| For many prospective California Highway Patrol | | | | The English language has certain characteristics |
| (CHP) candidates, the portion of the CHP testing | | | | that are exploited in the Cloze Test: |
| regimen known as the Cloze Test presents the | | | | 1. Redundancy - core phrases make up an |
| greatest challenge when developing a winning | | | | informative sentence, once the core phrase is |
| preparation plan. For the uninitiated, the Cloze | | | | identified, the redundant words in the sentence |
| Test consists of paragraphs of information that | | | | that support it are easily identified. |
| are missing numerous words. The paragraphs are | | | | 2. Transitional Probability - certain words are |
| to be read, analyzed, and the correct missing | | | | commonly used in certain situations: the phrase "_ |
| words added to complete the sentences. | | | | _ _ _ _ birthday, Bob" has a high probability of |
| Like any challenge, the Cloze Test is simple to | | | | "happy" being the missing word, as opposed to |
| master once its various elements are identified. | | | | "merry", due to its degree of common use. |
| You study what makes it tick, and you gain | | | | 3. Reading Hypothesis - combining acquired |
| control of your success with it. | | | | information (reading) with accumulated information |
| First of all, what is this over 50 year old test | | | | (stored knowledge) to draw a correct conclusion |
| evaluating about you and your capabilities? | | | | automatically. Stored knowledge is applied to |
| Briefly, the Cloze Test was named for a | | | | whatever is being read and confirming words are |
| psychological term for 'closure', meaning the ability | | | | accepted with ease, however, conflicting words or |
| to perceive the whole of a thing once given | | | | concepts will stop the reading process until they |
| certain parts of it. The purpose of the Cloze Test | | | | can be validated. This makes reading familiar |
| is to determine your ability to perceive what is | | | | subjects more easy to comprehend - and |
| being said in one sentence using the words | | | | unfamiliar ones more difficult. |
| surrounding it. The whole being perceived is not | | | | Is there any kind of Cloze Test strategy? This |
| only the particular sentence, but the entire | | | | can depend on the individual processes you have |
| paragraph it within. | | | | developed for comprehending what you read, but |
| Your capability to comprehend what you are | | | | you might keep the following in mind: |
| reading, to deduce the missing words through | | | | 1. Read the entire passage before entering any |
| review of known 'facts' - the other words in the | | | | deleted words. This ensures that you get the |
| test paragraph, and to make correct choices | | | | main focus of the passage information. |
| based only on the information presented - without | | | | 2. Next, go back through and enter the words |
| embellishment or opinion is being evaluated | | | | that immediately come to mind. |
| throughout the Cloze Test. | | | | 3. Return to these entered words and ensure that |
| There is no 'trick' to success in this process and | | | | the number of letters match the number of |
| there are no 'trick' deleted words. The deleted | | | | dashes. |
| words can always be determined by studying and | | | | 4. Look at the remaining deleted words and the |
| correctly comprehending the context of the | | | | surrounding words to determine is the missing |
| paragraph. The deleted word will not be impossible | | | | word is a noun, verb, adjective, etc. |
| to determine or require any 'guessing' on the part | | | | 5. Next, check again to determine if the deleted |
| of the Cloze test taker. Your ability to understand | | | | word should be in past or present tense and if it |
| sentence and paragraph structure and | | | | is singular or plural. |
| comprehend the overall - the whole - of what is | | | | 6. Still stumped? Review the context of the |
| being communicated will do a lot to help you ace | | | | passage before and after the deleted word again. |
| the Cloze Test. | | | | How does the sentence relate to the passage? |
| Let's look at a few simple points that may break | | | | What information is the focus in this portion of |
| the whole down and clarify the 'pieces' of the | | | | the passage? Remember, the deleted word will be |
| Cloze Test. | | | | either a redundancy of the core phrase or will |
| Each missing word is indicated by a specific | | | | directly relate to the passage context. |
| number of dashes. Each dash represents a | | | | 7. Do your best and understand that the Cloze |
| missing letter in the missing word. The word you | | | | Test is difficult and it is doubtful that you be |
| choose must have the same number of letters | | | | certain every word choice you have made is |
| as there are dashes. | | | | correct. |
| Pick your words to fit the entire context, not just | | | | A final tip is simply this: read, read, read. Take |
| the sentence. If the context addresses a narrow | | | | every opportunity to read passages on subjects |
| topic, then pick words that relate directly to the | | | | with which you are familiar and unfamiliar and your |
| context. If the context is broader, then there | | | | reading comprehension will improve - as will your |
| may be several words that can be scored as | | | | chance to ace the Cloze Test! |
| correct. | | | | |