IBPS Clerk · Bite-size lessons
Cloze Test
About 6 min · English Language · English
Time worked out from the lesson's 438 words at 150 words a minute, plus a minute for each question.
A cloze test is a paragraph with 5–6 blanks where you must choose the most appropriate word from the given options. Unlike fill-in-the-blank questions that test isolated sentences, cloze tests evaluate your ability to understand a passage as a whole — how ideas connect, what tone the author uses, and which words fit both grammatically and contextually.
Key ideas
- Context is king: The correct answer must fit the meaning of the entire paragraph, not just the sentence containing the blank. Read at least one sentence before and after each blank.
- Grammar agreement: The word must agree with the subject in number (singular/plural) and tense. A verb blank following "he" cannot be "are" or "were" if present tense is needed.
- Collocation awareness: Some words naturally pair together (make a decision, not do a decision; heavy rain, not strong rain). Collocations often distinguish the correct answer from close alternatives.
- Tone consistency: If the passage is formal, slang or casual words are wrong. If the passage discusses a problem, a word suggesting a solution may not fit unless the paragraph shifts direction.
- Transition signals: Words like however, therefore, moreover, despite signal logical relationships. A blank following "however" likely needs a word that contrasts with the previous idea.
Watch out for
- Solving blanks in isolation → Read the full paragraph first, then attempt blanks. Jumping directly to options without context leads to choosing words that fit grammatically but not contextually.
- Confusing similar-meaning words → "Effective" and "efficient" both sound positive, but effective means producing the desired result while efficient means doing so with minimum waste. Check which meaning the passage actually needs.
- Ignoring preposition patterns → "Comply with," "depend on," "result in" are fixed phrases. Choosing "comply to" because "to" sounds correct is a common trap. Review common preposition collocations.
Quick reference
- Read the entire paragraph before attempting any blank.
- Identify the part of speech needed (noun/verb/adjective/adverb/preposition).
- Check subject-verb agreement and tense consistency.
- Look for transition words (however, therefore, despite) to understand logical flow.
- Eliminate options that break collocations or sound unnatural.
Check yourself: 3 questions
1. The government has announced a new scheme to promote digital literacy in rural areas. The scheme aims to _____ every citizen with basic computer skills, thereby bridging the digital divide between urban and rural populations.
2. Climate change has become one of the most _____ issues facing humanity today. Scientists warn that immediate action is required to mitigate its effects and prevent catastrophic consequences for future generations.
3. The increasing use of plastic has led to severe environmental degradation. Many countries are now _____ strict regulations to reduce plastic consumption and encourage the use of biodegradable alternatives.
This lesson is cut from the topic's note, not rewritten. Fact-checked on 17 Oct 2026: an AI-assisted check of this note against cited sources; the errors it found were corrected that day. Some errors may remain. The questions are from Shishya's validated question bank.
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