What the exam asks
| Format | What you see | Typical word limit | Where the answers are |
|---|---|---|---|
| Note completion | A heading and bullet notes with numbered gaps | ONE WORD ONLY / ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER | Usually one section of the passage, not always in text order |
| Table completion | Rows and columns with some cells blank | NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER | Usually one section; each row often matches one paragraph |
| Flow-chart completion | Boxes joined by arrows showing a process or sequence | ONE WORD ONLY / NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS | Follows the process, which the writer may describe out of order |
| Diagram label completion | A drawing of a machine, building or organism with numbered labels | NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS | One or two paragraphs; labels are not necessarily in text order |
Three rules apply to all of these tasks:
- Take the words from the passage without changing their form. If the text says drying, you cannot write dried.
- Stay within the limit. An article counts as a word. A number written as figures counts as one word, and so does a hyphenated word (north-facing). An answer over the limit scores zero even if its content is right.
- Spell it correctly. A misspelt answer is wrong. British and American spellings are both accepted, and capital letters do not matter.
Some flow-charts and summaries give you a box of options (A–I) instead of asking for words from the passage. Those are really matching tasks: you choose a letter and do not copy anything.
Core ideas
1. The structure is your map
Headings, column titles, arrows and labels tell you what kind of information is missing and where to find it. In a table with the row Noria and the column Main limitation, you need a word describing a problem, found in the paragraph about the noria. Spend 20–30 seconds reading the structure before you go back to the text.