Log in Sign up
IELTS / Guides / Reading · Note, table & flow-chart completion
IELTS Reading · Guide

Note, Table and Flow-chart Completion in IELTS Reading: a method that works

You fill gaps in a set of notes, a table or a flow-chart, using words from the passage. The format shows you the structure of the information, so the task tests whether you can use that structure to find the right part of the text. It also tests accuracy, since the words must be copied exactly and must fit the limit.

About Reading practice

Format

  • Usually 4 to 8 gaps in a set, with a word limit printed in the instruction, such as NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER.
  • In notes and flow-charts the gaps normally follow the order of the passage. In a table the answers can follow the text by row or by column, so check the pattern.
  • Answers are exact words from the passage. A hyphenated word counts as one, and a number counts separately.
  • The notes are written in shortened language with few articles and verbs. A flow-chart has boxes connected by arrows showing stages of a process.
  • On computer you type the answer in the box; spelling matters.

Strategy

  1. Read the instruction, note the limit and read the heading of the notes, table or flow-chart. It tells you which part of the passage to read.
  2. In a table, read the row and column headings carefully, because they define what kind of answer belongs in each cell: a date, a material, a cost, a problem.
  3. In a flow-chart, follow the arrows and note the order of stages. Look in the passage for sequence words such as 'first', 'then', 'once', 'after which' and 'finally'.
  4. Predict each gap: the type of word and the kind of thing, for example 'a number', 'a material', 'a person'.
  5. Scan the passage for the anchors around the gap, such as the label of the row, the name of the stage or the neighbouring words in the notes.
  6. Read the sentence closely and copy the word or words you need. In notes, the note may compress a full sentence, so you may need to look at the whole sentence to find the correct word.
  7. Check that the completed note makes sense, fits the grammar of the note and meets the limit. Compare the spelling with the passage.

Common traps

  • Looking in the wrong part of the passage because you did not use the heading of the notes or the row of the table.
  • Reading a table in the wrong direction. If the passage describes each column in turn, the answers run down the columns, not along the rows.
  • Taking the first word that fits the gap type from the sentence, when another word in the same sentence is the one the note refers to.
  • Exceeding the limit. Notes use shortened language, but your answer must still obey the word count.
  • Writing a word from the passage that is the right type but the wrong stage in a flow-chart because the passage describes the process in a different order.

Practise it inside a real Reading section

Practice on PrepFreely is always a complete section, so you meet this question type in the same place and proportion as on test day. Random sections never repeat until you've done them all. Every answer is explained.

Practise Reading Take the Reading course

FAQ

Do the answers follow the order of the passage?

In notes and flow-charts, normally yes. In a table, check whether the passage deals with rows or columns, because the order may follow either.

Can I use my own words?

No. The answer must be the words used in the passage.

What if a flow-chart stage is mentioned out of order in the passage?

The chart follows the real order of the process, which can differ from the order in which the writer mentions the stages. Use the sequence words to place each one.

Is a number a word?

Not in a limit such as TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER. It is counted separately and may be written in figures.

Are headings in the notes useful?

Very. They show the section of the passage you need, and they also tell you what type of information belongs in each gap.

More IELTS Reading guides

IELTS is a registered trademark of the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge University Press & Assessment. PrepFreely is not affiliated with, approved or endorsed by them.