How can one master the reading section in the IELTS exam?

There are a few tips and tricks.
1) Never read the entire passage(s) to find the answers. You should go to the questions first, answer one by one. Look for a clue in the question such as years, names of people or terms. Then go to the passage and scan where you can find the answer. Usually, the answers will follow.
2) One must understand the types of questions as there are about ten disparate patterns such as fill in the blanks, match the headings, and true, false, not given.
3) IELTS is all about paraphrasing - understanding the ideas in a different way by using varieties of synonyms.
Of course, there are many more specific tips related to different passages. The trainers are better equipped to guide the students depending upon their personality and their language level.

Some tips :

1. Time management - Make sure to check your progress so as to not devote too much time to first two passages.

2. Read the passages thoroughly - Do not try to read the passage casually, read quickly and try and understand the topic. Typically , spend 5-7 minutes to read each passage.

3. True / False / Not given section - "True" to be ticked only if complete factual information is given , "Not given" if only partial info is available.

There are more which will be dicussed inside the class. 

Mastering the reading section could be an easy task if you know the strategy of skimming, scanning and elimination. You need not understand the whole paragraph. Just read the questions carefully to find the keywords.

Skim just the relevant information.

Scan to find the right answer. Your answer may be paraphrased,

Eliminate irrelevant information.

You can master the reading section by following these tips:

1. Look for keywords in the questions then find in the text.

2. Read 5-6 lines above and below those keywords, and you will get your answer.

3. Do multitasking, look at various categories of questions and then read the text.