Cambridge IELTS 3 · General Training · Test 2 · Section 3
First Impressions Count — IELTS Reading Answers
All 13 answers for First Impressions Count, Cambridge IELTS 3 General Training Reading Test 2 Section 3, with the passage evidence and an explanation for each.
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First Impressions Count answer key at a glance
Questions 28–40. Tap an answer to see the evidence.
What this section tests
This section is tested with Matching Information (Q28–33), Yes / No / Not Given (Q34–40). Each section below gives the strategy for that question type, the answers, and the sentence that proves them.
Questions 28–33: Matching Information
Strategy: Scan for the idea, not the exact words. The answer is a paragraph letter, and one paragraph may be used more than once unless the instructions say otherwise.
different types of purchasing agreement
“In addition, some uniform companies also offer rental services Increasingly, the big suppliers are becoming ‘managing agents’, which means they offer a total service to put together the whole complex operation of a company’s corporate clothing package”
Paragraph F mentions rental services alongside buying and suppliers acting as 'managing agents', so it sets out more than one way of purchasing corporate clothing.
the original purposes of uniforms
“Traditionally uniforms were — and for some industries still are — manufactured to protect the worker. When they were first designed, it is also likely that all uniforms made symbolic sense - those for the military, for example, were originally intended to impress and even terrify the enemy;”
Paragraph A gives the first purposes: protecting the worker and carrying symbolic meaning, such as terrifying the enemy or marking rank.
the popularity rating of staff uniforms
“A recent survey of staff found that 90 per cent welcomed having clothing which reflected the corporate identity”
Paragraph G reports a survey in which '90 per cent welcomed' clothing reflecting corporate identity, a direct measure of how staff rate uniforms.
involving employees in the selection of a uniform
“Giving the wearers a choice has become a key element in the way corporate clothing is introduced and managed”
Paragraph E says giving the wearers a choice 'has become a key element', which is employees being involved in selecting their uniform.
the changing significance of company uniforms
“The last 30 years, however, have seen an increasing emphasis on their role in projecting the image of an organisation and in uniting the workforce into a homogeneous unit — particularly in ‘customer facing’ industries,”
Paragraph B traces the shift over 30 years from uniform as a simple staff identifier to 'a new channel of marketing communication'.
perceptions of different types of dress
“Dark colours give an aura of authority while lighter pastel shades suggest approachability. Certain dress styles create a sense of conservatism, others a sense of openness to new ideas. Neatness can suggest efficiency but, if it is overdone, it can spill over and indicate an obsession with power”
Paragraph C contrasts dark colours, pastels and overdone neatness, showing how different styles of dress are read by observers.
Questions 34–40: Yes / No / Not Given
Strategy: These test the writer's opinions, not facts. Look for evaluative language, and treat 'may' or 'could' as weaker than the question's claim.
Uniforms were more carefully made in the past than they are today.
“Traditionally uniforms were — and for some industries still are — manufactured to protect the worker. When they were first designed, it is also likely that all uniforms made symbolic sense”
The passage says early uniforms were made to protect workers and carry symbolic meaning, but never compares how carefully past and present uniforms are made.
Uniforms make employees feel part of a team.
“The last 30 years, however, have seen an increasing emphasis on their role in projecting the image of an organisation and in uniting the workforce into a homogeneous unit — particularly in ‘customer facing’ industries, and especially in financial services and retailing”
Uniforms are credited with 'uniting the workforce into a homogeneous unit', the same idea as making employees feel part of a team.
Using uniforms as a marketing tool requires great care.
“Truly effective marketing through visual cues such as uniforms is a subtle art, however”
Marketing through uniforms is called 'a subtle art', meaning it has to be handled with care and skill rather than crudely.
Being too smart could have a negative impact on customers.
“Neatness can suggest efficiency but, if it is overdone, it can spill over and indicate an obsession with power”
Overdone neatness 'can spill over and indicate an obsession with power', so looking too smart can send customers a negative message.
Most businesses that supply company clothing are successful.
“According to Company Clothing magazine, there are 1000 companies supplying the workwear and corporate clothing market. Of these, 22 account for 85% of total sales - £380 million in 1994”
Only 22 of 1000 suppliers take 85 per cent of sales, so the passage contradicts the claim that most supplying businesses are successful.
Uniforms are best selected by marketing consultants.
“"Subliminally we see all these things," says Lynn Elvy, a director of image consultants House of Colour”
An image consultant is quoted about subliminal perception, but the passage never recommends marketing consultants as the best selectors of uniforms.
Clothing companies are planning to offer financial services in the future.
“Increasingly, the big suppliers are becoming ‘managing agents’, which means they offer a total service to put together the whole complex operation of a company’s corporate clothing package - which includes reliable sourcing, managing the inventory,”
Financial services appear only as an industry where uniforms matter; suppliers offering managing-agent services are never said to plan financial products.
Learn the question types in this section
Frequently asked questions
Where does the First Impressions Count passage come from?
It is Section 3 of Cambridge IELTS 3 General Training Reading Test 2, and it covers Questions 28–40.
What question types appear in First Impressions Count?
The section is tested with Matching Information, Yes / No / Not Given. Each type is explained on this page, alongside the answers.
Are these reading answers reliable?
Every answer is paired with the sentence that proves it, so you can check each one against the passage yourself. Use the page after a timed attempt, not instead of one.
Cambridge IELTS is published by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Band9Prep is not affiliated with Cambridge. This page is an independent study aid: it gives the answer key, the passage evidence and an explanation so you can review an attempt you have already made.