# IELTS Matching Information: finding which paragraph says it

Matching information asks which paragraph contains a given piece of information. It is a scanning test, not a comprehension one. Three worked items and the fastest way to work it.

## Exercises

Exercises marked (free) are open to everyone; a free account opens the rest.

- [Why we need silence, questions 14-17](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/why-we-need-silence) (free)
- [Mapungubwe, questions 14-19](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/mapungubwe) (free)
- [Return of the elm: reintroducing the beloved tree to Britain, questions 14-18](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/return-of-the-elm-reintroducing-the-beloved-tree-to-britain) (free)
- [Procrastination, questions 14-16](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/procrastination) (free)
- [Adapting to the effects of climate change, questions 14-17](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/adapting-to-the-effects-of-climate-change) (free)
- [A new role for livestock guard dogs, questions 27-31](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/a-new-role-for-livestock-guard-dogs) (free)
- [The pirates of the ancient Mediterranean, questions 14-19](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-pirates-of-the-ancient-mediterranean) (free)
- [Athletes and stress, questions 14-18](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/athletes-and-stress) (free)
- [The global importance of wetlands, questions 14-17](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-global-importance-of-wetlands) (free)
- [Deep-sea mining, questions 14-17](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/deep-sea-mining) (free)
- [Forest management in Pennsylvania, USA, questions 14-18](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/forest-management-in-pennsylvania-usa) (free)
- [Conquering Earth's space junk problem, questions 27-31](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/conquering-earths-space-junk-problem) (free)
- [Materials to take us beyond concrete, questions 1-4](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/materials-to-take-us-beyond-concrete) (free)
- [Green roofs, questions 1-5](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/green-roofs) (free)
- [Stadiums: past, present and future, questions 14-17](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/stadiums-past-present-and-future) (free)
- [A second attempt at domesticating the tomato, questions 14-18](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/a-second-attempt-at-domesticating-the-tomato) (free)
- [Palm oil, questions 14-20](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/palm-oil) (free)
- [Does education fuel economic growth?, questions 14-18](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/does-education-fuel-economic-growth) (free)
- [Timur Gareyev - blindfold chess champion, questions 27-32](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/timur-gareyev-blindfold-chess-champion) (free)
- [Climate change reveals ancient artefacts in Norway's glaciers, questions 14-19](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/climate-change-reveals-ancient-artefacts-in-norways-glaciers) (free)
- [Driverless cars, questions 14-18](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/driverless-cars) (free)
- [Could urban engineers learn from dance?, questions 1-6](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/could-urban-engineers-learn-from-dance) (free)
- [Should we try to bring extinct species back to life?, questions 14-17](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/should-we-try-to-bring-extinct-species-back-to-life) (free)
- [The growth of bike-sharing schemes around the world, questions 14-18](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-growth-of-bike-sharing-schemes-around-the-world) (free)
- [Back to the future of skyscraper design, questions 14-18](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/back-to-the-future-of-skyscraper-design) (free)
- [The concept of intelligence, questions 1-3](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-concept-of-intelligence) (free)
- [Saving bugs to find new drugs, questions 14-20](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/saving-bugs-to-find-new-drugs) (free)
- [Why zoos are good, questions 14-17](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/why-zoos-are-good) (free)
- [Oxytocin, questions 14-17](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/oxytocin) (free)
- [Whatever happened to the Harappan Civilisation?, questions 27-31](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/whatever-happened-to-the-harappan-civilisation) (free)
- [The risks agriculture faces in developing countries, questions 1-3](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-risks-agriculture-faces-in-developing-countries) (free)
- [The Intersection of Health Sciences and Geography, questions 14-19](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-intersection-of-health-sciences-and-geography) (free)
- [Reducing the Effects of Climate Change, questions 27-29](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/reducing-the-effects-of-climate-change) (free)
- [Preface to 'How the other half thinks: Adventures in mathematical reasoning', questions 27-34](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/preface-to-how-the-other-half-thinks-adventures-in-mathematical-reasoning) (free)
- [Gifted children and learning, questions 14-17](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/gifted-children-and-learning) (free)
- [Autumn leaves, questions 14-18](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/autumn-leaves) (free)
- [Classroom Noise and Auditory Function Deficits in Children, questions 1-6](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/classroom-noise-and-auditory-function-deficits-in-children) (free)
- [Venus in transit, questions 14-17](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/venus-in-transit) (free)
- [Tidal Power, questions 14-17](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/tidal-power) (free)
- [Information theory - the big idea, questions 27-32](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/information-theory-the-big-idea) (free)
- [Young children's sense of identity, questions 14-19](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/young-childrens-sense-of-identity) (free)
- [A Chronicle of Timekeeping, questions 1-4](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/a-chronicle-of-timekeeping) (free)
- [Let's Go Bats, questions 1-5](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/lets-go-bats) (free)
- [The True Cost of Food, questions 14-17](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-true-cost-of-food) (free)
- [AUSTRALIA'S SPORTING SUCCESS, questions 1-7](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/australias-sporting-success) (free)
- [DELIVERING THE GOODS, questions 14-17](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/delivering-the-goods) (free)
- [The Evolution and Influence of Cinema, questions 1-5](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-evolution-and-influence-of-cinema) (free)
- [Nature or Nurture?, questions 14-19](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/nature-or-nurture) (free)
- [Early Childhood Education, questions 1-4](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/early-childhood-education) (free)
- [The Return of Artificial Intelligence, questions 27-31](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-return-of-artificial-intelligence) (free)
- [Play is a Serious Business, questions 27-32](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/play-is-a-serious-business) (free)
- [Obtaining Linguistic Data, questions 27-31](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/obtaining-linguistic-data) (free)
- [Motor Vehicles and Their Problems, questions 14-19](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/motor-vehicles-and-their-problems) (free)
- [Why some women cross the finish line ahead of men, questions 14-19](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/why-some-women-cross-the-finish-line-ahead-of-men) (free)
- [The changing role of airports, questions 14-18](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-changing-role-of-airports) (free)
- [Homer's Literary Legacy, questions 27-32](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/homers-literary-legacy) (free)
- [Australia's Lost Giants, questions 14-18](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/australias-lost-giants) (free)
- [Why We Remember Some Dreams, questions 14-17](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/why-we-remember-dreams) (free)
- [Plant 'thermometer' triggers springtime growth by measuring night-time heat, questions 33-37](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/plant-thermometer-triggers-springtime-growth-by-measuring-night-time-heat)
- [How baby talk gives infant brains a boost, questions 24-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/how-baby-talk-gives-infant-brains-a-boost)
- [SAVING THE SOIL, questions 22-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/saving-the-soil)
- [The Benefits of Being Bilingual, questions 37-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-benefits-of-being-bilingual)
- [Second nature, questions 23-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/second-nature)
- [Declining Standards of Literacy, questions 22-25](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/declining-standards-of-literacy)
- [The Hidden Histories of Exploration Exhibition, questions 8-13](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-hidden-histories-of-exploration-exhibition)
- [Fatal Attraction, questions 23-26](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/fatal-attraction)
- [Left or right?, questions 36-40](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/left-or-right)

