How the EIAT reading section works
The section is called Reading Comprehension, but every sample in NEIEP’s study guide is a gap-fill, also called a cloze test. A short passage runs down the page with blanks marked ____1____, ____2____ and so on, and beside it each number has four words, A to D. You choose the word that completes the sentence.
It is 35 of the 100 questions. The wrong words are not random: in NEIEP’s samples they are the opposite of what the sentence needs, or a word from the wrong part of life altogether ("vacations" where the passage is about workplace skills). NEIEP’s sample passage is about workplace skills, in plain American English.
How many passages there are and how many gaps each has is not published.
How to fill a gap
Work through each passage like this:
- Read the whole passage once before choosing anything, so you know its subject and its tone.
- For each gap, read the full sentence, including the words after the blank. A word that fits the start of a sentence can still clash with its end.
- Decide what kind of word the gap needs: a noun, a verb, a describing word, or a joining word such as "because" or "however".
- Rule out the opposites and the words that do not belong to the subject, then read the sentence back with your choice in it.
- For a joining word, ask whether the second idea follows from the first (because, so) or pushes against it (although, however).
A worked passage
Before a crew moves a heavy load, the rigging must be ____1____ for wear. A frayed sling is ____2____ even if it looks strong, ____3____ it can fail without warning.
Gap 1: (A) inspected (B) decorated (C) ignored (D) borrowed. The sentence is about a check before lifting, so the answer is A. "Ignored" is the opposite of what the sentence needs, and the other two do not belong to the subject.
Gap 2: (A) reliable (B) unsafe (C) expensive (D) optional. The words after the gap ("even if it looks strong") set up a contrast with how it looks, so the sling must be unsafe: B. "Reliable" is the opposite; "expensive" and "optional" do not explain the danger.
Gap 3: (A) although (B) unless (C) because (D) whereas. The second idea, that it can fail without warning, is the reason the sling is unsafe, so the joining word gives a reason: C, because.
Tips for the real test
- Do not skip the first read-through. Gaps late in a passage often depend on a word near the start.
- Watch for "not", "never" and "even if" near a gap: they flip which word fits.
- If two words both fit the grammar, choose the one that fits the passage’s subject and tone.
- Read widely in plain workplace English before the day: safety notices, job descriptions, news about construction.
- Answer every gap. NEIEP does not say whether a wrong answer costs marks.
Practise EIAT Reading Comprehension on CogniPrep
Our practice is 35 gaps over seven short passages of five gaps each, written for the practice in American English, with four words for every gap. The passage sits beside the choices and shows each word you pick in its gap. There is no time limit: the clock counts up, with a marker at about 21 minutes, this section’s share of the 60 minutes prep sites report for the whole paper, labelled reported, not official. You get your percentage correct against the 70% line, and a note when your misses cluster on joining words.