IELTS General Training Reading – Task Type 2 – Multiple Matching

Task Description

What are candidates required to do?
In this item type, candidates are given a number of options, and they must match the options provided in the items to extracts or to paragraphs or sections of the passage. The extracts, sections or paragraphs are identified by letter. It is possible that some options may go unused, and/or that others may be used more than once. The instructions will inform candidates if an option may be used more than once.

What skill is this item type designed to test?
This item type is designed to test the candidates’ ability to skim and scan in order to identify specific information.

Understanding the Task

To see examples of this task type please click on the link below.

Examples of Task Type 2

To understand better how candidates need to approach this task, it may help you to do the task yourself and analyse what you had to do to find the right answer.

Look at this sample Task Type 2. Complete the task, thinking about how you are doing it.

Sample Task Type 2 Task (PDF)
Answers

Things to consider

Now look at these questions about how you approached the task and consider your answers.

1. Did you read the items first?
   
   
2. Did you underline words in the extracts or the passage that might match what you are looking for?
   
   
3. Did you do the easier ones before attempting the more difficult ones?
   
   
4. Was it necessary to understand every word to answer this item type correctly?
   
   
5. Did the questions follow the same order as the information in the passage or extract?