What do Flow-Chart Completion questions test?
This type tests whether you can follow a sequence: how one stage leads to the next, what happens first, next and last, and which detail belongs to which step. It rewards recognising sequence signals in the passage — "first", "then", "once", "after", "as a result", "the next stage" — and matching them to positions in the chart.
How do you answer Flow-Chart Completion questions?
- 1Read the chart title and skim every box before searching the passage, so you know what process is being described and which details are missing.
- 2Note the word limit and, if there is a lettered word bank, whether options can be reused.
- 3Locate the passage section that describes the process — it is usually contained in one or two paragraphs, not spread across the whole text.
- 4Work through the boxes in arrow order, matching each stage to the passage using sequence words as signposts; the chart order almost always follows the text order.
- 5Copy the exact words that complete each stage, then reread the finished chart from top to bottom to check the process still makes logical sense.
What are the common traps to avoid?
- Filling a box with a detail from the wrong stage — neighbouring steps often mention similar objects or actions.
- Missing that the passage describes a stage out of order (for example, a flashback or a summary sentence) even though the chart is strictly sequential.
- Exceeding the word limit by copying a whole phrase when only one or two words are missing.
- Ignoring the words already printed around a gap, which tell you the answer’s grammatical form and often its exact location in the text.
How long should you spend on them?
Once you have found the process section, the chart usually completes quickly — budget about a minute of locating time, then 30–45 seconds per box. If a single box resists, fill the others first; a completed chart often reveals the stubborn stage by elimination.