B2 First Multiple Matching Practice

B2 First (FCE) · Reading & Use of English Part 7 · 30 free exercises

A set of prompts to match against several short texts or sections — which person mentions X, which paragraph states Y. Multiple matching tests fast, targeted reading: scanning for specific ideas expressed in different words.

Multiple Matching: Finding one idea in a long text, ten times over.

Fast scanning and paraphrase recognition. The statement never uses the same words as the text — you match the idea, not the words, and quickly, because there is a lot of ground to cover.

What real learners get wrong: B2 learners average 90% — the friendliest reading part. Lost marks come from matching a section because it repeats the statement’s words, when the paraphrase is elsewhere.

The method

  1. Read the statements first — here they are your questions.
  2. Turn each statement into its core idea, stripped of its wording.
  3. Scan for meaning, not matching words — a section repeating the exact words is often a trap.
  4. Do the easy, distinctive statements first to shrink the search.
  5. Remember sections can be used more than once, or not at all — and confirm the section truly says it.

The traps

All Multiple Matching exercises

Cambridge B2 First 4, Cambridge University Press

Cambridge English First 2, Cambridge University Press

Cambridge English First 3, Cambridge University Press

First Expert Coursebook, Pearson Education

First Expert Student's Resource Book, Pearson Education

Ready for B2 First 4th Edition Workbook, Macmillan Education Limited

Ready for B2 First 4th Edition, Macmillan Education Limited

Other levels