How to solve cloze test questions? PO & Clerk Exams

Cloze test tips and tricks: Wondering How to solve cloze test questions?

The cloze test questions are asked in nearly every competitive exam, be it government, banking, insurance, or even in private entrance examinations. Cloze test questions are an integral part of the verbal ability section.  

So, what is a Cloze test? 

A cloze test is nothing but a mixture of reading comprehension and fill in the blanks. The questions aren’t lengthy or exhausting. All you need is conceptual understanding of the questions to solve them. The cloze test questions can guarantee you 4-5 marks in every exam if you are well prepared.  

Types of Cloze Test Questions: 

• Basic fill in the blanks format: A passage is given with multiple blanks. Candidates need to make a choice for each blank out of the given options of the right answer. 
• Replacing Words: Here instead of blanks, multiple words are made bold and several options are given. Now, you have to make a choice whether the bold words are right or you need to replace it from the options given.  

Skills you need to solve cloze test questions: 

• Grammatical sense 
• Tenses 
• Good vocabulary 
• Sentence formation  

Tips and Tricks to Solve the Cloze Test 

• Quick look over the entire passage or try extensive reading to make yourself aware of what is the difficulty level. 
• Mark out the contextually correct options 
• If confusion is there then try eliminating the incorrect options one by one 
• Make sure you get the tone of the passage correct as it may help you link up the associated option with the given passage. 

Sample questions for Cloze Test 

Directions (Qs. 6-10): 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. 

A giant kangaroo that ____(A)____ Australia during the Ice Age had a far mightier bite than its modern-day cousins, according to new research which suggests this species could eat a tough, woody diet ___(B)___ to that of a giant panda. The extinct short-faced kangaroos, known as sthenurines, were very different to kangaroos of today. They had thick-set bodies, long muscular arms, often only a single large toe on each foot, and box-shaped heads rather like a koala’s. Some of these species had ____(C)____ skulls, with enormous cheek bones and wide foreheads. All this bone would have taken a lot of energy to produce and maintain, and it likely wouldn’t have evolved unless it was needed to ____(D)____ very strong biting forces. This in turn suggests these kangaroos probably included very hard food as part of their diet, just as bamboo-chomping pandas do today. Modern kangaroos have grazing diets based mainly  on grasses. Other marsupial herbivores, such as tree-kangaroos and koalas, have browsing-based diets featuring small twigs and leaves from trees and shrubs. But no browsing marsupials today have the jaw power to ____(E)____ whole branches. 

Question 6 

Topic: Cloze passage 

Subtopic: Normal 

Level – 1 

(A)  

a) roam 

b) wandering 

c) inhabited 

d) dwelled 

e) habitually 

Ans: C 

Solution: We need a verb here to link the subject KANGAROO with the object AUSTRALIA. The verb should be in the second form as the sentence is in the simple past tense and talks about a period in the past (the Ice Age). The sentence talks about how a giant kangaroo used to live in Australia during the Ice Age period. INHABITED means to live in an area and will fit here. Thus, C is the right answer. 

ROAM and WANDERING are verbs in the base form and continuous form respectively. DWELLED (lived) will take the preposition IN after it. HABITUALLY is an adverb. 

Question 7 

Topic: Cloze passage 

Subtopic: Normal 

Level – 1 

(B)  

a) similar 

b) comparatively 

c) invincible 

d) pliable 

e) potential 

Ans: A 

Solution: We need an adjective here to modify the noun DIET. The sentence talks about how the species had a diet which was not different from that of a giant panda. SIMILAR will fit here, which makes A the right answer. 

COMPARATIVELY is an adverb. Invincible – infallible. Pliable – flexible. Potential – scope.  

Question 8 

Topic: Cloze passage 

Subtopic: Normal 

Level – 1 

(C)  

a) pervasive 

b) massive 

c) vast 

d) evasive 

e) suppress 

Ans: B 

Solution: We need an adjective here to modify the noun SKULLS. The sentence talks about how these species had huge skulls. MASSIVE means huge and will fit here, which makes B the right answer. 

Pervasive – spread throughout an area. Vast – extensive. Evasive – avoidant. Suppress (verb) – forcibly put an end to something. 