## The short answer

Matching information gives you a set of statements and asks which lettered paragraph of the passage each one appears in. IELTS describes it as testing your ability to scan a text in order to find specific information. Paragraphs can be used more than once, the statements do not follow the order of the passage, and each one is worth a mark out of 40. It is a locating task, so the fastest readers are the ones who never read a paragraph twice.

## Key facts

- **Paper:** Reading
- **Module:** Academic and General Training
- **Marks:** 1 per item, out of 40
- **Answer:** A paragraph letter
- **Order:** Statements do not follow the passage
- **What it tests:** Scanning a text to find specific information

Formats, timings and marking come from IELTS's own test-format pages, checked 27 September 2026.

## How it's scored

One mark per statement, out of the 40 that make up your Reading band. A paragraph can be the answer to more than one statement, and some paragraphs are the answer to none.

The statement is a paraphrase, never a quotation. You are looking for the paragraph that carries the idea, and the words that carry it in the passage are usually not the words in the statement.

> Do this type last if it is in your section. It is the only Reading type that sends you across the whole passage for every item, so it is cheapest once you already know where things are.

## Matching information examples

Worked examples written for this page. Answer each one before you open the model response: memorizing a response is scored as an irrelevant answer in the real test.

**Example 1 -- a definition in one paragraph**

> A. Urban heat islands are not caused by air temperature alone. Dark surfaces absorb sunlight during the day and release it slowly after dark, which is why a city can stay several degrees warmer than the fields around it at midnight.
> 
> B. Cooling plans usually start with roofs. Painting a roof white can drop the temperature of the surface below it by twenty degrees, though the effect on the street is smaller than residents expect.
> 
> C. Trees work differently. They shade the surfaces that would otherwise store heat, and the water they release cools the air directly. A mature street tree does both, which is why replacing one takes fifteen years, not one season.

