CELPIP Reading Part 3: Reading for Information
Find the paragraph that supports the whole statement
Check every detail in a statement. Choose “not given” when none of the paragraphs gives you enough information to support it.
Guide 3 of 4 in the Reading path · Reviewed
Know the task
Part 3 has nine statements to match to paragraphs A–D or to E when the information is not given.
See the official CELPIP test formatA useful approach
- 1
Write a few words about each paragraph
Label A “joining,” B “borrowing,” C “repairs,” and D “paying for the service.” Use these notes to find the likely paragraph, then read it again to check the details.
- 2
Check all parts of the statement
Underline the details you need to prove. In “Members can borrow no more than two tools at the same time,” you need a limit on the number of tools. A rule about how many days a loan lasts does not answer that question.
- 3
Match the meaning of the words
The statement may use different words from the paragraph. “Keep an item longer” can mean “extend a loan.” Read the full sentence to check the meaning and any conditions; one repeated word is not enough.
- 4
Read all four paragraphs before choosing E
Check whether any paragraph supports the whole statement, either directly or through details you can put together. Choose E, “not given,” when none does. Do not choose E just because a word is unfamiliar, or add facts from your own knowledge.
See it in an example
A short informational article explains a neighbourhood tool-lending service.
Example article · Select a passage to see its explanation.
A · Joining
A tells new members what to do before borrowing. It does not say how many tools they can borrow at once.
Check your understanding
A common mistake
Matching the topic without checking the detail in the statement.
Less useful: The statement is about borrowing, so it must match paragraph B.
More specific: B says how long members can keep tools, but it does not say how many they can borrow at the same time.
The word “borrow” can help you find paragraph B. You still need to check what it says. A limit on days cannot prove a limit on the number of tools.
Useful language in context
- extend a loan
Arrange to keep a borrowed item for longer.
You can extend the loan if no one is waiting for the book.
- proof of address
A document showing where someone lives.
Bring a utility bill as proof of address when registering.
- routine expenses
Regular costs needed to keep an activity or service running.
Membership fees help cover routine expenses such as cleaning supplies.
Try it yourself
- Find the paragraph that supports this statement: “Some loans can be renewed if the item has no reservation.”
- Write how many times a loan can be extended and what must be true before it can be extended. Check both details in paragraph B.
- Read all four paragraphs for a limit on the number of tools borrowed at once. Explain why the renewal statement has a paragraph match but the two-tool statement does not.