3.3 Reading Part 2: Multiple Matching

3.3 Reading Part 2: Multiple Matching

Quick Answer: Part 2 gives seven questions (often people with needs or preferences) and three short texts on the same topic. You match each person to the best text. The correct text must satisfy all important requirements—not just one keyword.

Part 2 is where careful readers pull ahead. It has seven marks, more than any other single Reading part. The language stays at A2, but the logic is stricter: partial matches are wrong.

Format Snapshot

On the real paper, texts may be labelled A, B, and C. Each person gets one letter. The same text can be the answer for more than one person. You are not limited to using each text only once.

What “Detailed Comprehension” Means Here

Each person description usually contains two or three conditions, for example:

• wants evening classes and a beginner level
• needs a hotel near the station with breakfast included
• looks for a phone that is cheap and good for photos

A text that meets only the “evening” idea but is for advanced students is wrong. Cambridge builds at least one near-miss text for almost every item.

Recommended Strategy

Step 1 — Preview the topic

Read the short rubric (“The people below all want to… / which place…”) so you know the shared theme (clubs, holidays, courses, apps, museums).

Step 2 — Underline requirements in all seven people

Mark must-have details: times, prices, ages, locations, free/paid, indoor/outdoor, with friends/alone. Use a simple code: circle times, box money words, underline level/skill words.

Step 3 — Read all three texts and chart differences

Do not match person 1 before you understand how the three texts differ. Build a quick mental or written grid:

Step 4 — Match with a full checklist

For each person, ask: “Does this text cover every underlined need?” If one need fails, reject that text even if two keywords match.

Step 5 — Use process of elimination

If two texts fail clearly, the third is usually correct—but still verify the last condition. When two people seem to fit one text, that is normal; confirm both profiles truly fit.

Worked Mini-Example (Original — Free-Time Clubs)

Topic: Three local clubs. Seven friends want a club that fits them. (We show three people fully for teaching; the exam has seven.)

Text A — Riverside Running
Meet at 7 a.m. on Saturdays by the bridge. Free for all ages. No experience needed. We run outside in all weather. Changing rooms only—no café.

Text B — City Chess Café
Open weekday evenings 6–9 p.m. Small fee for drinks. Beginners welcome on Mondays. Indoor only. Good for people who dislike early mornings.

Text C — Weekend Photo Walks
Sunday afternoons in the park. Bring your own camera or phone. £5 per walk. Intermediate tips for members who already take photos. Hot drinks for sale after the walk.

Person 1 — Lina: wants a free activity, is a complete beginner, and can only do Saturday morning.

Answer for Lina: A. Keyword “beginner” alone might tempt C (phones), but C is not free and not for complete beginners.

Person 2 — Omar: hates early starts, wants something indoors on weekday evenings, and is happy to pay a little for drinks.

• A fails (early, outside).
• C fails (Sunday afternoon, outdoor park).
• B matches all three needs.

Person 3 — Pia: already takes photos, free on Sunday afternoon, accepts a small fee, likes a drink after.

• A is free but Saturday morning running—wrong activity and time.
• B is evenings and chess—not photo walks.
• C matches.

Teaching point: If Pia only shared the word “park” or “Sunday” with a wrong text in a harder set, you would still need the fee + level + activity to line up.

Keyword Traps Unique to Part 2

Time Management for Seven Items

1. 1–2 minutes: underline seven profiles + skim three texts into a difference grid.
2. 5–6 minutes: match all seven, hardest profiles first if one is clearly unique.
3. 30–60 seconds: scan for double-use of texts and any blank.

If one person is impossible after a minute, mark a best guess and continue. Returning later with fresh eyes often helps once other matches are placed.

How Part 2 Differs from Part 1

Part 1 is “what does this say?” Part 2 is “which option fits this person completely?”

Practice Drill (10 minutes)

1. Open any three short adverts on the same topic (language schools, gyms, apps).
2. Write seven one-sentence “people” with two conditions each.
3. Match them without looking back at your intended answers for two minutes.
4. Score yourself only when both conditions are satisfied.

Repeat weekly until you stop celebrating single-keyword hits.

Exam-Day Reminders

• Expect topic unity (all hotels, all courses, all museums)—differences live in the details.
• Re-read the person line after choosing a text; confirm no forgotten “also needs…” clause.
• Do not assume each text is used the same number of times.
• Keep handwriting/digital selection clear so you do not shift answers down by one row.

Part 2 rewards systematic comparison. When that habit is automatic, Part 3’s longer text feels less intimidating: you already know how to hunt for specific conditions in continuous English.