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Cloze test practice for bank exams

By the PrepMatic team · Updated 9 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

A cloze test is a short passage with blanks. For each blank you choose the word that fits best in meaning and in grammar. It is a commonly tested item in bank-exam English, and it rewards reading the whole passage rather than testing each gap on its own. The passage below was written for practice, with five blanks and four options for each.

What each blank tests

The passage

Regular saving is the foundation of financial security. Many young earners (1) ______ too much on small luxuries and are left with little at the end of the month. A simple way to (2) ______ this problem is to move a fixed amount into a savings account as soon as the salary arrives. Over time even a modest sum grows, because the interest earned is added to the (3) ______ and starts earning interest itself. People who start early therefore end up with a much (4) ______ sum than those who begin late. The key, advisers say, is to be patient and (5) ______ rather than to chase quick returns.

Five practice questions

Question 1

Which word fits blank (1)?

• A. spend
• B. save
• C. owe
• D. lend

Question 2

Which word fits blank (2)?

• A. ignore
• B. cause
• C. solve
• D. repeat

Question 3

Which word fits blank (3)?

• A. expense
• B. loss
• C. tax
• D. principal

Question 4

Which word fits blank (4)?

• A. smaller
• B. larger
• C. lesser
• D. fewer

Question 5

Which word fits blank (5)?

• A. hasty
• B. careless
• C. consistent
• D. selfish

Answers and explanations

1. A. The next words are "too much on small luxuries", and "spend too much on" is the natural phrase. "Save", "owe" and "lend" do not fit with "on small luxuries", and the result "left with little" confirms spending.
2. C. The sentence offers a way to deal with the problem of overspending, and the only word that does this is "solve". "Cause" and "repeat" would worsen it, and "ignore" is not a way of fixing it.
3. D. The interest is "added to the" original sum, and a sum on which interest is calculated is the principal. "Expense", "loss" and "tax" are not added to earn interest.
4. B. The people who start early gain from compounding, so their sum is larger. "Smaller" and "lesser" contradict the logic, and "fewer" is used with countable nouns, not with "sum".
5. C. "Patient and ____" needs a positive quality that agrees with the advice against chasing quick returns. "Consistent" fits. "Hasty", "careless" and "selfish" do not.

How to prepare cloze tests

• Read the whole passage first. Skim it once to find the topic and the direction of the argument before you answer any blank.
• Do the easy blanks first. Collocations and grammar blanks often resolve in five seconds, and they help with the harder ones.
• Put each option into the sentence. Read the sentence aloud in your head. If it sounds odd, it is usually wrong.
• Check what comes before and after the blank. Prepositions, articles and punctuation give hints about the part of speech.
• Watch the connectors. "Therefore" points to a result, "however" to a contrast. The blank often completes that logic.
• Build vocabulary in groups. Learn words with their usual partners (for example "chase returns", "meet a deadline") rather than as single items.

The IBPS PO prelims English test gives 20 minutes for 30 questions, about 40 seconds each, so a five-blank passage should take about three minutes. Revise the usual grammar patterns with error spotting as well.

The full cloze test topic test is on PrepMatic (about 15 questions, 30 minutes). The English Language guide and the bank exam hub cover the section for each exam.

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