In IELTS Listening multiple choice, you choose the correct letter: one answer from A, B or C, or sometimes two or three answers from a longer list. In matching, you "match a list of items from the recording to a list of options, then choose the correct letter" (ielts.org).
The hard part: you will often hear words from more than one option, and only one is what the speaker confirms. In 7,111 finished GoPrep mock tests (28 August to 26 September 2026), 98% of the 38,899 marks lost on letter questions were a wrong letter, not an empty answer. This guide trains one skill: telling the option that is mentioned from the option that is meant.
What multiple choice and matching look like
IELTS describes multiple choice as "a question with three possible answers or the first half of a sentence with three possible sentence endings. You have to choose one correct answer." It adds: "Sometimes you are given a longer list of possible answers and you have to choose more than one answer. You should read the question carefully to check how many answers you need to choose" (ielts.org).
That gives you three shapes of letter question:
| Question type | What you do | Instruction you might see |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple choice, one answer | Pick one of A, B or C | Choose the correct letter, A, B or C. |
| Choose two or three | Pick 2 or 3 letters from a longer list | Choose TWO letters, A–E. |
| Matching | Give each numbered item a letter from a box | Write the correct letter, A–F, next to Questions 25–30. |
In GoPrep's mock tests, more than 9 in 10 of these questions sit in Parts 2 and 3 (102,277 of 110,217 answers, 28 August to 26 September 2026). Part 2 has "only one main speaker", for example a speech about local facilities. Part 3 is "a conversation between two main speakers (for example, two university students in discussion, perhaps guided by a tutor)" (ielts.org).
Why you hear more than one option
IDP puts it plainly: "the multiple-choice questions include incorrect options", and people sometimes "give information or offer an opinion and then change their mind". A wrong option usually reaches you in one of three ways:
- Mentioned, then rejected. "We thought about the museum, but it's closed on Mondays."
- Same word, different meaning. The option says the data was wrong; the speaker says we collected more data than we needed.
- The wrong person's view. In Part 3, one student says it, the other disagrees, and the question asks about the second student.
The right option usually comes as a paraphrase: the same idea in other words. Here is a short example.
What has changed at the new sports centre? A It opens at 7 in the morning. B It has a bigger pool. C Membership costs less.
"People expect a bigger pool, but it's actually the same size as before. It still opens at 7, like the old one. What has changed is the price: members now pay about a third less."
| Option | First impression | Evidence and decision |
|---|---|---|
| A Opens at 7 | True: "still opens at 7" | True, but "like the old one": nothing changed. Wrong |
| B Bigger pool | Exact words: "a bigger pool" | "But … the same size": rejected. Wrong |
| C Costs less | No matching words | "Pay about a third less" = costs less. Answer |
Use the same routine for every letter question:
- Before the audio, find the difference between the options. That difference is what the recording tests.
- While you listen, mark every option: Y if the speaker confirms it, N if they reject it, ? if it is only mentioned.
- Wait for the end of the point. Words like but, actually and in the end often come just before a change of direction. Choose after the change.
- Lost the thread? Don't chase it. Pick your best letter for now, move straight to the next question, and come back to it when you check your answers.
Where test takers lose marks on letter questions
We looked at 7,111 finished GoPrep Listening mocks (a score above 0 and at least one non-empty answer in every part) from 28 August to 26 September 2026, and compared letter questions (multiple choice, choose two or three, matching) with gap-fill questions in the same parts.
| Question type | Part 2 | Part 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple choice, one answer | 31% | 38% |
| Choose two or three | 30% | 33% |
| Matching | 34% | 42% |
| Gap-fill (form, note, sentence, table)* | 51% | 54% |
Three things stand out:
- In the same part, letter questions lose fewer marks than gap-fills: 38% against 54% in Part 3.
- Part 3 costs more than Part 2 for every letter type. Multiple choice rises from 31% to 38%, matching from 34% to 42%.
- Blanks are rare. Across all four parts, only 812 of 38,899 lost letter answers (2%) were empty, against 1 in 5 lost gap-fill answers. When a letter question costs a mark, a wrong option was almost always chosen.
*Gap-fill here means form, note, sentence and table completion; short-answer questions are left out. Map labelling is not in this table.
