Practice lessons and tips for IELTS Reading Multiple Choice Questions. These types of questions appear often in the IELTS reading test. They require you to locate information in a reading passage and decide on the best answer option from a given list. They are easier than they seem.
Multiple Choice Tips for IELTS Reading
IELTS Reading Multiple Choice Question Types
There are different kinds of multiple choice questions.
A. Multiple Choice Question: a question to answer
What is the most important task ahead?
- A organising information
- B informing people of decisions
- C collecting data
As you see, you are given a question with three possible answers. There are nearly always three options. You must locate the information given in the question, in the passage and then choose the right options as an answer. Each option is a letter. Your answer must be a letter, for example A. If you write words as your answer, it will be marked wrong.
B. Multiple Choice Question: a sentence to complete
Procrastination is problematic because
- A it is a time waster.
- B it damages people’s health.
- C other people are affected by it.
Each of the answer options offers a possible ending to the sentence. You must locate the sentence in the passage and select the right ending. Again, your answer must be a letter or your answer will be marked wrong. Your answer cannot be a word or words.
Essential Tips for Multiple Choice Questions
- The answers will come in order in the passage. This means that the answer to question 1 will come first and then the answer to question 2 will come after that.
- You might find language or information relating to all answer options. This is why most people get confused about multiple choice questions. Many people think they will only see information about one option.
- Even if most or all options are mentioned, only one option will be the right one. There is only ever one possible answer.
- To choose the right answer means you really need to read for meaning rather than just matching words.
- The answer options, if they are present in the passage, will not be in order necessarily.
- Analyse the questions and answer options.
- Make sure you understand the meaning fully before you look for the answer in the passage.
- Not analysing the question and answer options is the main reason people choose the wrong answer and also the main reason they waste time.
- Analysing the question and answer options is a time saver.
- Correct answer in IELTS reading are not about matching words, but about deeper meaning.
- Prepare possible paraphrases and synonyms in the questions and answer options before you check the passage.
- Spot keywords in the question and answers.
- Take time to notice the difference between the answer options.
- Scan the passage for the paraphrases, synonyms, keywords and similar information.
- Once you locate the information in the passage, return to the questions and check all the answer options again.
- Focus on the difference in meaning between the options.
- You might also notice similarities between options – that is one way you end up choosing the wrong question. Some answer options might be similar with only small differences. So, pay attention to it all.
- Then return to the passage to make your choice.
- Read the surrounding sentences before deciding the answer
- there might be more information in the passage that you need to know about.
- And remember, your answer must be a letter.
IELTS Reading Multiple Choice Practice Lessons
Below are two reading passages for you to practice Multiple Choice for IELTS Reading. The levels of these passages vary to help you gain familiarity and confidence. Both GT and academic candidates can benefit from these exercises.
Multiple Choice Practice Lesson 1
An easy introduction to MC questions for you.
All About Rice
The first rice may have been grown in East and South Asia as long as 15,000 years ago, when people began to settle in river deltas and domesticated wild rice. Today it is grown practically everywhere, except Antarctica! Rice is grown on flooded land and on dry land, in tropical rain forests of Africa and in arid deserts of the Middle East, on coastal plains and on the Himalayan mountains.
In the year 2003, the world produced about 589 million tonnes of paddy rice. Most of that (about 534 million tones) was grown in Asia. In 2002, it is estimated that rice fields covered almost 1.5 million square km of land. Again, most of those fields are in Asia – around 1.3 million square km.
Questions 1 – 2: Choose the correct letter (A-C) for your answer.
1. Where is rice grown?
A everywhere
B almost everywhere
C mainly on flood lands and coastal plains
2. In 2002, rice fields covered about ……………
A 1.5 million square miles of land.
B 1.3 million square km of land in China.
C 1.5 million square km of land in the world.
ANSWERS
Click below:
ANSWERS- B
- This is testing both your vocabulary and general understanding of the passage. In the passage, it says ‘rice is grown everywhere except Antarctica’. This means it is grown everywhere except one place. This means it isn’t actually grown everywhere because there is one place where it isn’t grown. So, the answer can’t be A, even though there are matching words between question and passage. this is how many people choose the wrong answer because they match words and forget to match meaning instead.
