Matching Information questions are one of the most confusing questions.  Sometimes you find the answers effortlessly and sometimes it becomes mind-boggling.

Want to score 7+ in Reading Section? Here is the Key!

If you are an eager IELTS aspirant, then you must have a slight knowledge about the IELTS reading section and matching information.  But if you are not aware of the whole matching information thing, then this article will surely help you understand it from the basics to advance.

This article will help answer your questions like "How to Answer Matching Information Questions" and help you score well in Matching Information.

Let’s quickly begin!

What is Matching Information in IELTS Reading?

In IELTS Matching Information, you need to match the statements to the paragraphs in the reading texts.  The statement can be in the form of graphs, summaries, reasons, facts, explanations, and definitions.  In short, you need to read the complete content and match the statement with the right paragraph.

The scariest thing is not finding any match to the statement. But this is what Matching Information accounts for. Sometimes, you may find the answer and sometimes you may go completely dumb on the whole thing. Under matching Information, a paragraph could be an answer to more than one statement and even if you find the statement match, it may not be the answer to the question demand.

Well, no need to get confused about the whole stuff.

Mastering the art is just a few steps away!

What is the structure of the Matching Information?

  Under matching information, you are provided with a set of 3-6 statements wherein you need to match the information in each statement to the matching information in the paragraph. As mentioned above, the statement can be in any form like facts, descriptions, definitions, explanations, predictions, challenges, or reasons.

Top skills to master to crack Matching Information

• Passage Skimming: Passage skimming involves going through the whole passage to have an idea. You don’t need to read the whole passage.
• Highlight Keywords: Keywords help explain the context better. Thus, always highlight the keywords while reading the passage and the questions for having a better understanding.
• Passage Scanning: It is all about finding the information asked in the examination.
• Comprehending the keywords: Apart from highlighting the keywords, understanding the context and the meaning is important. Once you get a hold of in what context a particular term is used in the content, you will be able to solve the question easily.
• Time: You have only 1.5 minutes to solve a question, thus, you need to be quick in grasping the context and answer the questions.

What is the Purpose behind the Matching Information Test?

• Matching information questions are the real test of your paraphrasing skills as the things become a hard nut to crack with the information presented in different style and vary broadly with the statement.
•  The tests assess your ability to dig in for the details, find out specific information, identifying the paraphrasing and the synonyms, and reading skills to get a hold of the general meaning of the information.  Skimming and scanning is the key to nail the task.
• You will need to skim the reading to get the meaning of the paragraph. It tests your ability to how smartly you recognize the words and phrases that could be an answer to your question. When you finally find the words, you need to utilize your skills to understand whether it is the correct answer to your question or not.

Common Problems Associated with Matching Information test

• The task requires reading of the whole text (at least once)
• Read the instruction
• The answer may not be the main idea
• Irrelevant information
• Some paragraph contains no answer while some are the answer to one or more questions
• Apply skimming, paraphrasing, and scanning to answer the questions
• Answers are marked in capital letters A, B, C, D

How to Answer Matching Information Questions?

Now, let’s discuss how to answer matching information questions.  The task requires preparation that begins with reading the headings and then the paragraphs.

Read the instructions carefully

Yes, instructions are something that we tend to skip out in general. Well, doing the same with the IELTS Reading section can cost you marks.  Therefore, before answering the questions, read the instructions carefully. 

Highlight the keywords in the Question

As mentioned above in the article, Keywords have a crucial role to play in determining the right answers to a question. Highlighting the keywords in the article will help you understand the context and the connection between the right sentences and the paragraphs. Search for the exact words or synonyms to establish a connection.

Search for Specific words

You can search for specific words that match the statement and the paragraph.  You can find your answers based on the name of the particular place or thing mentioned in the paragraph.  Finding an answer to your question under the Matching Information Test is overwhelming.   Thus, relating the place or the common words in the content will help you have a grip over the whole thing and save time.

Repeat the process

You can repeat the same process for finding the answer to each question given under matching information.

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I hope you find this useful. If you have any questions please let us know in the comment section.