Does this change with your score? The next table keeps the same base, Part 3 only, and splits the mocks by total score.
| Correct answers out of 40 | Part 3 letter questions | Part 3 gap-fill |
|---|---|---|
| 22 or fewer (2,998 mocks) | 56% | 73% |
| 23 to 29 (2,231 mocks) | 37% | 45% |
| 30 to 34 (1,303 mocks) | 23% | 30% |
| 35 or more (579 mocks) | 9% | 13% |
At every level, Part 3 letter questions lost fewer marks than Part 3 gap-fills, and the gap narrowed as scores rose: 17 points at 22 or fewer correct answers, 8 at 23 to 29, 4 at 35 or more. And at every level, letter questions cost more in Part 3 than in Part 2. At 23 to 29 correct answers (about band 6 to 6.5), 37% of Part 3 letter answers were wrong, against 27% in Part 2.
The table shows where marks go, not why, but around band 6 Part 3 discussions are worth practising on purpose. To see what one or two extra answers mean for your band, use the IELTS Listening band score table.
Choose TWO questions: the half-right trap
When the instruction says Choose TWO letters, A–E, you answer two numbered questions from one list. In the official IELTS sample for this type, the answers are numbered 1 to 3 and marked "IN ANY ORDER" (ielts.org sample answer key), and IELTS gives 1 mark for each correct answer. So the order doesn't matter, but you need as many different answers as the instruction asks for.
In GoPrep mocks, the most common way to lose marks here is getting one letter right and the other wrong.
| Correct answers out of 40 | Both letters right | Only one right |
|---|---|---|
| 22 or fewer | 26% | 56% |
| 23 to 29 | 47% | 47% |
| 30 to 34 | 65% | 33% |
| 35 or more | 83% | 17% |
When a pair was not fully right, only one letter was wrong 83% of the time (3,420 of 4,119 pairs), and almost none of those half-right pairs had an empty answer. At 23 to 29 correct answers, half-right pairs were as common as fully right ones. Even at 30 to 34, 1 in 3 pairs lost a mark.
How to get the second letter too:
- Mark all five options with Y, N or ? as you listen. Two will be confirmed; expect to hear most of the other three too.
- Don't stop at the first Y. The second answer can come much later, with a rejected option in between.
- Test your second letter hardest. Did the speaker say it is true, or only mention it?
- Never leave the second answer empty. Sure of one letter? Choose it, and add your best guess for the other. An empty answer always scores 0.
Matching: one list in order, one list out of order
In matching you get numbered items (people, places, suggestions) and a box of lettered options. IDP notes that "The questions are always in order" but "The options may not be in order", and that "Some IELTS Listening matching questions allow you to use each option in a list more than once." The instruction tells you which kind you have.
- Follow the numbered items, not the box. The items come in the order you hear them; the box is a menu you jump around in.
- Put each option into your own words before the audio. Out of date becomes old, needs updating. You will hear the idea, rarely the printed words.
- Check the reuse rule. If the instruction says you may use a letter more than once, don't cross letters out after you use them.
Part 3: who agrees with whom
Part 3 questions often ask about one person's view or about what both speakers agree on. Here the trap is not only a wrong word, but a wrong speaker.
Tag every opinion with the speaker's initial, and wait for the reply: an idea only becomes a shared view when the other speaker accepts it. These phrases are common patterns, not fixed rules, so check what comes next.
| You might hear | What it usually shows | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "That's exactly it." / "Absolutely." | Agreement | A shared view: it can answer a question about what both think |
| "You're right, I hadn't thought of that." | Agreement, and a change of mind | Take the new view, not the speaker's first one |
| "I see what you mean, but…" | Polite disagreement | Not shared yet: listen for what they settle on |
| "Hmm, maybe, but…" / "I'm not so sure." | Doubt or disagreement | Not shared yet: listen for what they settle on |
| "Actually, …" | Often a correction of what came before | Drop the earlier idea and take the new one |
Practice: explain every wrong option
Practice script written for this guide. Read the questions (about 30 seconds), then read the script once, as if you were hearing it. Choose your answers, and for every option you rejected, write one line: why is it wrong? Then check the key.
Question 21. Why did Dana and Leo choose the canteen for their study?
- A It was the only place that gave them permission.
- B It produces the most food waste on campus.
- C It was easy for them to collect data there every day.