- If you aren’t sure of an answer, guess. Never leave an answer box empty.
- C
- This question is a typical example of how confusing options can be if you don’t spot the keywords. Is the answer option about square miles or square km – that is a difference you needed to spot. And is the passage giving information about land used in China or in the world. All these can be subtle differences and easy to miss. I hope you got this question right.
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Multiple Choice Reading Practice 2
GM Foods
Genetically modified food is produced from plants which have had their genes tweaked in the lab. Scientists “cut and paste” a gene from another organism into a plant’s DNA to give it a new characteristic. This can be to increase yield or to allow the plant to exist in a more hostile environment than normal. Pro-GM scientists say this means cheaper more plentiful food but opponents argue we do not know the consequences of meddling with nature.
Farmers have modified their crops for thousands of years by crossing similar species. However, modern GM is controversial. Critics say the modified crops could “escape” and cross with wild plants, with unknown consequences. They also argue that more chemicals are used on some GM fields which may have a negative impact on wildlife. And while no study has found GM food to be harmful to humans, opponents say it is too soon to be sure.
A group of biotechnology experts say it is time to loosen Europe’s draconian regulations on genetically modified crops. In a report released today they argue that genetically modified crops have been used safely for decades, so no longer need to be automatically treated as unsafe. They also say that genetically modified crops should be reclaimed from multinational companies and treated as a public good.
Questions 1-5: Choose the best answer from A-C.
1. The genetic makeup of GM foods has been………
- A twisted.
- B altered.
- C cut.
2. By genetically engineering plants, they are……………
- A likely to increase in size.
- B able to produce more.
- C not able to exist in difficult conditions.
3. One issue with GM plants is the potential to………
- A cause undetermined consequences by damaging wildlife.
- B infect wild plants with unknown results.
- C cross pollinate.
4. It is thought, by specialists in biotechnology that policies governing GM crops should be…….
- A tightened.
- B relaxed.
- C reviewed.
5. GM foods ought to be ……….
- A reclaimed for the use of multinational companies.
- B used safely.
- C no longer privatised.
ANSWERS
Click below to reveal answers:
Answers- B
- B
- C
- B
- C
- tweak = adjust, modify, regular (the synonyms relate to the context)
- cross with = reproduce with, cross pollinate
- meddling with = interfering with
- loosened = relaxed
- regulations = rules / policies
- experts = specialists
- released = made public / issued / announced
- draconian = strict / tough / harsh
Passage adapted from: BBC News and New Scientist
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ADVICE: GM food topic can appear in IELTS Writing Task 2 and also Speaking Part 3. Always use my reading passages to review language and ideas for other parts of the IELTS Test.
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RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
- More Multiple Choice Reading Practice
- Yes No Not Given Reading Practice
- Matching Sentence Endings Reading Practice
- Matching Headings Reading Practice
- ALL IELTS READING PRACTICE LESSONS & TIPS
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Ow Liz! I got all correct after reading your tips. This game is all about understanding the meaning.
Thank you again from Bangladesh.
Well done! You’ve got it! 🙂
why Q5 answer is C it should be A answer
This is all about paying attention to prepositions. When you change a preposition, you change the meaning. The passage is about taking GM foods from multinational companies to give to the public. The statement uses the prepositions “reclaimed for the use of …”, using “for” in this way means to reclaim GM foods and give it to multinational companies. So, these are completely opposite in meaning. The passage is about reclaiming GM from companies for the public, and the question statement is about reclaiming GM foods for the companies. So, option A is not possible. Always pay attention to grammar, not just vocabulary.
Hello Liz
Thanks for coming up with these practice questions and answers. However, you didn’t provide answers to the first two multiple choice questions at the beginning of this page. I mean, the ones you used in explaining the nature of the questions.
I will like to know the answers to the.two questions.
Thank you.
