IELTS Reading: Multiple choice
Multiple choice appears in two shapes: choose one answer from four, or choose two or three from a list of five to seven. The second is marked per correct answer, so a partly right set still scores.
How the wrong options are built
IELTS distractors are not random. Nearly all of them are one of four things, and recognising the shape is faster than weighing all four options on meaning.
| Distractor | How it works | The giveaway |
|---|---|---|
| True but not asked | States something the passage really says | It does not answer the question stem |
| Right words, wrong claim | Reuses vocabulary from the passage | Heavy word overlap — usually a warning, not a signal |
| Overstated | Takes a hedged claim and makes it absolute | *always, never, all, proves* |
| Half right | One clause correct, one not | Reads well until the final few words |
Method
- Read the stem and answer it from the passage before reading the options.
- Find the relevant lines — these follow passage order.
- Eliminate rather than select; be able to say why each rejected option fails.
- On multiple-answer sets, check how many are required and give exactly that many.
Option overlap with the passage is the most reliable trap in the paper. The correct answer is usually the one that paraphrases the passage; the distractor is the one that quotes it.
Multiple choice — FAQs
2 questions
No. There is no negative marking anywhere in IELTS, so leave nothing blank.
Yes. Each correct answer scores, so give the full number asked for even if you are sure of only one.
Practise Multiple choice
4 free IELTS reading questions, with an explanation on every answer. No sign-up — the scorecard is offered at the end, and only then.
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Sources
Written from the test board's own published material and checked on 1 October 2026.