Listening Test: Matching Questions (IELTS Academic: Listening): Study Material
Matching questions in the listening test
In the Listening test, matching questions ask you to connect information you hear in the recording to a list of options on the question paper
You need to listen for the link between the numbered items and the options
The questions (the numbered items) follow the order of information in the recording
The options may not follow the order of information in the recording
Each option can be used once or more than once
Examples of matching questions
Worked Example
Example 1 — Listening Part 3: Research Methods Matching
Questions 21–25
What research method is each study primarily associated with?
Match each study to a letter from A to H.
List of Research Methods | |
|---|---|
A | longitudinal tracking |
B | naturalistic observation |
C | neuroimaging |
D | structured interviews |
E | randomised controlled trial |
F | experience sampling |
G | cross-cultural comparison |
H | meta-analysis |
The Whitehall II study
The Marshmallow experiment
The Hofstede cultural dimensions project
The Edinburgh sleep and mood study
The Cochrane review of CBT for anxiety
Answer key:
Question | Study | Letter | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
21 | Whitehall II | A | longitudinal tracking |
22 | Marshmallow experiment | B | naturalistic observation |
23 | Hofstede cultural dimensions | G | cross-cultural comparison |
24 | Edinburgh sleep and mood | F | experience sampling |
25 | Cochrane review of CBT | H | meta-analysis |
Explaining the distractors:
Whitehall II (A): Russell wrongly suggests structured interviews — Megan corrects to longitudinal tracking. Classic wrong-guess-corrected pattern
Marshmallow experiment (B): Russell assumes it's a controlled trial because of the lab setting — Megan clarifies the observation-based methodology. Tests whether candidates follow the reasoning or latch onto surface cues
Hofstede (G): Russell again suggests structured interviews (the survey instrument) — Megan redirects to the comparative framework. Same distractor (D) used twice across different questions, which is permitted in the matching format
Edinburgh (F): Russell confuses it with longitudinal tracking — Megan distinguishes experience sampling by granularity and real-time focus. Tests the A vs F distinction
Cochrane (H): Confirmed without misdirection, but the conversation explicitly mentions that the underlying studies are RCTs — weaker candidates may select E instead of H
Neuroimaging (C) and RCT (E): Both explicitly mentioned at the end as methods that don't apply to these five studies, preventing candidates from assigning leftover letters by elimination
Neuroimaging (C), structured interviews (D) and randomised controlled trial (E) are unused options
Worked Example
Example 2 — Listening Part 2: Leisure Facility Criticism Matching
Questions 11–16
Which main criticism does the speaker identify for each leisure facility?
Choose A, B or C. You may select any letter more than once.
CRITICISMS | |
|---|---|
A | limited parking / poor access by car |
B | high membership or entry fees |
C | restricted opening hours |
Questions 11–16:
Match the facility to the correct criticism:
Riverside Sports Centre
The Hillside Gym
Parkfield Leisure Complex
Northgate Swimming Pool
The Brampton Centre
Cedar Road Sports Hall
Answer Key & Analysis
Q | Facility | Key | Distractor Logic |
11 | Riverside | A | Fees reasonable (rules out B); open until 9pm (rules out C) |
12 | Hillside Gym | C | Large car park (rules out A); standard fees fine (rules out B) |
13 | Parkfield | B | Bus route/plentiful parking (rules out A); 6am-10pm (rules out C) |
14 | Northgate | B | Access manageable (rules out A); open until 9pm (rules out C) |
15 | Brampton | C | Free car park (rules out A); competitive fees (rules out B) |
16 | Cedar Road | A | Subsidised/accessible (rules out B); open late/weekends (rules out C) |
Explaining the distractors:
Rule-out Patterns: The script systematically addresses the two non-critique categories (e.g., pricing and hours) before confirming the actual problem (e.g., parking). This requires candidates to follow the complete reasoning rather than selecting the first mentioned category
Lexical Paraphrasing: "Limited parking" is discussed via "permit zones" and "tiny lots," while "restricted opening hours" is linked to "closing early" and being "limiting for workers."
How to answer matching questions
Read the instructions and both lists carefully
Make sure you understand how the task works
When you scan both lists, highlight important keywords and think about what you might hear
Take a moment to think about synonyms for these keywords
For example, if the text says “rural area,” you should anticipate hearing words like “countryside,” “remote location” or “agricultural region"”
Remember that the recording will rarely use the exact vocabulary found in the question paper
Be careful: the speaker might mention multiple options in a single turn, or use words that appear in the options as distractors to mislead you
Wait until the speaker has finished discussing that specific point before making your decision
Write the letter answer, not the word or phrase from the box
Sign up now for IELTS Academic
or
Was this study material helpful?
