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Cambridge IELTS 21 Reading Test 3

Take Book 21 Reading Test 3 online, free, with the 60-minute timer and instant marking. Then see where real students lost their marks, passage by passage, and the traps that caught them.

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  • Questions40
  • Passages3
  • DifficultyEasy start, hard Passage 3
  • Average score27 / 40 · Band 6.5

Cambridge 21 Reading Test 3 at a glance

Passage 1, about an endangered antelope, is one of the easiest passages in Book 21 Reading, and Passage 2 is close behind. Passage 3 is an argument about human prehistory, and it is a different test: on average students get only about half of its questions right, and all three of the hardest questions are in it.

PassageTopicQuestion typeQuestionsAvg. correct
1Saving an endangered antelopeNote completionONE WORD ONLYTrue / False / Not GivenStatements of fact1–1310.4of 13
2Traffic and a new bus system in an African cityTrue / False / Not GivenStatements of factNote completionONE WORD ONLY14–269.6of 13
3New discoveries about human prehistoryMultiple choiceA–DSentence endingsEndings A–FYes / No / Not GivenThe writer's claims27–407.1of 14

How students did on this test

These figures come from complete attempts on IELTSNexa up to 2026-10-31, not from the book. The average was 27 out of 40, which is Band 6.5. Passage 1 scores highest, Passage 2 a little lower, and Passage 3 falls to about half right on average.

  • 27/40Average score
  • 6.5Average band
  • Passage 3Hardest passage
Passage 110.4
Passage 29.6
Passage 37.1
Average correct answers per passage

Source: IELTSNexa student attempts, up to 2026-10-31

Passage by passage: what it is about and where marks go

For each passage: what it is about, the question types, and how many students got each question right. Tap a bar for the details. The passages, questions and answers are only inside the test.

Passage 1

Saving an endangered antelope

Questions 1–13 · Average 10.4 of 13

An article about the saiga, an antelope of the Central Asian grasslands whose numbers collapsed and are now recovering. It describes how the animal is adapted to its climate, the main threats to it, and the conservation project in Kazakhstan that has helped the population grow again.

% of students who got each question right
Note completion 84% This test · 71% All Cambridge tests
True / False / Not Given 76% This test · 67% All Cambridge tests

Question 13True / False / Not Given · Statements of fact

65% got it right

The hardest question in Passage 1. 2 points below the average for True/False/Not Given questions.

  • This test
  • Under 50% correct
  • Average for this question type across all Cambridge tests on IELTSNexa
Watch for

The notes follow the passage closely, and most students score well on them; the one slip worth knowing is copying a word from the right sentence that the note is not actually describing. In the True / False / Not Given set, watch statements that add a consequence the passage never states: an award, for example, is not the same as money.

Practise Passage 1 only →
Passage 2

Traffic and a new bus system in an African city

Questions 14–26 · Average 9.6 of 13

A report on Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, one of Africa's fastest-growing cities, where most people live far from the centre and journeys are slow. It explains why the city's roads cannot cope, then describes its bus rapid transit system: how it works, what passengers think, what is going wrong, and the plans to extend it.

% of students who got each question right
True / False / Not Given 66% This test · 67% All Cambridge tests
Note completion 78% This test · 71% All Cambridge tests

Question 14True / False / Not Given · Statements of fact

53% got it right

The hardest question in Passage 2. 14 points below the average for True/False/Not Given questions.

  • This test
  • Under 50% correct
  • Average for this question type across all Cambridge tests on IELTSNexa
Watch for

The opening paragraph is full of numbers and forecasts, and the first True / False / Not Given statement tests whether the passage actually compares them with anything; many students assume it does. Another statement turns on a single contrast word near the start of the bus section. In the notes, check whether a gap wants a person, a thing or a place before you copy a word.

Practise Passage 2 only →
Passage 3

New discoveries about human prehistory

Questions 27–40 · Average 7.1 of 14

A first-person argument by a writer who draws two lessons from recent archaeological finds: that skills such as building and art began earlier, and with other human species, than once believed; and that old assumptions about the roles of men and women in prehistory were wrong. The writer takes a position on a disputed claim and ends with a lesson for today.

% of students who got each question right
Multiple choice 44% This test · 50% All Cambridge tests
Sentence endings 46% This test · 55% All Cambridge tests
Yes / No / Not Given 59% This test · 54% All Cambridge tests

Question 27Multiple choice · A–D

28% got it right

The hardest question in Passage 3. 22 points below the average for multiple-choice questions.

Why people miss it →
  • This test
  • Under 50% correct
  • Average for this question type across all Cambridge tests on IELTSNexa
Watch for

Every question type here scores lower than in the first two passages. The sentence endings are close to each other in meaning: for each finding, ask exactly what it proved, about which group and which kind of skill, before choosing. The writer reports the views of other experts before giving their own, so in Yes / No / Not Given questions make sure the view you are checking is the writer's.

Practise Passage 3 only →

The 3 questions most students miss, and the traps behind them

Ranked by how few students got them right. Each note explains how the question catches people without giving away the answer, so you can still use it as practice.

1Question 27Passage 328% got it right

Nearly one student in two chose the option about things that are still poorly understood. The paragraph does use a word about misunderstanding, which is what pulls them in. But read the tense: the writer is saying what recent finds have shown, and that the old picture was wrong. Ask whether the paragraph is about gaps that remain or about things we now know.

