Definition:
A cloze test (from “closure” in Gestalt psychology) is a reading comprehension format in which words are deleted from a text at regular intervals (typically every 5th, 7th, or 9th word) and test-takers must supply the missing words. Cloze tests are valued in language assessment because they measure integrative proficiency — requiring the simultaneous use of vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension, and discourse knowledge to reconstruct the text.
In-Depth Explanation
How cloze tests work:
From a passage like: “The student walked into the library and found a quiet place to study.”
A cloze version (every 5th word deleted) might read:
“The student walked into ___ library and found a ___ place to study.”
The test-taker must use syntactic, semantic, and discourse knowledge to fill in “the” and “quiet.”
Types of cloze tests:
| Type | Deletion Pattern | Scoring |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed-ratio cloze | Every nth word deleted | Exact word or acceptable word |
| Rational cloze (C-test) | Specific words targeted by the test maker | Usually exact word |
| Modified cloze | Targeted deletions with multiple-choice options | Select from options |
| C-test | Second half of every second word deleted | Exact restoration |
Scoring methods:
- Exact-word scoring: Only the original word is accepted. Simpler to score, slightly lower reliability.
- Acceptable-word scoring: Any semantically and grammatically appropriate word is accepted. Higher reliability but harder to score consistently.
Research shows that both methods correlate highly with each other (r > 0.90), so the choice is mainly practical.
Why cloze is useful for language testing:
- Integrative measurement: Unlike discrete-point tests (one item = one grammar point), cloze requires multiple competencies at once
- Easy to construct: Select a passage, delete words — no need to write individual items
- High correlation with other proficiency measures: Cloze scores correlate strongly with standardized proficiency tests
- Discourse-level comprehension: To fill blanks accurately, readers must process meaning beyond the sentence level — using coherence, cohesion, and background knowledge
Limitations:
- Fixed-ratio deletion can create some items that are trivially easy (function words) and others that are nearly impossible (content words with no context clues)
- The format can feel frustrating and unnatural for test-takers
- Some researchers argue cloze primarily measures local (sentence-level) processing, not truly global reading comprehension
Related Terms
See Also
Research
- Oller, J. W. (1979). Language Tests at School. Longman. — Foundational work arguing for cloze as an integrative measure of language proficiency.
- Alderson, J. C. (2000). Assessing Reading. Cambridge University Press. — Critical evaluation of cloze and alternative reading assessment formats.