Long texts
The IELTS academic reading test includes three reading passages with a total of 2,000 to 2,750 words (IELTS Handbook, 2007: 7). According to the results of the present study, approximately 15% (see Table 4) of the candidates feared long texts. It is because long texts require considerable information processing, making the test time-consuming. Unfamiliar topics and difficult vocabulary augment the problem. Teacher A stated that a long text might somehow reduce a candidate’s interest or motivation in finishing the task within the allocated time. While it is true, as already discussed in 2.3.1, there is no need to read word-for-word to find information for each question, so that long texts seem not to cause very much stress for candidates.