In IELTS Matching Headings you get a list of headings and a text split into paragraphs or sections marked A, B, C. For each paragraph or section the questions name, you choose the heading that sums up its main idea and write the heading's number, usually a small Roman numeral such as iv. The official task description sets three rules:
- There are always more headings than paragraphs, so some headings are never used.
- No heading may be used more than once.
- The task tests whether you can find the main idea of a paragraph and tell it apart from a supporting idea.
The task appears in both Academic and General Training Reading. When a section has it, IELTS says it is the first set of questions in that section. Each correct answer gets 1 mark, and a wrong answer costs nothing extra, so never leave a heading blank.
The skill behind it is paraphrase: saying the same thing in other words. The right heading rarely repeats the paragraph's words. It repeats its idea.
Why matching headings loses so many marks
Matching headings is one of the two hardest question types in GoPrep Reading mocks. 59% of matching headings answers scored 0, compared with 42% for True/False/Not Given and 49% across all Reading question types (15,972 matching headings answers, 28 August to 26 September 2026). Only matching sentence endings had a higher error rate.
The way marks are lost changes with the level. The last column counts only wrong answers that were not blank: how many of them were a real heading from the same set, the correct answer for a different paragraph.
| Band of the mock | Answers that scored 0 | Answers left blank | Non-blank wrong answers that were another paragraph's heading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below 5.0 (668 mocks) | 88% | 48% | 67% |
| 5.0-5.5 (420 mocks) | 68% | 11% | 64% |
| 6.0-6.5 (416 mocks) | 45% | 3% | 59% |
| 7.0-7.5 (237 mocks) | 21% | Under 1% | 60% |
| 8.0 and above (110 mocks) | 8% | 0% | 23 of 59 |
Four things stand out:
- Below band 5, blanks are the first problem. Almost half of the headings answers were empty. A guess can score; a blank can't.
- At bands 5.0 to 7.5, most wrong answers are real headings in the wrong place. About 6 in 10 wrong answers that were not blank were the correct heading for a different paragraph in the same set, not one of the spare headings. At band 8.0 and above, this was 23 of 59.
- Wrong headings rarely come alone. Across all 15,972 matching headings answers from the period, 4,271 of the 6,604 wrong answers that were not blank used another paragraph's heading, and in 92% of those cases that other paragraph also scored 0.
- The same heading was written twice in 16% of question sets (390 of 2,451 sets). The rules never allow this, so at least one of those two answers is wrong.
So the job is not only to find a heading that fits a paragraph. It is to find the paragraph each heading fits best, and the method below is built for that.
How to answer matching headings in 5 steps
Before you start, check which paragraphs or sections the questions name: some may not be included. If a labelled section contains several paragraphs, choose a heading for the section as a whole.
- Cross off the example. If the task gives one paragraph as an example, cross its heading off the list before you start.
- Read the paragraph, not the list. Read the first and last sentences carefully, then skim the middle (skim: read quickly for the general idea). The main idea often sits in the first sentence, but words like yet, however and but often mark where the real point begins, even in the middle of the paragraph.
- Write your own heading. Sum up what the paragraph says in a short phrase, roughly 5 words. Do this before you look at the list.
- Test the closest options. Find the 1 or 2 headings nearest to yours and put each through the 3-question test below.
- Cross off and move on. Cross off the heading you used. If two headings still fit, note both, go to the next paragraph and come back later: once the other paragraphs have taken their headings, the choice is smaller.
IDP teaches two ways to start: headings first or text first. Both can work. Starting from the paragraph protects you from the most common trap, a heading that shares a word with the paragraph and grabs your attention before you know what the paragraph says. If the list is short and the headings are very different from each other, reading them first is fine.
The 3-question heading test
When a heading looks right, check it with three questions. It has to pass all three.
- Whole: does it describe the whole paragraph, or only one sentence? A heading built from one example, one name or one number is a supporting detail.
