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Reading & Use of English Part 1 — Multiple-Choice Cloze for the FCE Exam

Part 1 has 8 gaps in a text, each with four vocabulary/collocation options. This tests lexical knowledge: the ability to select words that fit grammatically AND collocate correctly with the surrounding text. A strong performance here is a reliable indicator of broad B2 vocabulary.

Locale-specific study guides

Pass-rate data, regulatory context, and study tips for Reading & Use of English Part 1 — Multiple-Choice Cloze all change by candidate locale. Pick your context:

Common failure modes

These are the patterns that cause most candidates to lose marks on this topic. Recognising them in advance is half the work.

  • !Selecting a word that is grammatically possible but collocates incorrectly with the context
  • !Ignoring the surrounding text and selecting based on single-word recognition alone
  • !Confusing near-synonyms: affect/influence, raise/rise, do/make, say/tell

Study tips

  • 1Learn vocabulary in collocational frames: "make a decision" not "do a decision"; "heavy traffic" not "strong traffic".
  • 2Read each gap sentence twice — once alone, once in the paragraph context — before choosing.
  • 3Build a list of commonly confused word pairs from FCE practice tests and learn the distinction.

Sample FCE Reading & Use of English Part 1 — Multiple-Choice Cloze questions

These sample items mirror the format and difficulty of real FCE questions. Practice with thousands more on the free Koydo question bank.

  1. 1

    The new policy had a significant _____ on employee satisfaction.

    • Aaffect
    • Beffect
    • CimpactCorrect
    • Dconsequence
    Why this answer?

    "Impact" and "effect" are both possible, but "significant impact on" is the most idiomatic collocation in formal English. "Affect" is a verb, not a noun. "Consequence" implies a result of something negative and typically takes "of" not "on".

  2. 2

    She _____ the opportunity to speak to the director.

    • Adid
    • Bgot
    • CtookCorrect
    • Dhad
    Why this answer?

    "Took the opportunity" is the correct fixed collocation. "Got an opportunity" is possible informally, but "took the opportunity" is the standard idiomatic form for deliberately using a chance.

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