Approaching IELTS Reading multiple-choice questions can be a challenging aspect of the exam, but with the right tips and guidance, you can approach them with confidence. These questions test your ability to comprehend detailed information, understand the main ideas, and identify specific details within the text. In this blog, we will guide you to effectively understand multiple-choice questions, helping you to maximise your score by enhancing your reading skills and test-taking techniques.
Help me with the IELTS Registration
What is the IELTS Reading multiple choice question?
The IELTS Reading multiple choice question requires test-takers to choose the correct answer from a list of options. These questions assess a candidate's ability to understand detailed information, main ideas, and specific points in the text. Here’s an overview of what the IELTS Reading multiple choice questions entail:
Structure:
Question prompt:
A question or an incomplete sentence based on the reading passage.
Followed by a list of possible answers (usually 3 or 4 options).
Answer choices:
Each question typically has three or four answer choices labelled (A, B, C, D).
Only one of these options is correct.
Types of multiple choice questions in IELTS Reading:
Single answer: Candidates choose one correct answer from the provided options.
Multiple answers: Candidates may be asked to choose more than one correct answer from a larger list of options.
Skills assessed:
Scanning for information: Ability to locate specific information quickly.
Understanding details: Recognising specific facts, figures, or pieces of information.
Identifying main ideas: Understanding the main points or themes of the passage.
Recognising inferences: Making logical conclusions based on the given text.
IELTS Reading multiple choice question practice (Single answer)
Here is an IELTS Reading multiple choice question sample for a single answer for your reference, practicing with this type of sample can help you score higher on the IELTS Reading section:
Academic Reading Sample Task – Multiple Choice: one answer© The Economist Newspaper Limited, London, 1999 The general assumption is that older workers are paid more in spite of, rather than because of, their productivity. That might partly explain why, when employers are under pressure to cut costs, they persuade a 55-year old to take early retirement. Take away seniority-based pay scales, and older workers may become a much more attractive employment proposition. But most employers and many workers are uncomfortable with the idea of reducing someone’s pay in later life – although manual workers on piece-rates often earn less as they get older. So retaining the services of older workers may mean employing them in different ways. One innovation was devised by IBM Belgium. Faced with the need to cut staff costs, and having decided to concentrate cuts on 55 to 60-year olds, IBM set up a separate company called Skill Team, which re-employed any of the early retired who wanted to go on working up to the age of 60. An employee who joined Skill Team at the age of 55 on a five-year contract would work for 58% of his time, over the full period, for 88% of his last IBM salary. The company offered services to IBM, thus allowing it to retain access to some of the intellectual capital it would otherwise have lost. The best way to tempt the old to go on working may be to build on such ‘bridge’ jobs: part- time or temporary employment that creates a more gradual transition from full-time work to retirement. Studies have found that, in the United States, nearly half of all men and women who had been in full-time jobs in middle age moved into such ‘bridge’ jobs at the end of their working lives. In general, it is the best-paid and worst-paid who carry on working. There seem to be two very different types of bridge job-holder – those who continue working because they have to and those who continue working because they want to, even though they could afford to retire. If the job market grows more flexible, the old may find more jobs that suit them. Often, they will be self-employed. Sometimes, they may start their own businesses: a study by David Storey of Warwick University found that in Britain 70% of businesses started by people over 55 survived, compared with an overall national average of only 19%. But whatever pattern of employment they choose, in the coming years the skills of these ‘grey workers’ will have to be increasingly acknowledged and rewarded.
Questions 1 – 4
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct letter in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet
1. In paragraph one, the writer suggests that companies could consider
abolishing pay schemes that are based on age.
avoiding pay that is based on piece-rates.
increasing pay for older workers.
equipping older workers with new skills.
2. Skill Team is an example of a company which
offers older workers increases in salary.
allows people to continue working for as long as they want.
allows the expertise of older workers to be put to use.
treats older and younger workers equally.
3. According to the writer, ‘bridge’ jobs
tend to attract people in middle-salary ranges.
are better paid than some full-time jobs.
originated in the United States.
appeal to distinct groups of older workers.
4. David Storey’s study found that
people demand more from their work as they get older.
older people are good at running their own businesses.
an increasing number of old people are self-employed.
few young people have their own businesses.
Academic Reading Sample Task – Multiple Choice: one answer (Answers)
A ■ abolishing pay schemes that are based on age
C ■ allows the expertise of older workers to be put to use
D ■ appeal to distinct groups of older workers
B ■ older people are good at running their own businesses
Sample of IELTS Reading multiple choice question (More than one answer)
Here is an IELTS Reading multiple choice question sample for more than one answer for your reference, practicing with this type of sample can help you score higher on the IELTS Reading section:
Academic Reading Sample Task – Multiple Choice: more than one answer© The Economist Newspaper Limited, London, 1999Clearly, when older people do heavy physical work, their age may affect their productivity. But other skills may increase with age, including many that are crucial for good management, such as an ability to handle people diplomatically, to run a meeting or to spot a problem before it blows up. Peter Hicks, who co-ordinates OECD work on the policy implications of ageing, says that plenty of research suggests older people are paid more because they are worth more. And the virtues of the young may be exaggerated. ‘The few companies that have kept on older workers find they have good judgement and their productivity is good,’ says Peter Peterson, author of a recent book on the impact of ageing. ‘Besides, their education standards are much better than those of today’s young high-school graduates.’ Companies may say that older workers are not worth training because they are reaching the end of their working lives; in fact, young people tend to switch jobs so frequently that they offer the worst returns on training. The median age for employer-driven training is the late 40s and early 50s, and this training goes mainly to managers.
Questions 1 and 2
Choose TWO letters, A-G.
Write the correct letters in boxes 1 and 2 on your answer sheet.
The list below gives some of the advantages of employing older workers.
Which TWO advantages are mentioned by the writer of the text?
They are less likely to be involved in careless accidents.
They can predict areas that may cause trouble in the future.
They are able to train younger workers. D They can deal with unexpected problems.
They are more conscientious.
They are prepared to work for lower salaries.
They are more skilled in personal relationships.
Questions 3 and 4
Choose TWO letters, A-F.
Write the correct letters in boxes 3 and 4 on your answer sheet.
The list below gives some of the disadvantages of employing younger workers.
Which TWO disadvantages are mentioned by the writer of the text?
They are too confident of their own skills.
They may injure themselves.
They do not stay with the same company for very long.
Their training has been too theoretical.
They are not as well educated as older workers.
They demand higher salaries.
Academic Reading Sample Task – Multiple Choice: more than one answer (Answers)
1&2 IN EITHER ORDER
B ■ They can predict areas that may cause trouble in the future
G ■ They are more skilled in personal relationships
3&4 IN EITHER ORDER
C ■ They do not stay with the same company for very long
E ■ They are not as well educated as older workers
IELTS Reading multiple choice questions tips
Here are the top tips for answering IELTS Reading multiple choice questions:
Read the questions first: Skim the questions before reading the passage to know what to look for.
Locate keywords: Identify and underline keywords in the question to help locate the relevant part of the passage.
Eliminate wrong answers: Use the process of elimination to narrow down the choices.
Careful reading: Ensure you understand the part of the passage related to the question to avoid traps.
Hope this blog helps you understand all about IELTS Reading multiple choice questions. Also, if you want to take an IELTS test or need related answers then you can get in touch with your nearest IDP IELTS test centre. Our team of IELTS experts will clear up all your queries.