FCE

Part 1 — Multiple-choice Cloze

8 questions · vocabulary in context · 4 options each

What does Part 1 test?

Part 1 tests your vocabulary in context. You read a short text with 8 gaps and choose A, B, C or D for each. The four words usually have similar meanings — you have to pick the one that fits the exact context, collocation or fixed phrase.

Length

~150 words

Questions

8 (each worth 1 mark)

Time

~8 minutes

Skills tested

Vocabulary, collocations, phrasal verbs, idioms

Strategy

Read the whole text first — fast — to get the topic
Read the FULL sentence around each gap, not just the words next to it
Look for collocations: which word combines naturally with the others?
Check if it is a phrasal verb (out, up, off, on, in, away, over)
Check if it is a fixed expression (take part, make sense, pay attention)
If unsure, eliminate options that clearly do not work, then guess

Common traps

Synonyms

Words like say/tell/speak/talk all have similar meanings but different uses.

Collocations

Make a decision (not do a decision). You have to know the right partner word.

Prepositions

Depend ON, interested IN, afraid OF — the choice often depends on the preposition that follows.

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