Matching Information Questions in the IELTS General Training Reading Test

What is Matching Information?

You are given a list of statements / pieces of information and must match each one to the correct paragraph (A, B, C, etc.) in the passage.

Example:

Which paragraph contains the following information?

• A description of the application process
• An explanation of membership fees
• A warning about safety regulations

Paragraphs: A, B, C, D

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Question Type Names (Same Format)

Name Used in Tests	What You Match
Matching Information	Paragraph → Statement
Which paragraph contains the following information?	Statement → Paragraph
Matching Headings (different)	Paragraph → Heading (main idea)

⚠️ Key difference: Matching Information asks for a specific detail, not the main idea.

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GT Reading: Where You'll See This

Section	Typical Context
Section 2	Company policies, job descriptions, college courses
Section 3	Long articles, reviews, opinion pieces

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Top 12 Tricks & Strategies

✅ Trick 1: Read the Statements BEFORE the Passage

Do not read the whole passage first. You'll waste time.

• Read the list of statements (information to find).
• Underline keywords in each statement.
• Then scan the passage paragraph by paragraph.

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✅ Trick 2: Underline Unique Keywords in Each Statement

Look for unchanging words that will be easy to spot:

Type of Keyword	Example
Names	John Smith, Dr. Evans
Dates	2021, 15th May
Numbers	$50, 20%, 100km
Technical terms	photosynthesis, algorithm
Unusual words	mandatory, exemption, penalty

Trick: Common words like "important," "people," "time" are poor keywords because they appear everywhere.

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✅ Trick 3: Treat Each Statement as a "Question"

Ask yourself:

What would this look like in the passage?

Statement: "A reason why employees resist change"

Look for: because, due to, since, as a result of

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✅ Trick 4: Scan, Don't Read Every Word

Move your eyes quickly across the paragraph looking for:

• Your underlined keywords
• Synonyms of those keywords

Statement Keyword	Scan For (Synonyms)
Purchase	Buy, acquire, cost, $
Difficult	Hard, challenging, tough
Increase	Rise, grow, higher, more

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✅ Trick 5: One Paragraph May Be Used More Than Once

Check the instructions carefully:

Instruction	Meaning
"You may use any paragraph more than once"	Same paragraph can match 2+ statements
No mention (or "each paragraph may be used once only")	Each paragraph matches at most one statement

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✅ Trick 6: Some Paragraphs May Not Be Used

If there are 5 statements and 7 paragraphs, 2 paragraphs will have no match.

Don't force a match.

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✅ Trick 7: Answers Do NOT Follow Passage Order

⚠️ This is critical:

Question Type	Answer Order
True/False/Not Given	In order
Sentence Completion	In order
Matching Information	RANDOM

Statement 1 might be in paragraph D.

Statement 2 might be in paragraph A.

Statement 3 might be in paragraph C.

So you must scan the whole passage for each statement.

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✅ Trick 8: Start with the Easiest Statement First

Don't go in order (1, 2, 3...).

Instead:

• Scan quickly for numbers, names, dates (easiest to find)
• Match those statements first
• Eliminate those paragraphs from further searching (if each paragraph is used once)

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✅ Trick 9: Look for Paraphrasing — NOT Exact Words

The passage will not repeat the statement word-for-word.

Statement	Passage (Paraphrased)
"The cost of membership"	"Annual fees are $200"
"How to submit an application"	"Forms can be emailed to..."
"A warning about heavy lifting"	"Do not lift objects over 15kg"

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✅ Trick 10: Distinguish Between "Main Idea" and "Specific Detail"

Matching Headings

= Main idea of the whole paragraph

Matching Information

= One specific detail (a sentence or two)

If the statement describes the entire paragraph, it might be a heading question, not this type.

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✅ Trick 11: Use the Process of Elimination

After you match a paragraph to a statement:

• Cross off that statement
• If each paragraph is used once, cross off that paragraph too

Your search area gets smaller.

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✅ Trick 12: Don't Spend Too Long on One Statement

If you can't find a match after scanning all paragraphs:

• Take an educated guess
• Move on
• Return later if you have time

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Step-by-Step Strategy

Step	Action
1	Read instructions → Can paragraphs be used more than once?
2	Read all statements (questions 1–5 or 1–7)
3	Underline keywords in each statement
4	Identify easiest statement (has number, name, or unique word)
5	Scan passage paragraphs looking for that keyword or a synonym
6	Match and eliminate (cross off used paragraph and statement)
7	Repeat for remaining statements
8	Guess if time is running out

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Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

Mistake	Why It's Wrong	Fix
Reading the whole passage first	Wastes time	Read statements first
Looking for exact words	Passages paraphrase	Look for synonyms
Assuming order (1 in para A, 2 in para B)	Order is random	Scan all paragraphs each time
Forcing every paragraph to match	Some paragraphs unused	It's okay to leave paragraphs unmatched
Confusing headings vs. information	Headings = main idea, Info = specific detail	Check question type
Ignoring instructions about reusing paragraphs	May miss that one paragraph answers two	Always check first

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Quick Example (GT Section 2)

Passage

[A] All staff must complete fire safety training within their first week. Sessions run every Tuesday at 9 AM.

[B] The company provides private health insurance after three months of employment. Vision and dental are not included.

[C] Overtime is paid at 1.5 times the regular rate. Approval from a manager is required before any overtime work.

Statements

Statement	Answer	Why
A detail about insurance coverage	B	"private health insurance" in B
A requirement for new employees	A	"must complete fire safety training"
A condition for receiving overtime pay	C	"Approval from a manager is required"
A mention of vision care	B	"Vision and dental are not included" (same paragraph again → only if instructions allow reuse)

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GT Reading Example (Realistic)

Text

Four paragraphs about a community center (A, B, C, D)

Statements to Match

Statement	Keywords to Scan For	Likely Paragraph Contains...
A list of opening hours	times, open, Monday, 9 AM, etc.	Schedule or hours section
A description of available classes	yoga, fitness, art, cooking, workshop	Class/program listing
A warning about parking restrictions	fine, permit, restricted, tow, violation	Parking rules
The cost of membership	$, fee, price, per month, annual	Fees section

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Quick Cheat Sheet

Read Statements FIRST

(Underline keywords)

Scan, Don't Read

(Look for keywords/synonyms)

Order is RANDOM

(Not 1 → 2 → 3)

Start with Easiest

(Numbers, names, dates)

Paraphrase Expected

(Words change, meaning stays)

Check Reuse Rule

(Can one paragraph match twice?)

Eliminate

(Cross off used matches)

Guess if Stuck

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Headings vs. Information (Quick Comparison)

Feature	Matching Information	Matching Headings
What you match	Specific detail → Paragraph	Main idea → Paragraph
Question format	"Which paragraph contains...?"	"Choose the best heading..."
Order of answers	Random	In order (usually)
Difficulty	Harder (need to scan details)	Easier (need main idea)