Matching Headings Strategy

What Matching Headings Tests

Matching headings tests your ability to understand the main idea of each paragraph — not the details within it. This is a skimming skill, not a scanning skill. Students who read every word of every paragraph to find matching headings run out of time.

The Strategy

Step 1: Read the list of headings first. There will always be more headings than paragraphs — extra headings are distractors.

Step 2: For each paragraph, read only the first sentence and last sentence. The first sentence usually introduces the main idea. The last sentence usually concludes or develops it.

Step 3: Match based on the overall message of the paragraph, not on individual words that appear in both the heading and the paragraph.

The Trap — Keyword Matching

Examiners deliberately put words from the paragraph text into wrong headings. If a heading contains the word "economy" and the paragraph also contains the word "economy" — that does not mean they match. The heading must match the main point of the entire paragraph, not just mention the same topic.

When Two Headings Seem to Fit

If two headings both seem to match a paragraph, read the paragraph more carefully. Ask: what is the single most important point the paragraph makes? One heading will describe the main point. The other will describe a detail or sub-point mentioned within the paragraph. Choose the heading that captures the paragraph as a whole.

Paragraphs That Are Hard to Match

Some paragraphs are transitional — they briefly summarise what came before and introduce what follows. Their heading will often be phrased as a contrast or shift: "A change in approach" or "From theory to practice."

Time Management

Do not spend more than 90 seconds on any single paragraph. If a match is not clear, move on and return at the end. Often matching the easier paragraphs first eliminates headings and makes the harder ones obvious.