Tackling Feature Matching Tasks in IELTS Reading

There are three reasons why the Matching features tasks of the reading exam are tricky.


  • You need to match several statements, which contain information from a text, to a list of options. Since the statements revolve around the same topic, the information they contain are related and/or similar to each other. So, it’s easy to match them incorrectly.

  • The number of choices does not always match the number of statements. The options may outnumber the passages, making it more difficult to match information correctly.

  • You can use some of the options more than once.

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So, don’t underestimate this section of the IELTS reading exam. Enroll in the best IELTS review online course to answer accurate practice tests and get used to the demands of this task type. Then, practice these exam tips.


  1. Match the most obvious statements first.

Sure, this won’t help you narrow down your choices for the rest of the statements since it’s possible to repeat or not use an option. But, it will lower the number of items that you need to ponder over later. So, match the most obvious statements first. Practice this strategy during your ielts online course sessions.


  1. Skip the tricky items.

As mentioned before, match the most obvious ones first.


  1. Locate the keywords and phrases in the text.

This is one of the first strategies the best IELTS review online instructors teach their students. Scan the text for the words mentioned in the options. Underline or encircle them to make them stand out. It’ll help you pinpoint information and compare details faster.


  1. Keep an eye out for synonyms.

The word or phrase in the options is not always exact matches of what’s in the text.

Sometimes they’re synonyms or shortened versions of what’s in the text (e.g., Jane Jones in the text, Jones in the choices). So, don’t confine your search to exact matches. Keep these in mind during your IELTS online course sessions.


  1. Don’t rely on the chronology of the statements.

The information of the first statement won’t necessarily be the first detail discussed in the text. The same goes for the second, third, and the rest of the statements.


Take note: these are not the only things that you can do to ace the reading exam’s matching features task type. So, don’t limit your test approach to these tips. Prepare with JRooz Review, the best ielts review online provider in the Philippines, to learn more useful strategies.