Single-choice questions in IELTS Reading

Ace IELTS Reading single-choice questions effortlessly with our effective method. Our proven approach guarantees your confidence in selecting the correct answer every time. Follow our Comprehensive Guide to success. Get started now.

You will always get Single-choice questions in IELTS Reading (SCQs). They are one of the “specialties” in IELTS Reading, and also the “killers” of many dreams. They give you a feeling that you have options but these options also feel like traps that keep you away from the correct answers.

An IELTS Reading secret that I’m done gatekeeping. Watch on Instagram | TikTok | Youtube

In this article, you will learn how to properly deal with these questions and the tricks that often “shatter people’s dreams”. The method presented in this article has been proven to be effective and time-saving.

How to deal with Heading-matching questions – IELTS Reading

Overview about Single-choice questions

This is a type of Mixed form of questions. Sing-choice questions require you to read the questions/requests and choose a correct answer among multiple options. Some questions in SCQs require details to answer, while some others require a summary to answer. The purpose of SCQs is to test your ability to filter information and select the best-suited answer.

There are three factors to consider.

SCQs can be questions and answers or completing sentences with provided choices.
You should be able to answer the questions/complete the sentences based on your understanding of the text rather than the choices presented. This means that if you can match your understanding to a choice, that choice is correct.
The correct choices may be just parts of full answers.

Step-by-step strategy

Step 0: Look at the questions and identify the type of questions.

Step 1: Read the first two questions and DO NOT read the choices.

Pay attention to the keywords in the questions but be prepared for synonyms.
There is no need to read the choices because all of them are likely to appear in the text, but there is only one correct answer. As a result, reading the choices can be confusing and time-consuming. After you finish reading the text, you will most likely read the choices again.

Step 2: Start reading from the beginning or from where it is left off.

Scan for the related information.
Skim for the answers.
Only stop reading when you can answer one of the questions with your understanding of the text.

Step 3: Read the choices of the related question and choose the choice that is closest to your understanding.

Use your understanding to answer the question first, then match your understanding with one of the choices.
Because the correct choice may only be a part of your understanding, you must select the choice that is closest to your understanding.

Step 4: Reread the unanswered question and read the next one.

Step 5: Continue until the last question is answered.

A trick in Single-choice questions in IELTS

It’s very common in SCQs that all the options can be found in the text but only one option is the correct answer. This mainly happens because you are solely dependent on keywords.

You must remember that the option that is the correct answer must match your own answer. If you haven’t found your own answer, it means you haven’t understood the question. In this case, go back to the question and read it one more time.

Dealing with IELTS Reading question types may be daunting, which is why we have created the entire Guide with step-by-step strategies to help you effectively deal with all types of questions in IELTS Reading.

Everything IELTS – The Comprehensive Guide to IELTS is FREE for all members of all packages available on Practice9 IELTS. Preview the Guide here for free 👉 Academic | General Training