The two versions
- One answer from four (A–D): the most common version. It may be a question or an unfinished sentence to complete.
- Two answers from five (“Choose TWO letters, A–E”): usually worth two marks, one for each correct letter. The order you write them in doesn't matter.
A 4-step method
- Read the question stem without the options and find the part of the passage it refers to. Questions follow the order of the text.
- Work out the answer in your own words before looking at the options.
- Rule options out, with a reason for each. Is it contradicted? Not mentioned? True but not an answer to this question?
- Choose the option that matches the meaning, which is usually paraphrased rather than copied.
Worked example
Urban gardens
Urban gardens are often praised for supplying fresh food, but a recent survey of community gardens found that most produce only a small share of what their members eat. What the gardeners valued most was something else: the chance to meet neighbours they would otherwise never have spoken to. Several also said that the physical work helped them sleep better, although the survey did not measure this directly.
According to the survey, what did community gardeners value most?
- Agrowing a large share of their own food
- Bgetting to know people who live nearby
- Csleeping better after physical work
- Dsupplying fresh food to their city
Answer: B, and why the others are wrong
| Option | Verdict |
|---|---|
| A | Contradicted: most gardens produce “only a small share” of what members eat. |
| B | Correct: “the chance to meet neighbours” is what they “valued most”. |
| C | Mentioned, but only by several gardeners, and not as what they valued most. |
| D | Uses the passage's words (“fresh food”), but that is what gardens are praised for, not what gardeners valued. |
The distractors to expect
Word match
An option that repeats the passage's words is often wrong (D above). Match meaning, not vocabulary.
True, but not the answer
An option can be true according to the passage and still not answer the question asked (C above).
Going too far
Watch for options that make the passage's claim stronger: all for some, proves for suggests.
Questions
Are IELTS Reading multiple choice questions in order?+
Yes. They follow the order of the information in the passage.
In the choose-two version, does the order of my answers matter?+
No. Writing B and D or D and B is the same, as long as both letters are correct.
Should I guess if I'm not sure?+
Yes. There is no penalty for a wrong answer in IELTS Reading, so never leave a multiple choice question blank.