Reading Comprehension & Cloze Tests

Syllabus Unit: English Language

Why it matters

Chapter overview

Reading Comprehension and Cloze Tests carry the largest single mark share in SBI PO English — typically a 10-mark RC passage plus a 5-mark cloze — and both reward the same core skill: reading for structure and logical fit rather than translating word by word. This topic covers extracting explicit facts and inferences from a passage, filling cloze blanks by grammatical and contextual fit, identifying tone/purpose/main idea, and reading fast enough to leave time for the rest of the section.

Preliminary Examination Syllabus English Language 30% weightage

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Skim for structure & main idea

Classify each question: factual or inferential

Scan the relevant paragraph for factual Qs

Reason from stated facts for inferential Qs

1RC Passages & Inferences

An RC question is either 'stated directly' or 'must be inferred' — knowing which type you're facing changes where to look for the answer.

Learning Objectives

Distinguish direct/factual RC questions (answer stated verbatim) from inference questions (answer implied, not stated).
Identify a passage's central argument versus its supporting examples and details.
Eliminate RC options that are 'too broad', 'too narrow', or 'true in general but not stated in this passage'.
Locate the relevant paragraph quickly using keyword scanning rather than rereading the whole passage per question.

Key Terms

Explicit/Factual QuestionA question answerable by a sentence stated directly in the passage, often as a close paraphrase.

Inferential QuestionA question requiring a logical conclusion drawn from stated facts, with no verbatim match anywhere in the text.

Central Idea vs Supporting DetailThe passage's main argument (usually clearest in the opening or closing paragraph) versus the examples and evidence used to support it.

Distractor OptionAn RC answer choice that sounds plausible but is unsupported by the text, too extreme, or answers a subtly different question than the one asked.

Every RC question falls into one of two categories, and recognizing which one you're facing changes your entire approach: factual questions are answered by finding a sentence, while inferential questions are answered by reasoning from stated facts.

Two question types

Factual — 'According to the passage, what caused X?' — the answer is a direct or lightly paraphrased sentence somewhere in the text.
Inferential — 'What can be inferred about X?' — the answer is a logical conclusion the passage supports but never states outright.

Where to look

Skim the opening and closing paragraphs first — they usually carry the passage's central idea.
For factual questions, scan the body paragraphs for the specific keyword the question mentions.
For inferential questions, reason forward from the stated facts rather than searching for a matching sentence.

Worked example: a passage states company revenue 'held steady despite the print decline'. This directly implies (infers) that another revenue source — digital — grew enough to offset the print loss, even though the passage never says 'digital revenue grew' outright.

Common MistakeTrap: an option can be true in general real-world knowledge yet still be wrong, because the passage itself never states or supports it — RC answers must be grounded in the given text, not outside knowledge.

Exam TipOn long RC sets, skim the questions before the passage — knowing what to look for turns the first read into targeted scanning instead of a slow, unfocused read.