Question 9 

Topic: Cloze passage 

Subtopic: Normal 

Level – 2 

(D)  

a) adjusted 

b) adjudge 

c) accumulate 

d) accommodate 

e) acute 

Ans: D 

Solution: We need a verb in the base form to fit in the infinitive construction TO + VERB. The sentence talks about how the bone was important to incorporate strong biting forces. ACCOMMODATE will fit here, which makes D the right answer. 

ADJUSTED is a verb in the second form. Adjudge – consider or declare to be true or the case. Accumulate – collect. Acute (adjective) – great in intensity.  

Question 10 

Topic: Cloze passage 

Subtopic: Normal 

Level – 2 

(E)  

a) devout 

b) deploy 

c) disavow 

d) devoid 

e) devour 

Ans: E 

Solution: We need a verb here in its base form to fit in the infinitive construction TO + VERB. The sentence talks about how browsing marsupials do not have the jaw power to consume whole branches. DEVOUR will fit here, which makes E the right answer. 

Devout (adjective) – pious; religious. Deploy – to bring into effective action. Disavow – deny any responsibility or support for. Devoid – lacking.  

Directions (Qs. 21-25): 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. 

Low-interest rates have traditionally been ___(A)____ as positive for economic growth. But the recent research suggests that this may not be the case. Instead, extremely low-interest rates may ___(B)____ to slower growth by increasing market concentration. It ____(C)___ that reducing interest rates further will not save the global economy from stagnation. The traditional view _____D____ that when long-term rates fall, the net present value of future cash flows increases, making it more attractive for firms to ___(E)___ in productivity-enhancing technologies. Low-interest rates, therefore, have an expansionary effect on the economy through stronger productivity growth. 

Q.21 

Topic-Cloze passage 

Subtopic-normal 

Level-1 

(A) 

a)Allured 

b)Accrued 

c)Viewed 

d)Shrewd 

e)Feud 

Ans: (c) 

Solution: We need the third form of a verb to fit in the present perfect construction HAVE + BEEN + VERB. VIEWED means ‘regarded’. It fits contextually as the sentence talks about the traditional view of low-interest rates. Thus, (c) is the correct answer. 

Allured —  Attracted. Accrued —  Accumulated. Shrewd —  cunning. Feud — Conflict. 

Q22. 

Topic-Cloze passage 

Subtopic-normal 

Level-1 

(B) 

a)Plead 

b)Lead 

c)Spread 

d)Aforesaid 

e)Both (b) and (c) 

Ans: (b) 

Solution: We need a verb in the base form here to follow the modal verb MAY. LEAD TO means to result in, and it fits contextually as the sentence talks about how extremely low interest rates can influence the growth rate of the economy. Thus, (b) is the correct answer. 

Plead —  implore. Spread —  Extend. Aforesaid —  Preceding. 

Q23. 

Topic-Cloze passage 

Subtopic-normal 

Level-1 
(C) 

a)Implies 

b)Defies 

c)rectify 

d)Suffices 

e)Apprise 

Ans: (a) 

Solution: We need a singular verb to agree with the singular pronoun IT. IMPLIES means ‘Indicates’. It fits contextually as the sentence talks about the traditional view and what it suggests. Thus, (a) is the correct answer. 

Defies —  Disobeys. Rectify—  Amend. This verb is in the plural form. Suffices —  to be enough. Apprise —  notify. This verb is in the plural form. 

Q24. 

Topic-Cloze passage 

Subtopic-normal 

Level-2 

(D) 

a)Aggravates 

b)Holds 

c)Opines 

d)Abrogates 

e)Both (b) and (c) 

Ans: (e) 

Solution: We need a verb in the singular form to agree with the singular subject VIEW. HOLDS  and OPINES means ‘to support’. It fits contextually as the sentence talks about the premise on which traditional view is based on. Thus, (e) is the correct answer. 

Aggravates —  making the problem worse. Abrogates —  Repeals.  

Q25. 

Topic-Cloze passage 

Subtopic-normal 

Level-1 

(E) 

a) Manifest 

b) Inquire 

c)Divest 

d)Invest  

e) Behest 

Ans: (d) 

Solution: We need a verb in its base form to fit in the infinitive construction TO + VERB. INVEST means ‘spend’. It fits contextually as the sentence talks about the net present value of future cash flows and how it enables firms to invest in productivity-enhancing technologies. Thus, (d) is the correct answer. 

Manifest  — Apparent. Inquire —  ask. Divest —  Deprive. Behest —  Request. 

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