Cloze Test and Para Jumbles: Scoring Strategy for Bank Exams

Cloze Test and Para Jumbles are the two question types in Banking English that aspirants either love or dread. There's no middle ground. The ones who've developed the right approach find them almost mechanical. Those who rely on "reading sense" alone keep getting 2 out of 5 and wonder what went wrong.

In IBPS PO and SBI PO Prelims, you'll typically see one Cloze Test set (5 questions) and one Para Jumble set (5 questions). In Mains, the variations increase — you might see Sentence Connectors, Paragraph Completion, or Match the Column alongside traditional formats. Together, these contribute 10–15 marks in Prelims alone.

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Cloze Test: What It Actually Tests

A Cloze Test gives you a passage with 5–6 blanks. Each blank has 5 options. You pick the word that fits best in context.

What examiners are testing:

• Vocabulary range (do you know enough words?)
• Contextual understanding (can you grasp what the passage is about?)
• Grammar awareness (does the word fit grammatically?)
• Collocations (words that naturally go together in English)

Types of Cloze Tests in Banking Exams

Type 1: Traditional Cloze (5 options per blank) The passage has blanks and each has 5 word options. This is the standard format. Type 2: New Pattern Cloze (sentence-based) Instead of single words, you're given phrases or half-sentences to complete the blank. Requires stronger comprehension. Type 3: Error-Based Cloze A word in bold in each sentence may or may not be correct. You either keep it or replace it. This is harder because you need to evaluate whether the existing word works.

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Cloze Test Solving Strategy

Step 1: Read the Entire Passage First (Without Looking at Options)

This takes 45–60 seconds but saves you from making contextual errors. By the end of the passage, you know the topic, the tone (formal/informal, positive/negative), and the general direction of argument.

Step 2: Fill Blanks You're Confident About

Some blanks are obvious after reading the passage. Fill those first. This gives you anchoring context for the difficult blanks.

Step 3: For Difficult Blanks, Use Elimination

Read the sentence with each option mentally. Eliminate:

• Words that don't fit grammatically (wrong part of speech)


• Words that contradict the passage's tone or meaning


• Words that are correct in meaning but wrong in collocation ("do a mistake" is wrong; "make a mistake" is right)

Step 4: Check for Tone Consistency

If the passage is discussing economic challenges seriously, words like "hilarious" or "amusing" won't fit even if they make grammatical sense. The tone must match throughout.

Common Cloze Test Traps

Trap 1: Similar-meaning options. Two options might mean almost the same thing. The difference is usually in connotation or collocation. "Raise" and "increase" both mean to make higher, but "raise concerns" is correct while "increase concerns" sounds off. Trap 2: The vocabulary flex. An unnecessarily complex word when a simple one fits better. If the passage is written in plain language, the answer is probably a plain word. Trap 3: Grammar bait. The word fits the meaning perfectly but is the wrong form — noun instead of adjective, singular instead of plural. Always check grammatical fit.

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Para Jumbles: Rearranging Sentences

You're given 5–6 sentences in jumbled order. Rearrange them into a coherent paragraph.

Types in Banking Exams

Type 1: Rearrange all sentences — Classic format, arrange ABCDE in correct order. Type 2: Fixed first or last sentence — The first sentence (or last) is given; arrange the rest. Type 3: Find the first/last sentence — "Which sentence comes first?" or "Which is the concluding sentence?" Type 4: Odd one out — Five sentences are given; four form a paragraph, one doesn't belong.

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Para Jumble Solving Strategy

Step 1: Identify the Opening Sentence

The opening sentence typically:

• Introduces a topic broadly (not a specific detail)


• Doesn't start with "This," "These," "However," "Moreover," or any word that refers to something previously said


• Doesn't contain pronouns without antecedents ("He was a great leader" — who is "he"?)

Step 2: Find Mandatory Pairs

Some sentences must come one after the other. Look for:

• Pronoun links: If sentence C says "This policy..." and sentence A introduces a policy, A comes before C.


• Cause-effect: If B describes a problem and D describes its solution, B comes before D.


• Chronological clues: "First... Then... Finally..."


• Transition words: "However" (contradiction follows), "Moreover" (addition follows), "Therefore" (conclusion follows)

Step 3: Identify the Closing Sentence

The closing sentence typically:

• Summarizes, concludes, or looks forward


• Uses words like "thus," "therefore," "in conclusion," "overall"


• Doesn't introduce new information

Step 4: Arrange the Middle Sentences

With the opening, closing, and mandatory pairs identified, the middle sentences usually fall into place through logical flow.

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Sentence Connectors (New Pattern)

Increasingly common in IBPS and SBI Mains:

You're given two independent sentences and asked which connector (word or phrase) joins them correctly.

Approach:

1. Understand the relationship between the two sentences: contrast, addition, cause-effect, or example.
2. Pick the connector that reflects this relationship.

Relationship	Connectors
Contrast	However, Nevertheless, On the other hand, Despite this
Addition	Moreover, Furthermore, In addition, Also
Cause-Effect	Therefore, Consequently, As a result, Hence
Example	For instance, For example, Such as
Concession	Although, Even though, While

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Practice Approach

For Cloze Tests

Weeks 1–2: Solve 2 Cloze Tests daily from IBPS PO / SBI PO PYQs (2020–2025). After solving, read the answer explanations to understand why each answer is correct — not just that it's correct. Weeks 3–4: Practice New Pattern Cloze Tests from Testbook, Oliveboard, or Adda247 sectional tests. These are harder than PYQs and build stronger skills. Ongoing: Read one editorial daily from The Hindu or Mint. Underline words you don't know. Look them up. This builds the vocabulary base that makes Cloze Tests feel easy.

For Para Jumbles

Weeks 1–2: Solve 3 Para Jumble sets daily. After solving, note the linking clues (pronouns, transitions, chronology) that determined the order. Weeks 3–4: Practice with 6-sentence jumbles (harder than 5-sentence ones). Focus on finding mandatory pairs quickly.

Recommended Books

• Objective General English by SP Bakshi (Arihant) — Covers Cloze Test and Jumbled Sentences with practice sets
• Plinth to Paramount by Neetu Singh — Detailed approach for all English question types
• English for General Competitions by Neetu Singh (KD Publications) — Newer edition, more Banking-focused

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Time Management in the Exam

Question Type	Target Time	Target Accuracy
Cloze Test (5 questions)	4–5 minutes	4/5 or 5/5
Para Jumbles (5 questions)	4–5 minutes	3/5 or 4/5
Sentence Connectors (5 questions)	3–4 minutes	4/5

If a Cloze Test passage is on a topic you're unfamiliar with (scientific terminology, legal jargon), your accuracy drops. Accept 3/5 and move on rather than spending 8 minutes trying to get 5/5.

Para Jumbles have a higher variance — sometimes you spot the order instantly, sometimes you can't crack it in 5 minutes. If you've found 2–3 mandatory pairs but can't determine the full order, attempt the questions where your pairs give definitive answers and leave the rest.

Stay updated with the latest English section patterns on SarkariNaukri.in — IBPS and SBI have been introducing new question formats almost every cycle, and practicing outdated patterns wastes valuable preparation time.