- Point: does it say what the paragraph says about its topic, or only name the topic? Two paragraphs can share a topic, for example both describe a problem, and still need different headings.
- Scope: is it as wide as the paragraph, no wider and no narrower? Words like worldwide, all, the history of or rules can make a heading claim more than the paragraph does.
A heading that repeats a word from the paragraph needs this test most. A shared word is not proof: the spare headings are often built from words and details that really are in the text.
Practice: match 5 paragraphs to 8 headings
We wrote this passage for the guide, and the city of Norhaven is invented. Give yourself 5 minutes, about a minute per paragraph, and write down your answers before you read the key.
Bees on the roof
A. Twenty years ago, hardly anyone in Norhaven kept bees. Today the city counts more than 400 hives, most of them on flat roofs above offices, hotels, schools and even the central library. Many of the new owners had never opened a hive before they started.
B. At first, the idea looked unlikely to work. City air is dirtier than country air, and a roof is hot, windy and far from any field. Yet honey from Norhaven's roofs regularly wins local prizes. Parks, gardens and street trees flower at different times, so city bees find food from early spring to late autumn, often for longer than bees on farms, where one crop may flower all at once.
C. Not everyone is pleased. Wild bees, which mostly live alone and make no honey, feed on the same flowers. Some ecologists warn that too many honeybee hives in one area leave less food for these wild species, and they have asked the council to limit new hives in the city centre.
D. Keeping bees high above the street also brings everyday difficulties. Hives have to be carried up narrow stairs or lifted by crane, and the beekeeper needs a safe way onto the roof in wind and rain. One hotel moved its hives after guests on a nearby terrace complained about bees landing in their drinks.
E. For many owners, however, honey is not the main reward. A school uses its hives in biology lessons, and office workers who look after bees together say they now talk to colleagues from other departments. The hive, in other words, has become a reason for people to meet.
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A to E from the list. Write the correct number, i to viii. There are more headings than paragraphs.
- i A cost for wild insects
- ii Using hives to teach biology
- iii Why city bees find enough food
- iv The practical side of rooftop hives
- v A hobby that has spread fast
- vi How pollution harms city bees
- vii What owners gain besides honey
- viii New rules for city beekeepers
Answers and why
Each answer below comes with the words in the paragraph that prove it and the wrong heading most likely to tempt you.
| Paragraph | Answer | Proof in the paragraph | Tempting wrong heading |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | v A hobby that has spread fast | hardly anyone 20 years ago, more than 400 hives today, owners who had never opened a hive | ii: schools appear, but only as one place in a list |
| B | iii Why city bees find enough food | Yet turns the paragraph: bees find food from early spring to late autumn | vi: dirtier air is mentioned, but the paragraph says the bees do well |
| C | i A cost for wild insects | hives leave less food for these wild species | viii: ecologists have asked for a limit. A request is not a rule, and it is one detail |
| D | iv The practical side of rooftop hives | carried up narrow stairs, a safe way onto the roof, bees in guests' drinks | i: D is also a problem, but for people, not wild bees |
| E | vii What owners gain besides honey | honey is not the main reward, then two other gains: lessons and colleagues meeting | ii: biology lessons are one example, not the whole point |
Here is the 3-question test deciding paragraph B, the one where a shared word does the most damage:
| Question | vi How pollution harms city bees | iii Why city bees find enough food |
|---|---|---|
| Whole: the whole paragraph? | No: only sentence 2 mentions dirty air | Yes: the doubt, the prizes and the flowering seasons all build towards it |
| Point: what the paragraph says? | No: after Yet, the paragraph says the bees do well | Yes: the bees find food for longer than on farms |
| Scope: as wide as the paragraph? | No: the paragraph never says bees are harmed | Yes |
Now look at C and D. Both describe a downside, so they share a topic, and that is where a real swap happens. Their points differ: C is about wild bees losing food, D is about the work of reaching the hive. Here is the swap and how the Point question fixes it:
| Paragraph | First choice | Why it fails | Corrected choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | iv The practical side of rooftop hives | Point: C is about food for wild bees, not the work of keeping hives | i A cost for wild insects |
| D | i A cost for wild insects | Point: D's problems are stairs, cranes and complaining guests, not wild insects | iv The practical side of rooftop hives |
One misread topic, two wrong answers. When two paragraphs could easily trade headings, decide what each one says about the shared topic and recheck both answers together. This is the pattern behind the numbers at the top of this guide: most wrong answers that were not blank were another paragraph's heading.
