Free IELTS Reading Test 42
Three Academic passages: Smart Cities, 3d Printing, Autonomous Vehicles.
- ModuleReading
- Set#42
- Passages3
- LengthFull-length
- Passage 1Smart Cities
- Passage 23d Printing
- Passage 3Autonomous Vehicles
Three passages
This set's question mix — — covers most of the patterns examiners cycle through. If you've drilled the types in isolation, this is the integration test.
- Passage 1 · Smart Cities
The Connected City: How Digital Technology Is Transforming Urban Life
8 paragraphs · full-length passage
- Passage 2 · 3d Printing
Layer by Layer: How 3D Printing Is Changing Manufacturing
8 paragraphs · full-length passage
- Passage 3 · Autonomous Vehicles
Self-Driving Cars: Technology, Safety and the Road Ahead
8 paragraphs · full-length passage
Question types you'll see
How the practice works
Strict mode plays through with no replay or pause — the test-day pressure cooker. Take it cold to see where you actually stand.
Continue exploring
Where to go from here
More practice
All Reading tests
Browse the full library of free IELTS Readingtests. Pick the next one when you're ready.
Open library →Switch module
Listening Test 42
Same set number in the Listening library — different skill, similar pacing.
Try Listening Test 42 →Methodology
How the Reading analysis works
How we score the test, what each band means, and how to read your analysis.
Read the breakdown →
About IELTS Reading
Test 42.
Question not listed here?
Drop us a message. We're happy to help.
60 minutes for three Academic passages with 40 questions in total, the same as test day. Strict mode locks the timer; Breath mode lets you pause and revisit the passage as you learn.
Three Academic passages drawn from a mix of disciplines — sciences, humanities, and applied fields — written for a general reader. You don't need subject-specific knowledge; the answers always live in the text.
No. The page above lists passage topics, word counts, and question types so you can pick a set that fits where you are. The passages, questions, and answer key only appear once you start a saved practice session.