The Concept of Intelligence Reading Answers: IELTS Reading Test

International English Language Testing System ( IELTS )

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Avleen Kaur
Updated on Nov 7, 2025 02:52 IST

By Avleen Kaur, Sr. Executive Training

"The Concept of Intelligence" passage helps IELTS candidates with an excellent resource for refining their reading comprehension skills. This passage highlights the multifaceted nature of intelligence, its societal implications, and implicit theories, similar to the topics in the IELTS Reading section. Practising this text, candidates can enhance Skimming and Scanning -- important reading skills to ace this section of IELTS. Additionally, these types of passages can enhance Academic Reading Skills, such as understanding main ideas, identifying specific details, and interpreting the author’s intent by solving different types of questions like Sentence Completion and Yes/No/Not Given.

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You can download the answer key for IELTS Reading - The Concept of Intelligence PDF  for better preparation.

The Concepts of Intelligence Reading Answers IELTS

The solutions for IELTS Cambridge 14 Reading Test 3 Passage 1 named 'The concept of intelligence' has been metioned below.

Question Number Answer
1 B
2 A
3 D
4 NOT GIVEN
5 NO
6 YES
7 B
8 C
9 B
10 A
11 A
12 C
13 A

The Concept of Intelligence Reading Questions and Answers

Questions 1-8

Complete the sentences below. 

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text for each answer.

  1. Every individual has unconscious notions of intelligence, called as ____________. 
  2. Parent’s view about their child’s intelligence impact when they think their child can perform many ________. 
  3. Knowing about implicit theories makes it easier how individuals _______ their own and other’s abilities.
  4. Implicit theories by scientific investigators lead to ___________. 
  5. Upon investigation of implicit theories, reveals little correspondence between existing implicit and explicit theories, the implicit theories may be ____.  
  6. When studying implicit theories of intelligence assists in explaining development and ____________. 
  7. The implicit theories of intelligence discussed are vaguely based on _____________ of great statesmen. 
  8. The Jacksonian perspective argues that all individuals are equal in terms of their __________.

1. Every individual has unconscious notions of intelligence, called as ____________

Answer: Implicit theories
Answer location: Paragraph A, lines 2-3
Explanation: The text states, "In other words, people all have unconscious notions ~ known as ‘implicit theories’ – of intelligence, but no one knows for certain what it actually is." This indicates that every individual has their own unconscious beliefs about intelligence, which are known as implicit theories.

2. Parent’s view about their child’s intelligence impact when they think their child can perform many ________.

  1. Answer: Cognitive tasks
    Answer location: Paragraph B, line 6

Explanation: According to the text, parents' opinions on their child's intelligence impact how well the child is able to execute different types of cognitive tasks. The term "cognitive tasks" describes tasks that are mental operations like understanding, remembering, thinking, and learning.

3. Knowing about implicit theories makes it easier how individuals _______ their own and other’s abilities.

Answer: Perceive and evaluate
Answer location: Paragraph B, line 1
Explanation: "Implicit theories of intelligence drive the way in which people perceive and evaluate their own intelligence and that of others." This line discusses hw understanding implicit theories enhances how people view and assess their own and other people's abilities.

4. Implicit theories by scientific investigators lead to ___________.

Answer: Explicit theories
Answer location: Paragraph C, line 1
Explanation: Second, the implicit theories of scientific investigators ultimately give rise to their explicit theories.” This indicates that explicit theories originate from implicit beliefs by scientists.

5. Upon investigation of implicit theories, reveals little correspondence between existing implicit and explicit theories, the implicit theories may be ____.

Answer: Wrong
Answer location:  Paragraph D, line 4
Explanation: If an investigation of implicit theories reveals little correspondence between the extant implicit and explicit theories, the implicit theories may be wrong.” suggests there is a possibility that implicit theories can be wrong only if there is little correspondence between implicit and explicit theories.

6. When studying implicit theories of intelligence assists in explaining development and ____________.

Answer: Cross-cultural differences
Answer location: Paragraph E, line 1
Explanation: Finally, understanding implicit theories of intelligence can help elucidate developmental and cross-cultural differences.” Understanding implicit theories of intelligence helps to make sense of cross-cultural and developmental differences.

