# IELTS Matching Headings: Method, Example and Tips | topin IELTS guidesMatching headings Where IELTS Academic Reading, usually as the first question set on a passage Format A list of headings numbered with Roman numerals (i, ii, iii…) and lettered paragraphs or sections Extras There are more headings than paragraphs, so some headings are not used Use Each heading can be used only once Marks One mark per paragraph ## How it works The heading list comes before the passage, and you choose one heading for each listed paragraph or section. A correct heading covers the whole paragraph, not one sentence of it. Sometimes an example is given, which removes one heading from play. ## Worked example Paragraph B: Early glass-makers had no reliable way to control the heat of their furnaces, so the colour and strength of their glass varied from one batch to the next. The same recipe might produce clear glass one week and cloudy, brittle glass the following week. Only when thermometers that could survive furnace temperatures appeared were workshops able to repeat their results with confidence. Choose the correct heading for Paragraph B from the list below. 1. Ai The origins of coloured glass 2. Bii Why consistent quality was hard to achieve 3. Ciii The invention of the thermometer 4. Div Growing demand for window glass Show the answer ii Why consistent quality was hard to achieve The whole paragraph explains why glass varied from batch to batch and how that problem was finally solved, which is heading ii. Heading iii matches only the last sentence, and the paragraph says nothing about who invented the thermometer. Heading i picks up the word 'colour' but colour is only one example of the variation. Heading iv is not mentioned at all. ## A method for Matching headings 1. 1 ### Cross out the example heading If the question gives an example, strike that heading from the list at once so it cannot tempt you later. 2. 2 ### Read the paragraph before the headings Read the first two sentences and the last sentence of the paragraph, then say its main idea to yourself in a few words. Deciding first stops the heading list from steering you. 3. 3 ### Match your summary to the list Now look for the heading closest to your own summary. It will usually be a paraphrase, so match meaning, not shared words. 4. 4 ### Test the heading against the whole paragraph Ask whether every sentence in the paragraph supports the heading. If the heading fits only one sentence or one example, it is probably a distractor. 5. 5 ### Do the easy paragraphs first Short, clearly focused paragraphs are quicker to match. Each heading you place shortens the list for the harder paragraphs. ## Traps to avoid * Choosing a heading because it repeats a word from the paragraph, such as 'colour' in the example. * Picking a heading that matches one detail or example rather than the main idea. * Relying only on the first sentence, when the main idea sometimes arrives after a contrast word such as however or but. * Using the same heading twice. Each heading can be used only once. ## Matching headings FAQs Can the same heading be used twice in matching headings? No. Each heading can be used only once, and there are always more headings than paragraphs. Should I read the passage or the headings first? Read each paragraph and form your own idea of its main point first, then check the list. This avoids being pulled towards headings that share words with the text. Is it enough to read the first sentence of each paragraph? It often helps, but not always. The main idea can come later, especially after a contrast word, so read the last sentence too and check the middle if you are unsure. Why is matching headings so hard in IELTS? The distractor headings are designed to match details in the paragraph. Once you judge each heading against the whole paragraph instead of single sentences, accuracy usually improves quickly. ## Try Matching headings under real timing Your first full-length IELTS mock is free, with every section included. [Take the free mock ](/ielts/login)