What Sentence Completion questions test
It tests precise detail, vocabulary paraphrase recognition and whether you can select words that fit both the passage meaning and the sentence grammar.
Step-by-step strategy
- 1Circle the word limit before reading anything else.
- 2Predict the missing word class: noun, verb, adjective, number or short phrase.
- 3Scan in question order for a paraphrase of the sentence.
- 4Copy only the necessary passage words, then read the completed sentence for grammar and meaning.
Common traps to avoid
- Exceeding the word limit.
- Copying nearby words that do not fit grammatically.
- Changing a passage word unnecessarily.
- Missing plural endings, units or hyphens.
Timing advice
Aim for about 45–60 seconds each. Use the ordered questions to keep moving forward through the passage rather than rescanning from the top.