Eight gaps, four options each. The examiners are testing whether you know which word actually goes with its neighbors — not just which word "means" the right thing.
Part 1 looks like a vocabulary quiz, but it is really a test of collocation — which words naturally travel together in English. All four options are usually real words with a similar general meaning. Only one of them fits the exact word sitting next to the gap.
Eight short items, each built around one of the traps above. Choose an option to get instant feedback.
A new 8-gap passage, official Part 1 format. Aim to finish before the timer runs out — then check your answers below.
10:00A growing number of teenagers across Europe are choosing to switch their phones (1) for one day a week. The idea, known as an "analog weekend", began as a small experiment in a handful of schools, but it has since caught (2) among students who say it helps them focus and sleep better.
Instead of scrolling through social media, many spend the day reading, drawing, or meeting friends in (3). Psychologists point (4) that constant notifications make it hard to concentrate on one task for long, so short breaks from screens can make a real (5) to a student's mood and memory.
Critics argue that teenagers still need strong digital skills for future careers and that, (6) helpful, a single screen-free day a week will not fix deeper problems such as poor sleep habits. Some students admit the first analog weekend felt strange, and that they were (7) of missing an important message. Even so, most who have tried it say they would happily (8) it a go again next weekend.
This is a practice estimate for one exam part only. Your official Cambridge result is calculated across the whole exam on the Cambridge English Scale.