The four-step method
- Read the full passage, skipping the blanks. Decide its topic and tone — positive, negative, neutral.
- For each blank, predict the kind of word before looking at options: noun or verb? positive or negative? cause or contrast?
- Check grammar — the part of speech, tense, singular/plural and the preposition after the blank.
- Check collocation — "make a decision", "take a step", "heavy rain", "strong tea". English pairs some words and not others.
A worked example
"Despite the heavy rain, the match was not ___ (1). The organisers had ___ (2) for the weather and covered the pitch the night before."
- Blank 1: "Despite" signals contrast — rain usually stops matches, so this one was not cancelled. Options: postponed / cancelled / played / won. Cancelled fits meaning and grammar (passive: was not cancelled).
- Blank 2: "had ___ for" needs a verb that takes "for". Options: prepared / ready / arranged / fixed. Prepared for is the collocation; "ready" is an adjective and does not fit "had ___".
Signal words that decide blanks
| Signal | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| but, however, although, despite, yet | The blank contrasts with what came before |
| and, also, moreover, furthermore | The blank continues the same direction |
| because, since, as, due to | The blank is a cause or a reason |
| so, therefore, thus, hence | The blank is a result |
Frequently asked questions
How many cloze test questions come in SSC CGL?
Usually one cloze passage with five blanks in Tier 1, which makes it the largest single format in the English section.
Is there English in railway exams like RRB NTPC?
No. RRB NTPC and Group D have no separate English section. Cloze tests matter for railway aspirants mainly through the SSC and bank exams many of them also take.
What is the best way to solve a cloze test?
Read the whole passage first for meaning, predict the kind of word each blank needs, then check grammar and collocation, and re-read the finished passage.