An exercise requiring the provision of missing words or phrases to finalize a given explanation. For instance, a user might be presented with “Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and _____” and be expected to fill in the blank with “water”. This activity tests comprehension and recall of specific knowledge.
This kind of assessment offers several advantages, especially in education. It directly evaluates a person’s understanding of terminology and concepts. Historically, these types of exercises have been used in various educational settings, from primary schools to professional training programs, as a way to gauge knowledge retention and reinforce learned material.