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AhaSlides Match Pairs: presenter screen shows the correct pairs and results, beside a phone matching countries to capitals
Match Pairs is a scored quiz question type where participants match a column of prompts with a column of answers, using text, images, or a mix of both. Use it to test connections such as terms and definitions or countries and capitals.

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Match Pairs at a glance

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Create a Match Pairs slide

AhaSlides Match Pairs slide type highlighted in the slide type picker
1

Add a Match Pairs slide

In the editor, select Match Pairs from the Quiz section of the slide type picker.
2

Type your question

Write your question or instructions in the Your question field.
3

Add your pairs

Under Pairs, type up to 4 prompts and the answers they match with. You can upload an image in place of text for any prompt or answer using the image icon next to the field.
4

Configure scoring and time

Adjust the settings below the pairs — see Match Pairs settings.
AhaSlides Match Pairs quiz slide in the editor with the pairs in the Content panel
Don’t give two pairs the same answer. If two answers are worded identically, only the one tied to that particular prompt is marked correct — a participant who picks the matching-looking answer from the other pair is scored wrong even though it reads the same. AhaSlides matches each answer to its own prompt behind the scenes, not by the text on screen, so give every answer its own distinct wording.
To make a good Match Pairs slide:
  • Keep pairs clear and unambiguous — each left-side item should have exactly one correct match on the right.
  • Aim for 3–4 pairs — enough to be engaging without crowding a small mobile screen.
  • Balance difficulty — mix one or two obvious pairs with a few trickier ones.
  • Use parallel structure — if the left column uses terms, keep the right column consistently in definitions, images, or examples.
  • Keep text short — a word or short phrase per item is easier to scan and drag than a long sentence.
  • Test for red herrings — make sure no right-side option almost fits multiple left-side items, unless that’s intentional difficulty.
Prefer to watch? This video tutorial shows how to set up and run a Match Pairs slide:

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Present a Match Pairs slide

Participants see the question along with two columns: prompts, numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, on the left, and answers, lettered A, B, C, D, on the right. The answer column shuffles automatically so participants can’t just copy the on-screen order. Within the time limit, participants match each prompt with the answer it goes with. For scoring mechanics, the leaderboard, and other quiz-wide settings, see How to make and run a quiz.

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Match Pairs settings

Without partial scoring enabled, players must match all prompts and answers correctly to earn any points.

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Match Pairs vs. Categorise

If you want several prompts to share one answer — grouping items into a few categories rather than matching them one-to-one — use the Categorise slide instead, which is built for that. Have a question? Contact our support team — if you’re logged in, use the chat bubble in the bottom-right of your dashboard; otherwise contact us here or email hi@ahaslides.com. Want to connect with other users? Join the AhaSlides community to share tips, request features, and see how others engage their audiences.