Prompt: Which paragraph explains why a city stays warm at night?

- A. Paragraph A
- B. Paragraph B
- C. Paragraph C
Answer: A.

Model response: Paragraph A. It gives the mechanism: dark surfaces absorb heat by day and release it slowly after dark.

Why it scores: The statement paraphrases "release it slowly after dark" as "stays warm at night". Nothing in A is quoted in the question, which is normal for this type.

**Example 2 -- the number that is not the answer**

> A. Urban heat islands are not caused by air temperature alone. Dark surfaces absorb sunlight during the day and release it slowly after dark, which is why a city can stay several degrees warmer than the fields around it at midnight.
> 
> B. Cooling plans usually start with roofs. Painting a roof white can drop the temperature of the surface below it by twenty degrees, though the effect on the street is smaller than residents expect.
> 
> C. Trees work differently. They shade the surfaces that would otherwise store heat, and the water they release cools the air directly. A mature street tree does both, which is why replacing one takes fifteen years, not one season.

Prompt: Which paragraph mentions a measure that disappoints people at street level?

- A. Paragraph A
- B. Paragraph B
- C. Paragraph C
Answer: B.

Model response: Paragraph B. The white roof works on the surface below it, and the paragraph says the street-level effect is smaller than residents expect.

Why it scores: Two paragraphs contain numbers, and the number is not what is being asked about. The clause after "though" is the whole answer.

**Example 3 -- the comparison**

> A. Urban heat islands are not caused by air temperature alone. Dark surfaces absorb sunlight during the day and release it slowly after dark, which is why a city can stay several degrees warmer than the fields around it at midnight.
> 
> B. Cooling plans usually start with roofs. Painting a roof white can drop the temperature of the surface below it by twenty degrees, though the effect on the street is smaller than residents expect.
> 
> C. Trees work differently. They shade the surfaces that would otherwise store heat, and the water they release cools the air directly. A mature street tree does both, which is why replacing one takes fifteen years, not one season.

Prompt: Which paragraph describes something that cools in two ways at once?

- A. Paragraph A
- B. Paragraph B
- C. Paragraph C
Answer: C.

Model response: Paragraph C. Trees shade surfaces and release water, and the paragraph says a mature tree does both.

Why it scores: "Does both" is the phrase the statement is built on. Look for the sentence that sums the paragraph up, since that is usually the one the statement paraphrases.

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## Common mistakes

| What costs marks | Do this instead |
| --- | --- |
| Reading the paragraphs in order for each statement. | Read each paragraph once and note what it is for. Then match statements against your notes rather than the text. |
| Assuming each paragraph is used once. | Paragraphs can answer more than one statement, and some answer none. Never eliminate a letter because you have used it. |
| Matching on a repeated word. | The statement is a paraphrase. A shared word is usually the distractor, not the answer. |
| Spending equal time on every item. | Answer the ones you can locate immediately, then come back. Each is worth the same mark. |

**Know what the marks are worth** Reading and Listening are 40 marks each. The band calculator turns a mark out of 40 into a band, and four skill bands into your overall. [Open the IELTS band calculator](/ielts/band-score-calculator)

## How to practice

1. Read a passage once and write a five-word summary beside each paragraph. Then answer the statements from your summaries only.
2. Time yourself locating five pieces of information in an article you have not read. Locating, not understanding, is the skill here.
3. Practice paraphrase spotting: take a sentence and write it three different ways. Matching gets easier once you build the habit in reverse.

## Common questions

### Can a paragraph be used twice in matching information?

Yes. Unless the instructions say otherwise, a paragraph can answer more than one statement, and some paragraphs answer none.

### Do the answers follow the order of the passage?

No. Matching information is one of the types where the statements are deliberately out of order, which is why it pays to know the whole passage before you start.

### How is it different from matching headings?

Matching headings asks for the general topic of a paragraph. Matching information asks which paragraph contains one specific detail, and a paragraph's topic may have nothing to do with it.

**Sources**
- [IELTS: Academic Reading test format (checked 27 September 2026)](https://ielts.org/take-a-test/test-types/ielts-academic-test/ielts-academic-format-reading)
- [IELTS: General Training Reading test format (checked 27 September 2026)](https://ielts.org/take-a-test/test-types/ielts-general-training-test/ielts-general-training-format-reading)

[Practice Matching information free](https://testmigo.com/ielts)