IELTS Reading- Multiple Choice questions

Multiple Choice Questions, also known as the MCQ, tests one’s ability to understand the central idea of the given text. According to the Abroad Gateway’s categorisation of IELTS Reading questions, MCQ is one of the types of questions that falls under the easy category of the IELTS reading module. Previously, you have learned about the strategy to solve True/false/Not Given and Yes/No/Not given. Now you will learn how to solve the MCQs.

What are the MCQs?

In the Multiple Choice questions, you have to select the most appropriate option as an answer following the given passage. You have to read the passage thoroughly to search for the most suitable answer as only one option is correct.

How to solve MCQs quickly?

So here are some steps with the assistance of which you can answer MCQs with accuracy.

Step-1 Read the questions.

The first and foremost thing is to read the questions instead of reading the passage. Doing this will give you an idea of what to focus on while reading the passage, which is better than reading it aimlessly. So, this will save a lot of time.

Step-2 Skim

Just read the passage while having questions in mind to get a general idea of the passage. As a result, you will be able to locate the answers quickly in second reading.

Step-3 Keywords

Now come back to the questions, underline the keywords, and keep those in vision while going through the paragraph again. The keywords save a lot of time.

Step-4 Check for the order

Keep in mind that the answers will follow the order in the text . So, if you found an answer to a question in a particular paragraph, then there is a possibility that you may find the next answer nearby.

Step–5 Read in Detail

Skimming and Scanning may work in some questions, but it won’t work for all the questions. So, you have to read in detail to find the answer as some questions demand an attentive and thorough reading.

Step-6 Choose the option.

Go for the most appropriate option according to the keywords and their synonyms, making clear sense with the question asked.

Want to know some tips to improve more?

Here are some of the tips by Abroad Gateway which will enhance your capability to solve MCQs:

1. Don’t leave any questions unanswered as there is no negative marking. So, it will be better to attempt the doubtful questions too. Chances are, the answer might be correct.
2. Beware of the distractors included in the options as they have the power to alter the meaning of a sentence. Some of those distractors are every, all, most, few and only.
3. Rechecking is the key to retrieve accurate answers.
4. Whenever you feel that all the options are the same, then try to rephrase in your own words.
5. Try to eliminate the irrelevant options. By using elimination, you are left with the nearest possible answer.

So, in this way, you can answer the MCQs with accuracy. Furthermore, you can modify your current strategy after applying these steps and improve your IELTS score better than anticipated.

 To know more about the strategies to clear the IELTS exam- Click here

Get access to free IELTS study material– Click here- Abroad Gateway