PRACTICE FOR MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
Most candidates say that they find the multiple choice question tasks easier than the other listening
tasks. This is because in a question with four choices you have a 25% chance of being correct.
However, you also have a 75% chance of being wrong, which is why multiple choice questions are
harder than they seem. Of course, if you are given 5 choices, your chance is lowered to only 20%!
The IELTS multiple choice question tasks require you to listen to a passage of spoken English, often
a conversation between two people, or a lecture or talk, and make a choice between a number of
possible given answer choices. It is good practice to listen to lectures or talks given on interesting
topics. Tapes can be found on any number of topics at local bookstores and English language
bookstores, or you can use the practice material contained on the tapes which accompany this
practice book. Tapes with exercises for other English language tests conducted almost exclusively
in multiple choice format (such as TOEFL or TOEIC) can be bought. Also, more multiple choice
exercises are available from the companion practice book ‘202 Useful Exercises for IELTS’.
The choices for answers to a multiple choice question are either directly or indirectly supported
(correct), directly or indirectly contradicted (incorrect), or not mentioned at all (incorrect).
When you practise multiple choice question tasks, do not be satisfied with simply finding the correct
answer. Decide if the other incorrect choices are either contradicted or not mentioned. Of course,
in the actual test you only have to find the one correct answer, but further practice will help you
understand why certain choices cannot be correct. Therefore, carefully examine the 3 (or more)
given choices to see how multiple choice questions are constructed. In this way, you get more value
out of the practice task.
Note that although there is only one correct solution to a multiple choice question, it is possible that
all or even none of the given choices to a multiple choice question may be correct.
First, look at the ways in which answer choices may be incorrect:
1. There is often at least one given answer choice that is neither sensible nor logical, an
therefore, cannot be correct.
2. There may be given answer choices that are contradicted in the passage.
A choice may either be
directly contradicted - clearly and directly opposite in meaning to what is hea
or indirectly contradicted - what is heard leads you to conclude that the choice is incorre
or not exactly what is stated - almost, but not quite, what the speaker says.
3. There may be given answer choices that are not mentioned in the passage. (Note that son
answers might not be mentioned in the passage and may also lack logic or sense.)
Next, look at the ways in which answer choices may be correct:
1. A given answer choice may be directly supported by what is stated in the passage.
2. A given answer choice may be indirectly supported by what is stated in the passage, tF
is, what is heard leads you to conclude that the choice is the correct answer.
