What Is Part 1?
Part 1 presents an email exchange between two people — usually 2 to 4 emails on a workplace or everyday topic. You have 11 minutes to answer 11 questions: 6 multiple-choice comprehension questions and 5 cloze (fill-in-the-blank) questions.
The comprehension questions test whether you understand the main ideas, specific details, and the writers' intentions. The cloze section gives you a summary paragraph with 5 blanks — you choose the correct word from a dropdown for each blank.
The Question-First Shortcut
Do not start by reading all the emails. Instead:
1. Glance at the first 2–3 questions to know what to look for 2. Then read the first email while keeping those questions in mind 3. Answer what you can, then move to the next email
This "question-first" approach saves time because you're reading with purpose. At CLB 7 level, most test-takers waste 3–4 minutes reading everything before looking at questions. This single change can recover enough time to answer 2–3 more questions carefully.
Identify Who Is Writing and Why
Each email has a sender. Pay attention to:
- Who is writing (name, role, relationship) - Why they are writing (request, complaint, invitation, update) - What they want the other person to do
Many questions at this level test basic understanding: "Why did Sarah write to John?" or "What does Mark ask Lisa to do?" If you track the purpose of each email, these become straightforward. The "To:", "From:", and "Subject:" lines often reveal the relationship and topic immediately — never skip them.
Handle Cloze Questions Strategically
The cloze section is a summary paragraph with 5 blanks. Each blank has 4 options in a dropdown.
Strategy for CLB 7: 1. Read the entire cloze paragraph first — don't look at blanks in isolation 2. For each blank, read the full sentence containing it 3. Check if the answer is about grammar (verb tense, preposition) or vocabulary (meaning) 4. Eliminate options that clearly don't fit grammatically — even if you're unsure of meaning, grammar narrows it down 5. If stuck, choose the option that sounds most natural when you read the sentence aloud in your head
Time Management That Actually Works
You have 11 minutes for 11 questions — roughly 1 minute per question.
- Spend 5–6 minutes on the 6 comprehension questions (reading emails + answering) - Spend 4–5 minutes on the 5 cloze questions - If a question takes over 90 seconds, make your best guess and move on - Never leave a blank empty — there is no penalty for guessing
The biggest time killer: reading every word carefully. At CLB 7, you need to skim and scan, not do deep reading. Your first instinct is usually correct unless you find clear evidence otherwise.