A Teacher’s Reservations about Digital Homework
About this practice test
A teacher evaluates digital homework, considering its practical benefits alongside concerns about copied work, marking, unequal access, notifications, and the continued value of paper tasks.
What you’ll practice
Finding detail
Locate specific information and evidence.
Interpreting ideas
Connect main points and inferences.
Evaluating arguments
Assess claims, evidence, and limitations.
What to expect:
12 questions with explanations to review after submission.
Study the questions and tasks
Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.
- Practice level
- B2. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.
- Question formats
- Yes / No / Not Given
How to approach this practice
Read the passage for its main idea, then return to the relevant sentence or paragraph for each question. Base answers on the passage.
A Teacher’s Reservations about Digital Homework
At the start of this term, my school asked every department to move more homework onto the learning platform. I had no wish to sound like a machine-age grumbler. I already use the system for short quizzes, and I can see why many colleagues like it. It is quick to upload, it gives students immediate scores, and it lets me see who has not opened the task. Still, I have reservations, and they are not based on nostalgia for exercise books. My concern is that convenience can hide the real purpose of homework. Homework should extend learning, not simply prove that a button has been pressed. A well-designed digital task can do that, especially when I want pupils to practise a set of facts or revise vocabulary in a few minutes. The automatic reminders are useful too, because several students genuinely forget what they were asked to do. But the same system encourages some habits I do not trust. If the answer can be copied from a neighbour, a search engine, or now even a writing tool, the homework may look complete while revealing very little about what a student can do alone. Marking is another reason I hesitate to praise digital homework too warmly. People often assume that online work saves teachers time, yet that is not always true. Multiple-choice quizzes are fast, but longer typed responses can be messy to read and slow to assess. Students also tend to submit polished text that hides the rough thinking I need to see. A crossed-out line on paper can tell me where a child hesitated; a neat screen often cannot. For subjects such as mathematics, planning, and languages, I want evidence of process as well as final answer. There is also the question of fairness. Some homes have reliable broadband, a quiet room, and one device per child. Others do not. I have had pupils finish homework on a parent’s phone while waiting outside a shop, and one boy once missed a deadline because his sister had taken the laptop to a club. I do not think digital homework is automatically unfair, but it becomes unfair quickly when access is uneven and when teachers assume every family can solve problems in the same way. Another issue is the way digital homework follows children into the evening. Because the platform is always open, it is easy to send messages late or to expect instant replies. I do not want homework to turn a family home into a branch of the classroom. A short reminder after supper may seem harmless, yet a stream of notifications can make pupils feel that school never ends. For that reason, I prefer set times and clear limits, not a constant flow of alerts. So my position is not that digital homework should disappear. It has a place, and a useful one, when the task is brief, specific, and easy to check. But I would resist any plan to replace paper entirely. The best homework, in my view, is the kind that suits the purpose, the age group, and the resources available. If schools want students to learn responsibly, they should teach them how to work on screen without losing concentration, and how to switch off when the work is done.
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Question 1 · Yes / No / Not Given
Decide whether the statement agrees with the writer’s or speaker’s view. Choose Not Given when the view is not stated.
The writer believes translation tools would be a useful addition to digital homework.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Yes
- No
- Not Given
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Not Given
Not Given. The writer discusses uploading, scores, reminders, and checking completion, but says nothing about translation tools. Since the text gives no opinion on that feature, the statement cannot be confirmed or denied.
It is quick to upload, it gives students immediate scores, and it lets me see who has not opened the task
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Question 2 · Yes / No / Not Given
Decide whether the statement agrees with the writer’s or speaker’s view. Choose Not Given when the view is not stated.
The writer believes homework should match the task, the age group, and the available resources.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Yes
- No
- Not Given
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Yes
Yes. The writer states this directly in the final paragraph, describing that as the best homework. The wording closely matches his view, so Yes is correct.
The best homework, in my view, is the kind that suits the purpose, the age group, and the resources available
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Question 3 · Yes / No / Not Given
Decide whether the statement agrees with the writer’s or speaker’s view. Choose Not Given when the view is not stated.
The writer believes online homework always saves teachers time.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Yes
- No
- Not Given
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- No
No. The writer says that people often assume online work saves time, but this is not always true, and longer responses can be slow to assess. So the passage directly rejects the word 'always'.
People often assume that online work saves teachers time, yet that is not always true
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Question 4 · Yes / No / Not Given
Decide whether the statement agrees with the writer’s or speaker’s view. Choose Not Given when the view is not stated.
