Cloze Test Concept with Examples for Banking Exams

Cloze Test Questions are generally asked in all banking exams. It is the most repeated topic, and 3 to 4 questions in the English Language section from this topic are most frequently asked in exams. Therefore, it is important to know the basic concepts of the Cloze Test. In this article, we have covered the basic and advanced concepts for solving Cloze Test questions easily. By going through this article, you will be able to solve the cloze test passage within seconds. So, continue reading to understand cloze test concepts with example for banking exams.

What are Cloze Tests in Banking Exams?

A Cloze Test is a passage where some words are missing, and you need to fill in the correct words in the passage using the given hints for those words. In short, you need to fill in the blanks by understanding the context of the passage or understanding what the passage wants to convey. In some other patterns, the options are given for each blank and a set of 4 to 5 questions are asked based on a single passage. 

To solve the cloze test questions, you require the knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, subject-verb agreement, and contextual understanding of passages. To increase your speed in solving the cloze test, you should try to answer some set of questions in a time-bound condition. 

Cloze Test Basic Concepts for Bank Exams

The basic cloze test concepts include understanding the grammar (preposition, tenses, active and passive voice, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, articles – a, an, the, and direct and indirect speech). 

Also, the understanding of subject-verb agreement is necessary. In this grammatical rule, the verb in a sentence should match with the subject. 

Read the passage carefully to understand the contextual meaning of the massage. This will help you with placing correct words in the blanks given in the paragraph.

In some Cloze Test questions, a sentence will be given with one or two blanks only. You are asked to put the correct matching word in that blank.

• Grammar: Focus on identifying which parts of speech will be inserted in the blank considering the surrounding tone and logical flow of the passage.
• Subject-verb Agreement: Check if the verb used in the blank agrees with the number of subjects in the passage. Thus, maintaining the correct tense of the sentence used in the passage.
• Contextual Understanding: Check if after inserting the chosen word in the blank, it doesn’t change the context or meaning of the passage. Thus, maintaining the contextual meaning of the passage.
• Reading Carefully: The best approach to solve the cloze test questions is to first read the entire passage carefully. This way, you get the idea of what message is conveyed through the passage.

Cloze Test Advanced Concepts for Bank Exams

The advanced concepts in Cloze Test include learning some vocabulary (synonyms, antonyms, and idioms and phrases), learning common word pairings, and using elimination techniques. This requires a hand-on practice of the basic concepts first. When you use these concepts to solve cloze test questions, it takes a minimum time to solve it. We have categorized this in the Advanced concepts because it requires a little more time to learn it as compared to the basic concepts.

• Vocabulary: Learn important words and their meanings from The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary published at PracticeMock blog daily. 
• Collocations: These are word pairing or words that always come together. Knowledge of collocation helps you in quickly identifying which word will come in the passage.
• Elimination: Using the elimination technique sometimes works but not always. Place the given options in the blank and try to find the suitable word to fill it. 

Try To Solve Cloze Test Sample Questions

Cloze Test Sample questions are given below.

Directions: In the following passage, some of the words have been left out and replaced by a blank represented by a letter. First read the passage and try to understand what it is about. Then fill in the blanks as per the questions given. 

When you view anything at all in the Universe, you’re not seeing it precisely as it is right now: at the moment you experience seeing it. The speed of light, even though it’s the fastest speed that any signal can ____(A)____ throughout the Universe, is still finite. No matter how close or distant an object is, you’re only seeing it as it was a particular amount of time ago: at the moment the now-arriving light was ____(B)____ from the object you’re observing. The fact that light has to travel through space, from the emitted object to the observer that sees it, explains why there’s a gap that we have to fill in through inference alone. Every observer in the Universe, so long as they haven’t spent a large amount of time travelling close to the speed of light will ____(C)____ right now as the same instant in time relative to the Big Bang: 13.8 billion years after that creation event. For nearby objects, the speed of light is great enough that the difference in time between source-and-observer can be ____(D)____ in most cases. But the farther away we look, the farther back in time, closer toward the ____(E)____ of the Big Bang, we see. 

(A) 

a.) consume 

b.) recite

c.) alter 

d.) traverse 

e.) slender 

Ans: D 

Solution: (d) is the right answer. We need a base form verb to follow the modal verb CAN. The sentence tells us that even though the speed of light is the fastest among the signals that travel throughout the universe, it is still finite. TRAVERSE (pass along or cross something) will fit here contextually. Consume – to eat or use something. Recite – read out aloud. Alter – modify. Slender (adjective) – lean. 

(B)

a.) plotted 

b.) snapped 

c.) empowered 

d.) dabbed 

e.) emitted 

Ans: E 

Solution: (e) is the right answer. We need a verb in the past participle form to fit in the WAS + VERB passive voice construction. The sentence talks about light being produced by an object. EMANATED (produced or gave out) will fit here contextually. Plotted – secretly planned to do something illegal. Snapped – cut off. Empowered – give someone power or authority. Dabbed – patted or tapped gently. 

(C) 

a.) degenerate 

b.) perceive 

c.) circulate 

d.) instruct 

e.) clutter 

Ans: B 

Solution: (b) is the right answer. We need a verb in the base form to follow the modal verb WILL. The sentence describes the understanding of the speed of light. PERCEIVE (understand) will fit here contextually. Degenerate – degrade. Circulate – move continuously through a system. Instruct – teach or order. Clutter – an untidy collection of things. 

(D) 

a.) neglected 

b.) clutched 

c.) harassed 

d.) confessed 

e.) acquitted 

Ans: A 

Solution: (a) is the right answer. We need a verb in the past participle form to fit in the CAN + BE + VERB passive voice construction. The sentence tells us that the difference in time between source and observer can be ignored mostly for nearby objects. NEGLECTED (not given much attention) will fit here contextually. Clutched – held tightly. Harassed – tormented or troubled. Confessed – admitted to committing a crime. Acquitted – freed from a criminal charge. 

(E) 

a.) consent 

b.) tantrum 

c.) nuisance 

d.) instant 

e.) grievance 

Ans: D

Solution: (d) is the right answer. We need a noun to be modified by preposition THE. INSTANT (particular point of time) will fit here contextually as the sentence tells us that the farther we look back in time, the closer we move towards the point of time when the Big Bang occurred. Consent – agreement. Tantrum – a sudden outburst of anger. Nuisance – disturbance. Grievance – a complaint or cause of distress. 

Steps to Solve a Cloze Test Quickly and Accurately

Here 4 steps are provided to solve the cloze test questions quickly and accurately.

1. Understand the context: Read the passage to understand the overall meaning.
2. Focus on grammar: Identify the word type needed (noun, verb, etc.).
3. Use context clues: The surrounding text often hints at the correct word.
4. Eliminate wrong options: Remove incorrect choices and find the most suitable answer.

The best practice to solve Cloze Test questions quickly is to first read the passage and guess the word that can be placed in the blank, and select the word similar from the options given.

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