They are examples of layout and format. They are not connected to any reading passage. It familiarises you with how the questions are presented only.
hiiii liz
please help me with matching information question. i couldn’t understand that question type. i’ve used all the structures, tips, but i’m always getting lower scores on exam
max-6.0 min 5.5 on reading because of matching headings
also i would like to ask your practice tests is similar to real ielts test or it’s easier tasks?
thank youuu liz for your lessons
On this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-reading-lessons-information-and-tips/ you’ll find a link to Matching Headings for IELTS Reading. Read through the tips one by one – very carefully. Then do the practice reading exercise. But just for a quick summary – your aim is NOT to locate information within the paragraph, it is to choose the heading that best summarises the aims of the paragraph. All the materials on my website are designed to help you gain understanding, build skills and develop strategy. They are not practice tests. For full tests, you need the IELTS Cambridge test books which contain real tests published by IELTS. The aim is to use both my lessons and those test books for your preparation.
Hello Liz,
can you please tell me if I need to read the OPTIONS first for open ending MCQ and read the PASSAGE first for close ending MCQ or not?
is it okay to do so in order to find the answers?
You can tackle these questions in any way you wish. The option to read the passage first is called skim reading. Skim reading is about casting your eyes over the passage to take a look at the main content and layout. It takes less than 2 mins for the whole passage. This has no relation to multiple choice questions particularly. It is just about whether you want to take a glance at the passage before you tackle any type of question. Some people do skim read and others do not. You try it and see what works for you. I hope to make a video about skim reading, scanning and analytical reading in the months to come.
Thanks a bunch for your kind reply 🌻
and please make a detailed video about this 🥺 keep your good work🤍Take care
Liz you are wonderful
I’m glad you are enjoying my website 🙂
Hello Liz, I hope you are doing better, please can you explain the difference between what is written in the explanation passage ‘1. the answer will come in order in the passage, then in 5. The answer options ,if they are present in the passage, will not be in order necessarily’ i got confused.
The answers to the questions will come in order in the passage means that you will find the answer to question 1 and then after that the answer to question 2 and then after that the answer to question 3 and so on. So, you know that the answer to question four becomes between the answer to question 3 and 5 in the passage. This helps you save time and locate answers more quickly.
However, multiple choice questions have answer options A, B and C. IELTS reading isn’t about only one option being mentioned in the passage. You might find information relating to all of those answer options in the passage and that information will not follow A, B or C order. Even though each option might be mentioned to some extent, only one of those options will be the real answer. This is also the case for multiple choice listening (in fact it is even more the case in the listening test). And with multiple choice questions in both reading and listening, even though answer options might be jumbled, the real answer to question 1 will always come before the answer to question 2.
Hi liz, I have a question about the 3rd question, how is the answer is C, I didn’t quite catch it
You can find the answer in this sentence:
However, modern GM is controversial. Critics say the modified crops could “escape” and cross with wild plants, with unknown consequences.
To cross with wild plants means to reproduce with wild plants. Plant reproduce by pollination and so to cross pollinate is to cross (reproduce) with wild plants. And the question used the words “one issue” and “the potential to” which is found in the same paragraph with the words “controversial” / “consequences” and “could” (we use could when talking about possibilities / potentially). In essence, this question really tests your understand of “cross pollinate”.
If you choose B, then you are probably trying to match words such as “wild plants” and “unknown results” – both of these phrases can be found in the passage. But IELTS reading isn’t about matching words. It’s about meaning. Option B is about “infecting” wild plants and the above sentence from the passage is not about infecting any plants. The verb “infecting” relates to disease, not reproduction or pollination.
Thanks so much mam. I felt stress when I solved reading, And now I feel better to solve your question pattern. Stay well always 😍
I’m glad my lessons are helping you feel more confident. The more familiar you are with the question types in both reading and listening, the easier it will be. Also remember that you must practice with authentic IELTS tests as well as part of your preparation. You can find them in the IELTS Cambridge test books.
Hi Liz,
I have a question, about exercise number 2. Why is answer B a better option than A?
