How to quickly handle the IELTS Listening Matching Information

IELTS Listening Matching Information is always considered the most trap-filled type of task. Although the task is not difficult, it is not easy either in the IELTS Listening section. However, many candidates still get confused when they have to both look at the questions and look at the information that needs to be filled in. Even more frustrating is the tendency to lose important information or need clarification between sentences while listening, leading to incorrect answers.
Therefore, in order for test-takers to achieve a perfect score in the Matching Information task, let's refer to the article below shared by PREP!

I. What is IELTS Listening Matching Information?

IELTS Listening Matching Information is a type of task that assesses the ability to comprehend specific information and fill in the answers on the answer sheet. This type of task commonly appears in both Listening Part 2 and Part 3, with a range of 4-6 questions. There are two different formats, but the approach to answering them is similar.

Type	Example
Type 1: The answers will be listed under a heading, and there will be more answers than the number of questions. Each answer can be chosen only once.
Type 2: The number of answers is fewer, and these answers are reused throughout the task.

II. Format of IELTS Listening Matching Information

1. IELTS Listening Matching Information - Part 2

IELTS Listening Matching Information frequently appears in Part 2 of the test. The questions will be arranged as a list of different objects. The answer options will be a list of features/information related to the mentioned objects in the questions.

The task of the test-taker when encountering this type of task is to listen to the recording, then identify which specific feature/information corresponds to each object and select the most accurate answer.

Refer to the following examples to have a better understanding of the format of IELTS Listening Matching Information - Part 2 of the test:

Book	Illustration
IELTS Cambridge 17, Test 2, Part 2, Questions 15-20
IELTS Cambridge 17, Test 3, Part 2, Questions 15-20

2. IELTS Listening Matching Information - Part 3

Not only appearing frequently in Part 2, but the Matching Information task also often appears in Part 3 of the Listening test.

The questions in this task are a list of topics related to academic fields, such as historical events, literary works, or different sections of a presentation/essay. The answer options are constructed as a list of features/information related to the objects mentioned in the question, such as actions to be taken regarding the topic or the names of responsible researchers.

The task for the test-taker when encountering the Matching Information task in IELTS Listening Part 3 is to listen to the recording, identify the specific feature/information related to the corresponding object, and fill in the correct answer on the answer sheet.

Refer to the following examples to have a better understanding of the format of Matching Information tasks in IELTS Listening Part 3:

Book	Illustration
IELTS Cambridge 15, Test 1, Part 3, Questions 21-26
IELTS Cambridge 15, Test 4, Part 3, Questions 25-30

II. Basic Steps to Approach IELTS Listening Matching Information

How can test-takers effectively handle the Matching Information task in IELTS Listening and achieve their target scores? Take a look at the following steps to practice efficiently and confidently deal with this task in real exam situations!

• Step 1: Read the question + answers + underline keywords: Before listening, it is essential to read the question, answers, and underline keywords.
• Step 2: Determine the strategy: Identify whether the Matching Information task appears in Part 2 or Part 3 to choose an appropriate note-taking method.
• Step 3: Predict paraphrases in the answers: Additionally, think of paraphrases for keywords present in the answers.
• Step 4: Listen and fill in the answers: While listening, be prepared to take notes and quickly spot paraphrases. After listening, rely on the information in your notes to select the correct answers.
• Step 5: Check the answers: Note that for this task, you should never leave the answer sheet blank.

III. IELTS Listening Matching Information Tips

The Matching Information questions are not difficult if you can memorize the keywords in your mind while listening to the clip. Because once you can focus on the keywords, you can make connections. To do this:

• You need to read the question content before the audio starts.
• Find the keywords that you need information about.
• Don't worry about grammar in this question. All you need to do is select the appropriate option.
• In Example 1, you are given more answer choices than you need. You have enough flexibility to choose. However, the instructions for Example 1 do not say that you can use the same option more than once. Therefore, you only have to use each answer option once.
• However, in Example 2, you are only given three answer options. But that is not a problem for you. Because you are instructed that you can use the same answer option multiple times.
• Remember that the answer options may not appear in the same order as the question list.

IV. Practicing Matching Information in IELTS Listening with Test Practice

Listening is one of the easiest skills in the IELTS exam. In order to achieve a high overall score, the band score for Listening must also be correspondingly high. Therefore, to master the Listening skill, candidates need to practice regularly. So, which reputable source provides practice materials to help you quickly improve your score and enhance your knowledge?

Test Practice on prepedu.com is the space that helps you practice IELTS Listening tests online. Here, the Listening practice tests are compiled from reputable sources such as Cambridge, Road to IELTS, and more. What's even better is that candidates can practice the tests COMPLETELY FREE on Test Practice on prepedu.com.

Hopefully, the shared article about the 5 steps to handle IELTS Listening Matching Information above will be useful for candidates who are currently preparing for the IELTS exam. PREP wishes you effective self-study and high scores in the upcoming IELTS test.