IELTS Tips: Heading Match
Today we’re looking at a particular type of question that appears in the IELTS reading test: Heading Match. In this style of question, you are given a list of “headings” or “titles” and you must match each paragraph of a reading to the most appropriate heading from the list. Click here for an example of a reading that uses heading match questions
This question type is testing your ability to read quickly, to read for the general idea of a text, and to ignore the details. A lot of my students have told me that this is difficult for them because they need to read all the details in order to understand the main point. Unfortunately, the IELTS reading test simply doesn’t allow us enough time to read all three texts in detail. So, how can we best approach this question type to maximize our chances of success? Let’s look at some tips for heading match questions.
1. DON’T READ THE HEADINGS!
When given a list of headings to match with paragraphs, your first instinct might be to read all the headings before you make any decisions. In fact, this can cause problems.
If you read the headings first, you will find yourself looking for those points in the reading. But not all the headings are necessary, and some are deliberately made to distract you by referring to points in the reading that are “details” instead of “main ideas.” Instead, save the headings list for later, and start by reading the paragraphs.
2. The 30 second skim
For heading match questions, start by skimming the paragraph for a maximum of 30 seconds. That might seem like not enough time, but your goal is not to “read” the paragraph or understand the details. When skimming for a heading match question, ask yourself, what is the purpose of this paragraph?
If the article is about an animal (like the orca whale article linked above), you might ask if the paragraph is talking about the animal’s diet? Is it listing the animal’s predators? Is it describing the animal’s habitat? Is it telling us how humans use the animal? Key words will show you this without actually “reading” the article.
In section B of the orca whale article, you can see words and phrases like toxic waste, high levels of lead, serious threat, pollution, and poisoning. Even without reading the paragraph in detail, I can guess that the main purpose is to tell us about how aquatic pollution affects orca whales.
3. Write down the main point in your own words
Once you have skimmed a paragraph and decided what the main point might be, write it down in your own words. It might be “orca diet” or “problems for orcas” or “reasons they are endangered.” Whatever you think, just make a quick note of one or two words in the margin on the page to help you remember and move onto the next paragraph.
4. Match your notes to the headings
Now, it’s finally time to look at that list of headings. Our goal is to match the short notes we have taken after skimming each paragraph to the list of headings. It’s likely that a few of your notes will have an obvious match on the list. That’s great! For the ones that don’t match, you may need to go back and look in more detail.
5. A guess is better than no answer
As with every type of question on the IELTS reading test, always write an answer! A guess has a small chance of being correct, but no answer means no points. Always guess if you can’t find an answer in time.
For more practice with heading match questions, try some of the readings below. Follow the steps outlined in this article and see if you can get the answers right. Good luck in your studie and thanks for reading!
Academic Readings with Heading Match Questions
Looking for a Market Among Adolescents
General Training Readings with Heading Match Questions
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