The writer believes digital homework is especially suitable for brief revision tasks.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Yes
- No
- Not Given
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Yes
Yes. The writer says a digital task works well when pupils need to practise facts or revise vocabulary briefly. That directly supports the idea that it suits short revision work, while the other options do not match this approval.
A well-designed digital task can do that, especially when I want pupils to practise a set of facts or revise vocabulary in a few minutes
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Question 5 · Yes / No / Not Given
Decide whether the statement agrees with the writer’s or speaker’s view. Choose Not Given when the view is not stated.
The writer thinks late-night notifications are harmless.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Yes
- No
- Not Given
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- No
No. The writer says a stream of notifications can make pupils feel that school never ends, and he prefers clear limits. That is a clear concern, not a belief that late-night notifications are harmless.
a stream of notifications can make pupils feel that school never ends
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Question 6 · Yes / No / Not Given
Decide whether the statement agrees with the writer’s or speaker’s view. Choose Not Given when the view is not stated.
The writer thinks students generally prefer digital homework to paper homework.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Yes
- No
- Not Given
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Not Given
Not Given. The passage discusses why the writer uses the system and what colleagues like, but it never says that students generally prefer digital homework to paper homework. Because there is no statement about student preference, neither Yes nor No is justified.
I already use the system for short quizzes, and I can see why many colleagues like it
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Question 7 · Yes / No / Not Given
Decide whether the statement agrees with the writer’s or speaker’s view. Choose Not Given when the view is not stated.
The writer believes digital homework should replace paper homework completely.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Yes
- No
- Not Given
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- No
No. The writer clearly says he would resist any plan to replace paper entirely. That is the opposite of complete replacement, so Yes is wrong. Not Given is also wrong because the writer's view is stated directly.
But I would resist any plan to replace paper entirely
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Question 8 · Yes / No / Not Given
Decide whether the statement agrees with the writer’s or speaker’s view. Choose Not Given when the view is not stated.
The writer believes paper homework is more motivating than digital homework.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Yes
- No
- Not Given
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Not Given
Not Given. The writer does value paper in some situations, but he does not say that paper homework is more motivating than digital homework. The passage never compares motivation in that way, so the claim is not stated.
But I would resist any plan to replace paper entirely
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Question 9 · Yes / No / Not Given
Decide whether the statement agrees with the writer’s or speaker’s view. Choose Not Given when the view is not stated.
The writer believes all families have equal access to devices and broadband.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Yes
- No
- Not Given
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- No
No. The writer contrasts homes with reliable broadband and devices with others that do not have them. That shows he does not believe access is equal for all families.
Some homes have reliable broadband, a quiet room, and one device per child. Others do not
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Question 10 · Yes / No / Not Given
Decide whether the statement agrees with the writer’s or speaker’s view. Choose Not Given when the view is not stated.
The writer recommends that parents check the platform every night.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Yes
- No
- Not Given
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Not Given
Not Given. The writer talks about late messages, family life, and limits, but he never recommends that parents check the platform every night. Because that idea is absent, the answer is Not Given.
For that reason, I prefer set times and clear limits, not a constant flow of alerts
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Question 11 · Yes / No / Not Given
Decide whether the statement agrees with the writer’s or speaker’s view. Choose Not Given when the view is not stated.
The writer believes automatic reminders can help students who forget assignments.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Yes
- No
- Not Given
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Yes
Yes. The writer explicitly says the reminders are useful because several students genuinely forget what they were asked to do. That is a direct approval of reminders, not a criticism or an uncertain point.
The automatic reminders are useful too, because several students genuinely forget what they were asked to do
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Question 12 · Yes / No / Not Given
Decide whether the statement agrees with the writer’s or speaker’s view. Choose Not Given when the view is not stated.
The writer thinks some subjects need evidence of process, not only a final answer.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Yes
- No
- Not Given
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Yes
Yes. The writer says that for mathematics, planning, and languages, he wants evidence of process as well as the final answer. This directly supports the statement.
For subjects such as mathematics, planning, and languages, I want evidence of process as well as final answer
What to review next
Find the words that support each answer. For a mistake, compare the question with the evidence and identify the detail or inference you missed.
A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.
Before you practise: a worked example
Look for evidence in the text. Separate what the writer says from what you already know about the topic.
The library normally closes at six, but on Fridays it stays open until eight. When does it close on Friday?
The answer is eight. But introduces an exception to the normal closing time, so the first time mentioned is not the answer.
This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.