The trap

The word is there, the answer is not

Wrong options often borrow a striking word from the right part of the passage. Matching that word feels like evidence, but the option can still say the opposite of what the writer means. Check the whole idea, including whether it is about the past, the present or what is still unknown.

On IELTSNexa Learn: Level 23, “একই শব্দ, অন্য জায়গায়” (trap #20) (in Bangla) →
2Question 30Passage 333% got it right

Students split between two wrong options here, each chosen by over a quarter. One repeats the paragraph's opening idea that we keep learning more; the other is about how evidence can be read. Both sound reasonable, but the question asks what the writer suggests, and the suggestion is in the last two sentences, where the writer turns from the past to us.

The trap

True, but not the point

In questions about what a writer suggests or concludes, more than one option can match something in the paragraph. Only one matches the writer's main message. Look for where the paragraph lands, usually its final sentence, and choose the option that says that.

On IELTSNexa Learn: Level 34, “আংশিক সত্য option” (trap #28) (in Bangla) →
3Question 40Passage 340% got it right

Nearly one student in two agreed with this statement. The passage spends a lot of time on brain size, and other experts treat it as decisive, so it is easy to agree. But the question asks for the writer's view, and the writer gives it in the first person a few lines later, with a single word that describes how much brain size should matter.

The trap

Someone else's view, not the writer's

Yes / No / Not Given asks what the writer thinks. Writers often describe a common or expert view at length before saying where they stand, and the longer description is not their opinion. Look for I think, in my view or a judging word, and answer from that.

On IELTSNexa Learn: Level 38, “লেখকের মত, না অন্যের?” (trap #32) (in Bangla) →

Learn to beat these traps

IELTSNexa Learn teaches 61 exam traps in short lessons with audio, one trap in each lesson. Start free, no account needed for the first lessons.

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Explanation cards

Understand the reasoning behind every question

A score tells you what you got wrong. IELTSNexa shows you why. After you submit, each question opens an explanation card that points to the exact sentence in the passage, explains why the answer is right, and shows the reasoning that made the wrong answer feel right.

  • The exact sentence in the passage
  • Why the right answer is right
  • Why the trap answer was tempting
Start Cambridge 21 Test 3

Explanation cards come with an IELTSNexa pass. The test, your score and the answer key are free.

Useful vocabulary from this test

Words and phrases you will meet in the passages, with our own explanations and example sentences.

WordMeaning and example
roamverbto move freely over a large areaWild horses once roamed these hills.
respitenouna short break from something difficultThe rain gave the farmers a brief respite from the heat.
poachingnounillegally hunting or catching animalsPoaching has made tigers rare in many forests.
aridadjectivevery dry, with little rainFew crops grow in the arid north of the country.
spearheadverbto lead an effort or campaignA group of students spearheaded the clean-up campaign.
peripherynounthe outer edge of an areaNew factories are being built on the periphery of the city.
imminentlyadverbvery soonThe results are expected imminently.
truismnouna statement so obviously true that it hardly needs sayingIt is a truism that practice improves performance.
contentiousadjectivelikely to cause disagreementThe new tax is a contentious issue.
rudimentaryadjectivevery basic and simpleHe has only a rudimentary knowledge of French.
incrementaladjectivehappening in small steps over timeHer English showed incremental progress each month.
preconceptionnounan opinion formed before you have the factsTravelling abroad challenged many of his preconceptions.

From raw score to band

Each correct answer is one mark out of 40. This is the conversion IELTSNexa uses to score this test. You can also try the band score calculator.

Correct answersBand
39–409.0
37–388.5
35–368.0
33–347.5
30–327.0
27–296.5Average on this test
23–266.0
19–225.5
15–185.0
13–144.5
10–124.0

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Frequently asked questions

Is Cambridge 21 Reading Test 3 hard?
The first two passages are among the easier ones in Book 21, but Passage 3 is hard. Across the full attempts on IELTSNexa, students averaged about 27 out of 40. All three of the questions fewest people get right are in Passage 3, an argument about human prehistory.
Can I take Cambridge 21 Reading Test 3 online?
Yes. IELTSNexa runs the full test free in a computer-delivered layout, with the passage beside the questions, the 60-minute timer and automatic scoring. You need a free account so your score and answers are saved.
Where can I find the answers for Cambridge 21 Reading Test 3?
We do not publish the answer key on this page, so it cannot spoil the test. After you submit on IELTSNexa you see your score and the answer key straight away. Detailed explanation cards, which show why each answer is right and where it is in the passage, come with an IELTSNexa pass.
How long does Cambridge 21 Reading Test 3 take?
60 minutes for 40 questions across three passages, with no extra time to transfer answers. You can also practise one passage at a time, with 20 minutes each.
What band is 27 out of 40 in IELTS Academic Reading?
27 correct answers is Band 6.5 on the Academic Reading conversion table. Band 7.0 needs 30 correct, and Band 8.0 needs 35.
Is Cambridge 21 Reading Test 3 for Academic or General Training?
It is an Academic Reading test. General Training Reading uses different texts, so if you are taking General Training, use this test for skill practice but not to predict your band.

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Last updated 2026-10-31. IELTSNexa is not affiliated with Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Cambridge IELTS 21 is their publication; this page is our own independent analysis.