Matching Question Examples: Templates for Any Subject

TL;DR. Matching questions pair items from two columns. They're excellent for vocabulary, dates, definitions, and capitals — but trivially easy without enough distractors. This guide gives ready-to-use matching sets across subjects, plus the design rules.

What is a matching question?

Two columns: prompts in A, answers in B. Students pair each prompt to its match. Best when:

Match country to capital

| Country | Capital (extras included) |

|---|---|

| 1. Japan | A. Cairo |

| 2. Egypt | B. Tokyo |

| 3. Brazil | C. Lima |

| 4. Argentina | D. Buenos Aires |

| 5. Peru | E. Brasília |

| | F. Bangkok |

| | G. Quito |

Answers: 1→B, 2→A, 3→E, 4→D, 5→C.

Match work to author

| Work | Author |

|---|---|

| 1. Hamlet | A. F. Scott Fitzgerald |

| 2. To Kill a Mockingbird | B. Harper Lee |

| 3. The Great Gatsby | C. Jane Austen |

| 4. Pride and Prejudice | D. William Shakespeare |

| 5. 1984 | E. George Orwell |

| | F. Ernest Hemingway |

| | G. Mark Twain |

Answers: 1→D, 2→B, 3→A, 4→C, 5→E.

Match biology term to definition

| Term | Definition |

|---|---|

| 1. Mitochondria | A. Information-carrier in cells |

| 2. DNA | B. Basic unit of life |

| 3. Cell | C. Powerhouse of the cell |

| 4. Nucleus | D. Control centre of the cell |

| 5. Ribosome | E. Site of protein synthesis |

| | F. Cell's digestive bag |

| | G. Cell's waste removal system |

Answers: 1→C, 2→A, 3→B, 4→D, 5→E.

Match historical figure to contribution

| Figure | Contribution |

|---|---|

| 1. Marie Curie | A. Theory of relativity |

| 2. Albert Einstein | B. Discovery of radioactivity |

| 3. Isaac Newton | C. Telephone |

| 4. Alexander Graham Bell | D. Laws of motion |

| 5. Thomas Edison | E. Commercial light bulb |

| | F. Penicillin |

| | G. The wireless |

Answers: 1→B, 2→A, 3→D, 4→C, 5→E.

Match Spanish verbs to meanings

| Verb | Meaning |

|---|---|

| 1. comer | A. to drink |

| 2. beber | B. to live |

| 3. vivir | C. to eat |

| 4. dormir | D. to walk |

| 5. caminar | E. to sleep |

| | F. to run |

| | G. to write |

Answers: 1→C, 2→A, 3→B, 4→E, 5→D.

Design rules

Common mistakes

When NOT to use matching

For automated matching question generation, paste your vocabulary list into the AI quiz generator.

Related reading

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