7. The implicit theories of intelligence discussed are vaguely based on _____________ of great statesmen.

Answer: Philosophies
Answer location: Paragraph F, line 3
Explanation:These views are not based strictly but rather, loosely, on the philosophies of Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and Andrew Jackson, three great statesmen in the history of the United States.” The implicit theories discussed are based on the work of the three great statesmen.

8. The Jacksonian perspective argues that all individuals are equal in terms of their __________.

Answer: Competencies
Answer location: Paragraph I, line 1
Explanation:The Jacksonian view is that all people are equal, not only as human beings but in terms of their competencies..” According to the Jacksonian viewpoint, every person has the same competencies.

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The Concept of Intelligence IELTS Reading Passage Answers with Explanations

Questions 9-13

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage?

In boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet, write

YES if the statement agrees with the information

NO if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

9. Every individual has the same unconscious notions of intelligence referred to as ‘implicit theories.

Answer: NOT GIVEN
Answer location: Not directly stated in the passage.
Explanation: The passage states that everyone possesses "implicit theories," but it doesn't say whether or not these beliefs are the same for everyone.

10. Implicit theories of intelligence impact job interview decisions.

Answer: YES
Answer location: Paragraph B, line 6
Explanation:Job interviewers will make hiring decisions on the basis of their implicit theories of intelligence. People will decide who to be friends with on the basis of such theories.” This line makes it very evident that job interviewers' hiring decisions are influenced by implicit conceptions of intelligence.

11. The Platonic view suggests that people are not born with different levels of intelligence.

Answer: NO
Answer location: Paragraph G, line 1
Explanation: "The Hamiltonian view, which is similar to the Platonic view, is that people are born with different levels of intelligence..." This sentence implies that the Platonic view holds that a person differs in terms of degree of intelligence, making the statement false.

12. The Jeffersonian perspective believes that education encourages equality among individuals.

Answer: NO
Answer location: Paragraph H, line 4
Explanation:  “In the Jeffersonian view, the goal of education is not to favour or foster an elite, as in the Hamiltonian tradition, but rather to allow children the opportunities to make full use of the skills they have.” This suggests that the Jeffersonian perspective focuses on giving opportunities rather than assuring equality.

13. The philosophy of democracy highlights the importance of specialized skills in certain roles.

Answer: YES
Answer location: Paragraph I, line 2
Explanation: “In this view of democracy, people are essentially inter-substitutable except for specialized skills, all of which can be learned.” This suggests that democratic ideology emphasizes the value of specialized skills for certain roles.

IELTS Prep Tips for The Concept of Intelligence Reading Passage

Tips for The Concept of Intelligence Reading Passage Details
1. Skim and Scan the Passage

- Quickly read through the passage to get an overview of the structure and content.

- Identify the main topics of each section to understand its focus.

2. Identify the Main Idea of Each Paragraph

- Summarize each paragraph in your own words to identify the key information.

Example:  

- Paragraph 1: Explains implicit theories of intelligence.

- Paragraph 2: Discusses how implicit theories affect judgments in daily life.
- Paragraph 3: Highlights the relationship between implicit and explicit theories.

3. Focus on Keywords and Synonyms

- Highlight important keywords and potential synonyms to help find answers quickly.

- Example: "Implicit theories" may also be referred to as "unconscious notions" or "underlying beliefs."

4. Practice Identifying Yes/No/Not Given Statements

- Carefully identify the writer's view, looking for similar meanings or contradictions.

- Ensure you understand whether the information is explicitly stated, implied, or not mentioned.

5. Be Aware of Paraphrasing

- The passage may use different wording to express the same idea.

- Example:  "Cognitive elite" might be described as a "high-IQ group.".

6. Manage Your Time

- If stuck, move on and come back to difficult questions later.

- Allocate approximately 20 minutes per reading passage.

7. Improve Vocabulary Knowledge

- Learn key terms related to intelligence, like "implicit," "explicit," and "cognitive."
Example: "Implicit" = "unspoken" or "hidden."

8. Review Your Answers - Double-check spelling, especially for scientific terms and proper nouns.
9. Write Answers in UPPERCASE - Helps prevent errors related to punctuation and formatting.
10. Practice with Similar Passages - Regular practice with similar topics and reading types will build comprehension and speed.

The Concept of Intelligence IELTS Reading Mock Test

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