IELTS General Training Reading – Task Type 5 – Completion of Notes/Tables/Flow-charts

Task Description

What are candidates required to do?
There are two types of task. In both types the candidate is required to fill gaps in notes or a table or a flow-chart with a word or words. In the first type the candidate is required to choose a word or phrase from words and phrases provided in a box. There are always more words or phrases in the box than there are gaps to fill. In the second type there is no box with words. The candidate is required to choose a word or phrase from the text to fill the gap.

How many words or numbers can be used to fill the gaps?
If the candidates are required to choose words and/or numbers from the passage to complete the gaps, the instructions will indicate clearly whether they should choose one word only, no more than two, or three, four etc.

Do the answers occur in order in the passage?
Not necessarily. However, the answers will sometimes come from one section rather than the entire passage.

What text type is most often used with this item type?
This item type often relates to precise factual information, and so is often (but not always) used with descriptive texts.

What skills are being assessed?
The candidates need to be able to skim and scan the passage in order to be able to locate the required information.

Understanding the Task

To see an example of this task type please click on the link below.

Example of Task Type 5

To understand better how candidates need to approach this task, it may help you to do the task yourself and analyse what you had to do to find the right answer.

Look at this sample Task Type 5. Complete the task, thinking about how you are doing it.

Sample Task Type 5 Task (PDF)
Answers

Things to consider

Now look at these questions about how you approached the task and consider your answers.

1. Did you read the whole passage before you tried to read the questions?
   
   
2. Did you consider the information that was already provided in the question?
   
   
3. Did you scan the passage for specific words needed to allow you to complete the question?
   
   
4. Did you read through the flow chart once you had completed it?
   
   
5. What skills are being tested here?