Part 3: Reading for Information

What happens in Part 3

• You read nine statements and decide which paragraph (A, B, C or D) each one comes from.
• Option E means the statement is not in any paragraph.

Tips for a higher score

• Summarise each paragraph in two or three words before reading the statements.
• Statements paraphrase the text; look for meaning, not matching words.
• Use E only when you are sure no paragraph says it.

Common mistakes

• Matching a statement to a paragraph because it shares one keyword.

Step-by-step strategy for Part 3

1. Skim and label each paragraph. Spend about 2 minutes reading the first and last sentences of paragraphs A to D and writing a two- or three-word summary of each, such as "A: early history" or "C: current problems".
   • first
   • originally
   • today
   • however
   • as a result
   • in the future
2. Read each statement for its key idea. For each of the nine statements, find the central idea rather than the keywords. Ask what kind of information it is: a cause, a date, a comparison, a problem or a prediction.
3. Locate the matching paragraph. Allow about 5 minutes for matching, roughly half a minute per statement. Use your labels to go straight to the most likely paragraph, then confirm the meaning in the text.
   • because
   • led to
   • unlike
   • compared with
   • despite
   • for example
4. Check for E before you commit. Choose E only when you have checked every paragraph and none of them says the statement. A statement that sounds reasonable or goes one step further than the text is often an E.
   • always
   • never
   • all
   • the first
   • the only
   • proved
5. Time check and review. With about 2 minutes left, recheck any statement you matched on a single shared word, then make sure nothing is blank. A guess costs nothing.

Part 3 vocabulary and signal words

Part 3 sample tests (68 free practice tests)

Each test has the full text, every question and the answer key. Choose your answers and check them on the page.

• Art and Cultural Festivals
• Celebrating Thanksgiving in North America
• Community Colleges
• Cultural Diversity in Education
• Cybersecurity Trends
• Digital Banking Transformation
• Electric Vehicle Adoption
• Exploring Canada’s National Parks
• Farmers’ Markets
• Fashion with a Conscience
• Global Climate Change Initiatives
• Green Transportation Policies

All 68 Part 3 sample tests · Full-length Reading practice tests (all parts, 38 questions)

Practice ideas for Part 3

1. An article on the history of a Canadian canal: how it was built, why it lost its shipping role, its use for recreation today and plans to repair its locks. Statements test time order and one E about who funded it.
2. An article about urban beekeeping: why city bees can thrive, the risks of too many hives, rules in some cities and what researchers still do not know. Statements test hedging (may, appears) and an E that overstates a finding.
3. An article on a remote northern hiking trail: its Indigenous origins as a travel route, the landscape, safety requirements and how to plan a trip. Statements are paraphrases of permits, gear and seasons.
4. An article about the science of sleep in teenagers: body clock changes, effects on school performance, school start-time experiments and advice for parents. Statements test cause and effect across paragraphs.
5. An article on the restoration of an old theatre: its opening, decades of decline, a community fundraising campaign and its new programming. Two statements share keywords with paragraph B but match C in meaning.

Reading Part 3 questions, answered

More CELPIP Reading

• Part 1: Reading Correspondence
• Part 2: Reading to Apply a Diagram
• Part 4: Reading for Viewpoints (next)