IELTS Reading: Short-answer questions
Direct questions answered in a few words taken from the passage, within a stated limit. It is the most straightforward type in the paper, and the marks lost are nearly all lost to the same two things: the word limit and answering a question other than the one asked.
The question word decides the answer
| Question begins | The answer must be | A wrong answer looks like |
|---|---|---|
| How many / How much | A number or quantity | The thing being counted |
| Where | A place | The activity happening there |
| When | A time, date or period | The event |
| Who | A person or organisation | What they did |
| What | A thing — read the rest of the stem carefully | A related noun from the same sentence |
A correct noun lifted from the right sentence still scores nothing if the question asked *when*. Check the question word before you write.
The rules
- Words must come from the passage — no paraphrasing.
- The word limit is strict and counted the same way as in sentence completion.
- No full sentences are needed; the limit usually makes them impossible anyway.
- These run in passage order.
Short-answer questions — FAQs
2 questions
No. Answer in the words the limit allows, taken from the passage.
No, but spelling does. Copy the word exactly as printed.
Practise Short-answer questions
4 free IELTS reading questions, with an explanation on every answer. No sign-up — the scorecard is offered at the end, and only then.
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Sources
Written from the test board's own published material and checked on 1 October 2026.