Questions 22–23. Choose TWO letters, A–E. Which TWO problems with their first survey do both students agree on?
- A The questions were too long.
- B Too few students took part.
- C It was only in English.
- D It was run at the wrong time of day.
- E The results were hard to count.
Questions 24–26. What does Leo think about each idea for the presentation? Choose from the box. You may use any letter more than once.
- A It would take too long.
- B He recommends including it.
- C The tutor has already rejected it.
24 a short video · 25 a live demonstration · 26 a handout
Dana: So, why the canteen? People keep asking me that. Leo: Well, not because it wastes the most food. The sports café probably throws away more, actually. Dana: True. And the library café said yes to us too, so we did have a choice. Leo: Right. It was really that we both eat lunch there, so we could weigh the bins every single day without a special trip.
Dana: Now, the first survey. I still think the questions were far too long. Leo: Hmm, some were, but most people finished it, so I don't think length was the problem. What bothered me was that we only got 23 replies. Dana: That's exactly it. Twenty-three is nothing. And we ran it at four in the afternoon, when the canteen's almost empty. Leo: You're right, I hadn't thought of that. Lunchtime would have been much better. Dana: A few people said it should be in other languages, too. Leo: Maybe, but only two people mentioned it. And counting the results was fine: the online form did it for us.
Dana: For the presentation, what about a short video of the bins? Leo: I like that. People remember pictures better than numbers. Let's include it. Dana: And a live demonstration, weighing a bin in front of everyone? Leo: Honestly, it would be the most memorable part. But Dr Patel already said no to that last week, something about hygiene, so we can't include it. Dana: Oh, of course. And a handout with all our tables? Leo: We could, but formatting every table would eat up the whole weekend. I'd rather spend that time on the video.
Answer key
21: C. "We both eat lunch there, so we could weigh the bins every single day" is a paraphrase of easy to collect data every day.
- A is wrong: the library café "said yes to us too", so the canteen was not the only place.
- B is wrong: Leo says "not because it wastes the most food". The option is mentioned, then rejected.
22–23: B and D, in either order. Each agreement is signalled.
- B: Leo raises "only 23 replies", and Dana answers "That's exactly it."
- D: Dana raises "four in the afternoon", and Leo answers "You're right, I hadn't thought of that."
- A is wrong: only Dana thinks so. Leo says "I don't think length was the problem". Right idea, wrong speaker.
- C is wrong: "a few people" said it, not the students, and Leo doubts it.
- E is wrong: Leo says "counting the results was fine". The topic is there; the meaning is the opposite.
24: B. "I like that … Let's include it" is a clear recommendation.
25: C. Leo praises it ("the most memorable part"), which tempts you to write B. But he doesn't recommend including it: "Dr Patel already said no … so we can't include it." The tutor has rejected it.
26: A. "Formatting every table would eat up the whole weekend" is a paraphrase of it would take too long.
FAQ
How do you answer multiple choice questions in IELTS Listening?
Read the question and options before the audio and find what makes the options different. While you listen, mark each option as confirmed, rejected or only mentioned, and choose the one the speaker confirms, usually in other words, not the one whose words you hear first.
Do the answers to IELTS Listening choose TWO questions have to be in order?
No. In the official IELTS sample answer key for multiple choice with more than one answer, the answers are marked "in any order". Always give as many different answers as the instruction asks for, even if one is a guess.
Can you use an option more than once in IELTS Listening matching?
Sometimes. IDP notes that some IELTS Listening matching questions allow you to use each option more than once. The instruction tells you, so read it before the recording starts.
Are IELTS Listening multiple choice answers in order?
Questions and question groups follow the order of the recording. Inside one choose TWO or THREE group, the answers count in any order, and within one question the options can be mentioned in any order, so don't wait to hear A before B.
What to practise next
Gap-fills lose more marks overall: see IELTS Listening form completion and IELTS Listening spelling. Part 2 maps have their own routine in IELTS Listening map labelling, and our IELTS Listening tips show how all four parts fit together.
For a plan built around your weak spots, tell the quiz your target score, exam date and hardest part of IELTS. GoPrep will build a personal study plan from your answers.
P.S. The full multiple choice and matching lessons, with more practice, are in the GoPrep course.
GoPrep Team
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We write about IELTS preparation using platform data and official exam materials.
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