Common matching headings traps
Every trap below makes a wrong heading look related to the paragraph:
- The shared word. The heading repeats a word from the paragraph (pollution for dirtier air), but the paragraph's point is different.
- The true detail. Everything in the heading is in the paragraph, but only in one sentence or one example.
- The topic twin. Two paragraphs on the same topic, such as two different problems. Decide what each one says about it, or you may swap them and get both wrong.
- The too-wide heading. The heading adds rules, history or worldwide when the paragraph gives one request, one period or one place.
- The double use. Writing one heading for two paragraphs. If two paragraphs seem to need the same heading, one of your summaries is wrong: reread both.
- The early stop. Taking the first heading that seems fine. Check the rest of the list; a later heading may fit better.
How long to spend on matching headings
IELTS Reading gives you 60 minutes for 3 sections and 40 questions (ielts.org), so about 20 minutes per section if you split the time evenly. Matching headings sets in GoPrep mocks had 6 to 7 questions on average (2,451 sets, 28 August to 26 September 2026). At about a minute per paragraph, that leaves around 13 minutes for the other questions on the same passage.
Those minutes are not lost. Because matching headings comes first in its section, finishing it gives you a map of the text: you know what each paragraph is about, so you know where to look for the questions that follow. For a timing plan across all 3 sections, see our IELTS Reading tips.
FAQ
What is matching headings in IELTS Reading?
It is a Reading task where you match a list of headings to the paragraphs or sections of a text. Each heading sums up the main idea of one paragraph, and there are always more headings than paragraphs, so some are not used.
How can I solve matching headings in IELTS?
Read each paragraph first, sum up its main idea in a short phrase of your own, then choose the heading that means the same thing. Check that the heading covers the whole paragraph, not one detail, and cross it off once you use it.
How many steps are there for matching headings?
There is no official number of steps. A reliable routine has 5: cross off the example heading, read the paragraph, write your own heading, test the closest options, and cross off the heading you use.
Can you use the same heading twice in IELTS Reading?
No. IELTS states that no heading may be used more than once. If two paragraphs seem to need the same heading, reread both: one of your summaries is wrong.
Should I read the headings or the paragraphs first?
Both methods are taught. Reading the paragraph first and writing your own heading makes it harder for a shared word to trick you, while reading the headings first can be quicker when the list is short and the headings are very different.
Why are there more headings than paragraphs?
The extra headings test whether you can tell a main idea from a supporting detail. Many of them use words or details from the text, so they look right until you check them against the whole paragraph.
How long should I spend on matching headings?
About a minute per paragraph. IELTS Reading gives 60 minutes for 3 sections, so a set of 6 or 7 questions should leave you enough time for the rest of that section.
What to practise next
Matching headings trains one skill: finding the main idea and recognising it in other words. The other Reading tasks test different skills: True/False/Not Given checks exact details, summary completion asks you to fill gaps with words from the passage or from a list, depending on the instructions, and matching sentence endings combines grammar and meaning. To see how many correct answers your target band needs, use the IELTS Reading band score chart.
The next step is a plan. Tell the quiz your target score, your exam date and the part of IELTS you find hardest, and GoPrep will build a personal study plan around your answers.
P.S. The full Matching Headings lesson and further practice are in the GoPrep course.
GoPrep Team
GoPrep guide authors
We write about IELTS preparation using platform data and official exam materials.
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