IELTS Reading

Note, table and flow-chart completion

These questions put information from the passage into notes, a table or a flow chart with gaps. The layout helps: headings, columns and arrows tell you what kind of information is missing and roughly where it is in the passage.

Answers are copied from the passage and must keep to the word limit. Flow charts follow the order of a process, so the answers usually come in passage order too.

What the question looks like

note completion. “Complete the notes. Choose ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.”

table completion. “Complete the table. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.”

flow-chart completion. “Complete the flow chart. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.”

Try real-format questions

This question type is in our free practice test: Passage 1 (“The Folding Umbrella: A Compact Idea”), questions 6–9; Passage 2 (“Rethinking the Hospital Night Shift”), questions 20–22. Open the practice test →

How to answer

Completing Notes Precisely

Read the main heading first to establish the overall topic.
Use a subheading or bullet label to narrow the gap to a specific kind of information.
Check nearby bullets: they may show whether the gap needs a function, method, effect or other category.
Match the passage detail to that category, not merely to the general topic.

Example: Model: notes on rooftop gardens. Study of rooftop gardens • Main environmental effect: lower roof temperatures • Water-related effect: slower runoff The heading gives the topic. Each bullet label signals a different kind of effect, so the detail must fit that label.

Reading Table Relationships

Read the row label to identify the item, group or condition being described.
Read the column label to identify the feature or measurement required.
Combine both labels: the answer belongs to their intersection, not to either label alone.
Check units, time periods and conditions in the column label before deciding what the cell represents.

Example: A table comparing insulation materials. The table row is “glass wool”; the column is “mean heat loss after 30 minutes (°C)”. The gap requires the mean heat loss for glass wool after 30 minutes, measured in degrees Celsius.

Following Flowchart Stages

Read the flowchart from start to finish. Follow its arrows so you know which stage the gap belongs to.
Find a distinctive action or object in the flowchart, then locate its match in the passage. The wording may be paraphrased.
Track sequence signals such as first, next, after and finally. They show how stages connect.
Check the stages immediately before and after the gap. This helps you avoid choosing a step that occurs earlier or later.

Example: A flowchart about preparing leaf samples; the gap asks what happens after washing.. Passage: First, researchers sort the leaves. Next, they wash them and cut them into strips. Finally, they place the strips in a drying cabinet. Model answer: cut the leaves into strips. The gap follows washing, so the next stage in the passage supplies the answer.

Completing Integrated Tables

Read the row and column labels first; they define exactly what kind of information belongs in each gap.
Locate evidence by matching paraphrases, not just repeated words. A table label may describe the same idea differently.
Join details from separate sentences when a row requires more than one fact, such as a method and its frequency.
Check units, time expressions and word limits before entering an answer; keep the wording precise.

Example: Worked example: insulation trial. Passage evidence: Cork cut heat loss by 18%, while recycled fibre cut it by 12%. Cork was chosen where strong insulation mattered most; recycled fibre was selected for lower-cost renovations. Completed table: Cork | heat loss reduced: 18% | reason selected: strongest insulation. Recycled fibre | heat loss reduced: 12% | reason selected: lower cost.

Practise

Short items from the ielts.coach lessons. Answer them, then check to see why each answer is right.

Researchers monitored a restored wetland for two years. During heavy rain, the area temporarily held runoff, reducing pressure on nearby drains. The team also recorded plant growth.

1Wetland services • Main role during storms: ____ What kind of information belongs in the gap?

To estimate when the pottery was last heated, researchers used thermoluminescence. They compared the emitted light with calibrated samples. The clay composition was recorded separately.

2Pottery analysis • Dating technique: ____ What kind of information belongs in the gap?

A laboratory compared three coatings on metal plates. Each plate was kept at 20°C, and researchers recorded how long its surface took to dry. The table lists coating types in rows and drying time in minutes in a column.

3What information belongs in the cell at row “wax coating” and column “drying time at 20°C (minutes)”?

A seed study tested trays with different coverings. Researchers counted the seeds that had germinated on the seventh day. The table has covering types as row labels and germination rate on day 7 as a column heading.

4Which information is required at row “covered tray” and column “germination rate on day 7 (%)”?

A field study compared garden-bed designs for managing rainwater. Researchers measured the volume of water leaving each bed after ten minutes. In the table, one row is labelled “gravel bed” and the relevant column is “run-off volume after 10 minutes (litres)”.

5What quantity does the cell for “gravel bed” record?

To test clay for water retention, researchers first dry a soil sample and break it into small pieces. They pass the pieces through a sieve, then mix the fine material with a measured amount of water. Finally, they leave the mixture for one hour before recording its mass.

6In the flowchart, what happens immediately after the material is sieved?

A research team measures the strength of a fibre. First, they cut it to a standard length and attach it to a testing device. The device pulls the fibre until it breaks. The team then records the force shown on the display.

7Which stage takes place immediately before the team records the force?

At the northern marsh, counts were made monthly from a fixed platform. At the southern marsh, staff walked a marked route every fortnight. The report notes that the platform caused less disturbance to wildlife.

8Complete the row: Southern marsh | frequency and survey method. Which entry fits?

Test hacks

False vs Not Given

False means the passage says the opposite. Not Given means the passage doesn't say either way. Don't use your own knowledge.

Why it works: Confusing False and Not Given is an easy trap: choosing False when the passage simply says nothing about the point.

Answers usually follow passage order

For most question types (True/False/Not Given, gap-fill, multiple choice) the answers appear in the same order as the passage.

Why it works: Once you find answer 3, answer 4 is almost always after it. You'll search a much smaller area.

Hunt for synonyms, not the same words

Questions paraphrase the passage. Look for words with the same meaning, not identical words.

Why it works: Matching exact words often leads to the distractor; the real answer is usually paraphrased.

Practise with feedback on every answer

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