CELPIP Reading Part 3 practice with answers

How Part 3 matches statements to paragraphs

Reading for Information gives you four factual paragraphs labelled A–D and nine statements to match, with approximately ten minutes for the part. Select the paragraph containing the statement’s information, or E when that information is not given. The match depends on meaning, so expect to compare a statement with a passage that expresses the same relationship in different words.

On the test, choose answers through drop-down menus. You cannot highlight or annotate the paragraphs on screen. Use the supplied paper for a brief paragraph map if it helps you find information again. A map should describe each paragraph’s purpose in a few words; copying its opening sentence leaves less time for checking the statements.

The set below describes the fictional Alder Table Food Bank. Its paragraphs cover different aspects of the organization, but related words occur across them. Food, staff and volunteers can appear in more than one context. Locate the specific action or policy described in the statement before assigning a letter. Treat each statement independently, and do not force a paragraph choice just to balance your answers.

Check the whole claim behind a familiar word

Break a statement into who or what it concerns, what happens and any limiting condition. Then look for the same claim in the paragraph. A match on the subject alone is incomplete. A paragraph about volunteers might explain their duties without saying anything about their background or motives.

Pay attention to the relationship between ideas. Does one action prepare someone for another? Does a restriction prevent a problem? Is a service being assessed before a larger commitment? In this set, “reviewed before adoption” connects a suggestion to a checking process. Matching that meaning requires recognizing the order of actions, even if the statement uses different nouns.

Keep quantity and certainty intact when paraphrasing. Information about some activities does not establish what most people do, and a planned trial does not establish a permanent service. Read the sentence containing the likely evidence and enough surrounding text to understand what its pronouns refer to. If two paragraphs look promising, compare their purposes: managing incoming supplies and managing visitors’ selections can involve similar vocabulary while describing different decisions.

When to select E: information not given

E is appropriate when none of the four paragraphs supplies the statement’s information. It is not a shortcut for a sentence you find difficult. Before selecting it, identify exactly what evidence would be needed, then check the most relevant paragraph and scan the others for that missing point.

In this set, “household allowances” describes an aspect of distribution. That phrase alone does not tell you every rule governing access. Ask whether a statement introduces a frequency, demographic claim or reason that the passage never provides. A believable rule remains unsupported if you have supplied it from experience with another organization.

Distinguish a paraphrase from an addition. Replacing a phrase with equivalent wording can preserve the claim; adding a number, category or condition changes it. During review, write the missing detail beside each E answer. This makes the decision testable: you should be able to say what the text would have needed to establish. Avoid arguing that a statement must be false in the real world. The question is whether its information appears in these paragraphs.

Use a paragraph map to answer faster

Use this suggested ten-minute plan as a starting point. Spend two minutes reading A–D and writing a short label for each. Use the next five minutes to match the nine statements, returning directly to likely evidence. Give two minutes to uncertain matches and possible E choices, then use the last minute to check that every statement has an answer. These divisions are study advice, not official sub-timers.

During the first pass, record an uncertain statement’s number and the issue that needs checking. A note such as “frequency?” is more useful than copying the whole question. It tells you what to search for when you return. When checking a likely paragraph, read enough context to establish the full claim before moving on.

Build speed between timed attempts by writing two versions of the same supported idea: the passage wording and your own paraphrase. Check that both preserve the same people, conditions and degree of certainty. Then return to timed work with fresh material so remembered letters do not hide a weak search method. Continue to Part 4 viewpoints when you want to apply this evidence checking to opinions and their owners.

Free Reading Part 3 practice set

How to review this set

Label each mistake as a keyword-only match, a changed condition, an overlooked paraphrase or an unsupported addition. The explanation linking “different instruction” to volunteer duties shows a paraphrase match; “household allowances” does not establish a monthly visiting limit. For an E error, name the missing fact. For an A–D error, quote the supporting clause and explain why the paragraph you selected covers a different claim.