Cambridge IELTS 10 Academic Reading Test 2

• Read each passage carefully. You can highlight text by selecting and right-clicking.
• Answer all 40 questions. Move freely between parts using the question palette.
• Submit before time runs out — auto-submit at 60:00.

Cambridge 10 Test 2 is a strongly themed paper on culture, learning and access. Passage 1 argues that the Industrial Revolution in Britain owed much to a change in drinking habits — specifically the move from beer and water to tea. Passage 2 unpacks the contested concept of giftedness in children, including IQ thresholds and educational environment. Passage 3 questions why we still flock to see original artworks in museums when reproductions are everywhere.

The mix is heavy on matching and Yes/No/Not Given. Passage 1 combines seven headings with six True/False/Not Given. Passage 2 has matching information, a five-item matching task on researchers' claims, and four sentence completions — the matching block is the centre of gravity. Passage 3 closes with summary completion, multiple choice and five Yes/No/Not Given items where the writer's tone really matters. Read for stance, not just for facts, in the museums passage.

Allow seventeen minutes for tea, nineteen for gifted children, twenty-one for museums, with a three-minute buffer. Strategy here is like a strong cup of tea — brew it slowly and don't rush the third pass.

New to this skill? Read the Reading question types guide for tactics, scoring rules, and frequency analysis across Cambridge 10–20. Or browse all Reading practice tests.

Looking for written strategy? See the IELTS Blog for in-depth posts.