B1 Preliminary Exam Guide: Multiple Choice Cloze
Reading Paper
Contents
Overview
Context: This part of the B1 Preliminary Reading paper involves a short text with six gaps, each requiring a suitable word to complete it.
Task: Candidates read a text with six numbered spaces and choose the correct word from four options for each gap.
Objective: To test vocabulary knowledge and understanding, as well as some grammatical elements such as complementation.
Scoring & Marks: The six questions are worth six points, so one point for each. There are 32 points available for the whole Reading paper.
How to Approach
- Skim the Text: Begin by skimming the text to grasp its topic and general meaning.
- Analyse Each Sentence: Work through each gap, reading the entire sentence to choose the appropriate word.
- Review Choices: After selecting an answer, compare it with the other options to ensure it's the most suitable.
- Re-read for Coherence: Once all gaps are filled, read the text again to confirm it flows and makes sense.
Example Question
6. The sun ___________ brightly in the clear sky.
lit
faded
shone
vanished
Assessment Focus
This section mainly tests vocabulary knowledge, with also some focus on grammatical understanding, such as complementation.
Tips
- Expand your vocabulary by reading a wide range of texts and noting new words.
- Practise understanding how words function in different contexts, especially focusing on collocations and phrasal verbs.
- Work on understanding not just the meaning of words but also their grammatical relationships within sentences.
- Regularly use flashcards or apps for vocabulary learning, focusing on words in context rather than in isolation.
- If you find some words very hard, write short passages using the new vocabulary.
How It Looks
Student Suggestion
"I kept a notebook with a record of all the questions I've got wrong, so it has the hardest words. I look at it on the bus or during lunch and learn them little by little." - Luca Bianchi
Practice Exercises
We have a page on the site to practise: B1 Preliminary: Multiple Choice Cloze Exercises
