted: 1000 stars / 1,000 | |
| Questions 21-26 · YES / NO / NOT GIVEN | ||
| 21 | YES | |
| 22 | YES | |
| 23 | NOT GIVEN | |
| 24 | NO | |
| 25 | NOT GIVEN | |
| 26 | NO | |
| Questions 27-30 · Short answers (NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS) | ||
| 27 | plants | |
| 28 | breathing and reproductionAlso accepted: reproduction and breathing / breathing reproduction | |
| 29 | gills | |
| 30 | dolphins | |
| Questions 31-33 · TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN | ||
| 31 | NOT GIVEN | |
| 32 | FALSE | |
| 33 | TRUE | |
| Questions 34-39 · Flow-chart completion (NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER) | ||
| 34 | 3 measurementsAlso accepted: three measurements | |
| 35 | triangular graphAlso accepted: graph | |
| 36 | cluster | |
| 37 | amphibious | |
| 38 | half wayAlso accepted: halfway | |
| 39 | dry-land tortoises | |
| Question 40 · Multiple choice | ||
| 40 | D | |
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 9 Reading Test 1 online?
- Yes. Langujet has the full Cambridge IELTS 9 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: William Henry Perkin: The man who invented synthetic dyes, Is there anybody out there? The Search for Extra-terrestrial Intelligence, The history of the tortoise. 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 9 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 9, 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.