Matching information

Find which paragraph contains a specific detail. The answers do not follow passage order.

You answer with: A paragraph letter
Answer order: Does not follow the passage

Test instructions

The passage has seven paragraphs, A–G.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Choose the correct paragraph, A–G, for each statement.

NB You may use any letter more than once.

What this task is

Each question describes a piece of information. A detail, an example, a reason, a comparison, a definition. You say which lettered paragraph contains it.

This asks where a detail appears, not what a paragraph is mainly about. Matching headings asks about the main idea. Look for the information in the question, even when it is only a small part of a paragraph.

The traps

The common mistakes in this question type. Learn to spot each one before test day.

Answers do not follow passage order

One of only three Reading types whose answers ignore passage order. Question 14's answer can be in paragraph F and question 15's in paragraph B.

Unused paragraphs

Not every paragraph is an answer. The unused ones are the distractors.

Reuse is real

When the rubric allows reuse, one paragraph can hold two answers. Do not cross off a paragraph only because you already used it.

What to do next time

Answer this group last on the passage, after the other questions have shown you where each topic is.
Shorten each question to its main idea: "a comparison of two costs", "an example of a failure". Then scan for that kind of information, not for matching words.
The question paraphrases the passage. Expect "spending" in the question where the paragraph says "expenditure".

Now practise matching information questions free in the app. When you get one wrong, the review shows the correct answer and why the wrong choice looked right. Free, no payment needed.