Question type 8 of 9: Locating information questions in IELTS reading. On this page, we will look at the eighth of the 9 types of question used in the IELTS reading test – locating information in IELTS reading.

What do I have to do for Locating information questions in IELTS reading?

For this question type, you have to identify which paragraphs contains information related to a given statement. Here’s an example:

Questions 1 – 6

Reading Passage 1 has seven paragraphs, A-G.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter A-G in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.

1. The rationale for Tapsell’s change of name.

What is this question type testing my ability to do?

Questions which ask you to locate information in a paragraph are testing your ability to locate and understand specific information in the reading passage.

What are the best steps for answering Locating information questions in IELTS reading?

There are 4 steps that we recommend following for this question type:

Step 1 – Read: Read the statement carefully

Step 2 – Keywords: Identify keywords

Step 3 – Locate: Locate the relevant area of the passage

Step 4 – Check: Read the statement  / question again

Step 5 – Detail: Read the relevant section of the passage in detail

Step 6 – Confirm: Confirm the correct answer by matching all parts of the statement

What useful tips are there for this question type?

• TIP 1: You are NOT matching everything in the paragraph, just specific detail.
• TIP 2: You are matching information that can be very specific
• TIP 3: Might only be briefly mentioned in the paragraph
• TIP 4: DO NOT just match keywords – always read in detail
• TIP 5:Consider synonyms, antonyms and other ways of rephrasing
• TIP 6: You might not use all paragraphs in your answers
• TIP 7: Sometimes you will be able use a paragraph in more than one answer so read the instructions carefully

What are the common errors with this question type?

One of the most common errors with this question type is writing more words than the limit allows. Another common error is using a word that is not in the reading passage. Remember that the exact word must be there. Writing ‘Wooden’ when the text says ‘Made from wood’ is incorrect.

Now practice!

Click the link in the table below to test your skills with headings questions in IELTS reading