Thanks for your help
The recording give this information: increase yield
The answer options were – A increase in size / B increase in number
When something increases in size, it means it gets bigger. This means it had a small size and then it grew bigger, for example it was 10cm and then it increased to 15cm.
When something increases in number, it means there are more of them, for example there were 10 vegetables, but now there are 15 vegetables.
The meaning of to increase yield in farming is about how many plants you are producing, not the size of the plant. So, option B is the answer.
Hi Liz,
Thank you for your reply. I realized that I made a mistake in my previous message; my question actually relates to exercise 2, question 1, not question 2.
I was between Twisted and Altered.
This is about collocations, we don’t twist the genetic make up for GM Goods, we alter it. They have similar meanings, but one is acceptable and the other isn’t.
Thanks Liz for this wonderful work. You make IELTS so easy
I’m glad you are enjoying my site 🙂
really you are so intelligent
hi liz, i hope you’re fine.
i am planning to take the computer-delivered ielts exam next week. So while i was practicing for ielts reading in an online free exam, i noticed that when i click on the F3 button on my computer a search bar shows up where i can write any word and it will highlight where it is located in the webpage i am on. Will i be able to do this in the ielts reading exam?
No. That option is not available. You must scan the passage with your eyes to locate words.
Thank you Liz for your lessons. I learnt an important lesson from this task. I chose “A” instead of “C” for the second question because I didn’t pay attention. I saw two 1.5 million and I just selected “A” because “C” has “World” in it and there’s nothing like that around the answer. I didn’t pay attention to the “km” and “miles”. It’s best to read ALL options carefully before choosing an answer.
This was exactly the same scenario I was in.
Hi Liz
I have my IELTS test on 18 th of January .I am following your website for preparation. I am a bit confused regarding multiple choice answers for reading portion. For answers of such type of question I have to write full answer or just alphabet a,b or c.
Thank you in advance
Always read the instructions. They will tell you whether to choose a letter or not.
Can’t thank u enough liz
Hello Liz,
Thank you so much for your free services. This is the best IELTS content and it is helping me to improve my confidence.
I’ve learnt tips and practised reading questions which were posted by you in the reading section. Then I’ve given the academic practice test which is on the same page of readings section.
I scored 32/40 under exam conditions. Could you please evaluate this result. I faced trouble while doing TFNG questions. Is this the general standard of authentic IELTS reading section or difficulty level varies. Please help.
I’m having my IELTS exam on Dec 8. I’m preparing using the content on your site and practising questions using Cambridge IELTS. I’m bit worried about my speaking part. I’m an introvert kind of guy and facing trouble to gather my ideas while speaking about a topic. I’m using the technique that you have suggested in of the speaking video. Recording my answers and I hope that should build my confidence and perform well during the speaking task. Any suggestions on how to get rid of this shyness and cohesive speaking is really appreciated.
Thank you.
The IELTS Cambridge Tests are real IELTS tests published by IELTS so that you know the real level of IELTS. You can see your score on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-band-scores/. You need to be determined to succeed to get over low confidence or shyness. This is only 14 mins of your life – it isn’t long. If you prepare enough topics, you will have plenty to say. You need to be very fixed in your mind that you don’t care how the examiner behaves, you will be chatty, open and friendly. The speaking test is not about knowledge. It is mostly about your past memories (as a child, recently and as a young adult), your future hopes, your personal opinions and the opinions of other people in your country – so start preparing!!
Thanks Liz.
I got 2/2
I got 2/2.
2/2
Number 2 is correct Liz. I get it now..thank u liz ❤️
🙂
Thanks Liz for such an efforts
thanks U Liz
What’s the different between “rice is grown and rice grows
The first is passive and the second active.
you are super teacher , thank u very much
Hi Liz
Why “C” is not the correct option for first question?
Kindly clarify.
Because of the word “mainly”.
All the best
Liz
hi liz,
will u please send me the links of reading tips other than yes/no/ng.
All reading lessons are on the reading main page.
All the best
Liz