How Researchers Evaluated a Learning App
About this practice test
A research report explains how a college team evaluated a learning app, comparing app-based and paper revision, interpreting the results, and recognising the study’s limitations.
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
- Fill in the blank (text)
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.
How Researchers Evaluated a Learning App
At Brookside College, a small team wanted to test a new learning app called StudySprint. The app sent short revision tasks and showed each student a progress bar. Maya Lin, the lead researcher, said the question was not whether teenagers were excited by another screen, but whether the app made regular practice easier to maintain. The team therefore framed the project around homework completion, speed, and confidence rather than general popularity. Before the main trial, they ran a pilot with six students to check that the app stored usage data correctly. The main evaluation involved 84 Year 10 students in science. Half were assigned to the app group and half to a paper group. Both groups received the same revision list for four weeks and were asked to spend 20 minutes a day on it. Students in the app group worked on phones after school, while the comparison group used printed sheets in folders. The researchers matched the tasks closely so that any difference would come from the format, not from the content itself. To avoid a simple new-toy effect, the same teacher introduced both groups and used the same instructions in each classroom. Students were told that the project tracked study habits, but they were not told which outcome mattered most. The app also included automatic reminders, so the team could see whether students returned to the tasks on time. A dashboard recorded minute-by-minute use, which meant the researchers could tell how long students stayed in each section. That level of detail became important later, because some students opened the app and moved through it very quickly. After four weeks, the app group had completed 13% more tasks than the paper group. They also finished their work faster on average. However, the difference in accuracy was small, and the most noticeable gains were among students who had begun the term behind the rest of the class. In interviews, several students said the app made the work feel less heavy because it broke revision into smaller steps. Others admitted that they clicked through screens quickly and guessed when they were unsure. The researchers therefore treated heavy use as a sign of engagement, not proof of learning. The team was careful not to overstate the results. The sample came from one school, so the findings might not transfer well to different settings. The study was also short, and the researchers did not measure long-term retention. Because the app sent reminder messages, they could not fully separate the effect of the study content from the effect of being prompted. Maya Lin argued that this was a common problem in classroom technology research: a tool often changes behaviour in more than one way, and not all of those changes are visible in a test score. In the final report, the team said the app could support routine practice when teachers set clear deadlines and give feedback on the work afterwards. They did not present it as a replacement for teaching. Instead, they described it as one useful tool in a wider system of learning. Their conclusion was modest but practical: digital support works best when it fits ordinary school routines rather than trying to replace them. On that basis, the researchers recommended a larger trial with more schools and a longer follow-up period.
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Question 1 · Fill in the blank (text)
Complete each blank with the missing word or phrase.
Write NO MORE THAN ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage. Maya Lin said the question was not whether teenagers were excited by another ___, but whether the app made regular practice easier to maintain.
Return to the passage, recording or visualCheck answers and explanations
- Blank 1
- screen
The missing word is screen, which appears in the same sentence. It fits the contrast the researcher makes between novelty and usefulness. App or tool would not complete the original wording.
the question was not whether teenagers were excited by another screen, but whether the app made regular practice easier to maintain
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Question 2 · Fill in the blank (text)
Complete each blank with the missing word or phrase.
Write NO MORE THAN ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage. The main evaluation involved ___ students in science.
Return to the passage, recording or visualCheck answers and explanations
- Blank 1
- 84 / eighty-four
The passage gives the exact sample size as 84. This is a factual detail from the method section, and no other number fits the sentence.
The main evaluation involved 84 Year 10 students in science
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Question 3 · Fill in the blank (text)
Complete each blank with the missing word or phrase.
Write NO MORE THAN ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage. Half were assigned to the app group and half to a ___ group.
Return to the passage, recording or visualCheck answers and explanations
- Blank 1
- paper
The comparison condition is described as the paper group. The word paper is the only source word that completes the contrast correctly; app or control would not match the passage.
Half were assigned to the app group and half to a paper group
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Question 4 · Fill in the blank (text)
Complete each blank with the missing word or phrase.
Write NO MORE THAN ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage. Both groups received the same revision list for ___ weeks.
Return to the passage, recording or visualCheck answers and explanations
- Blank 1
- four / 4
The passage says the evaluation lasted four weeks, so four is the correct missing word. A different time period would contradict the method described.
Both groups received the same revision list for four weeks
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Question 5 · Fill in the blank (text)
Complete each blank with the missing word or phrase.
Write NO MORE THAN ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage. Before the main trial, they ran a ___ with six students.
Return to the passage, recording or visualCheck answers and explanations
- Blank 1
- pilot
Pilot is the word used in the passage for the small preliminary test. It shows they checked the system before starting the full evaluation.
Before the main trial, they ran a pilot with six students
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Question 6 · Fill in the blank (text)
Complete each blank with the missing word or phrase.
Write NO MORE THAN ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage. To avoid a simple new-toy effect, the same ___ introduced both groups.
Return to the passage, recording or visualCheck answers and explanations
- Blank 1
- teacher
Teacher is the correct word because the passage says the same teacher introduced both groups. This detail was meant to keep the two conditions as similar as possible.
the same teacher introduced both groups
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Question 7 · Fill in the blank (text)
Complete each blank with the missing word or phrase.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage. A dashboard recorded ___ use.
Return to the passage, recording or visualCheck answers and explanations
- Blank 1
- minute-by-minute
The passage uses the exact phrase minute-by-minute use. That detail shows the researchers could see how students moved through the app in very fine detail.
A dashboard recorded minute-by-minute use
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Question 8 · Fill in the blank (text)
Complete each blank with the missing word or phrase.
Write NO MORE THAN ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage. After four weeks, the app group had completed 13% more ___ than the paper group.
Return to the passage, recording or visualCheck answers and explanations
- Blank 1
- tasks
Tasks is the correct word because the result compares the number of tasks completed by the two groups. It is the main outcome reported for productivity.
After four weeks, the app group had completed 13% more tasks than the paper group
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Question 9 · Fill in the blank (text)
Complete each blank with the missing word or phrase.
Write NO MORE THAN ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage. The biggest gains were among students who had begun the term ___ the rest of the class.
Return to the passage, recording or visualCheck answers and explanations
- Blank 1
- behind
Behind is the word used to show that the stronger improvement was seen in students who started at a lower point than their classmates. Other words would weaken or change that comparison.
the most noticeable gains were among students who had begun the term behind the rest of the class
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Question 10 · Fill in the blank (text)
Complete each blank with the missing word or phrase.
Write NO MORE THAN ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage. Several students said the app made the work feel less ___ because it broke revision into smaller steps.
Return to the passage, recording or visualCheck answers and explanations
- Blank 1
- heavy
The passage says the work felt less heavy. This shows the app reduced the sense of burden, not that the work became easier in every academic sense.
the app made the work feel less heavy because it broke revision into smaller steps
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Question 11 · Fill in the blank (text)
Complete each blank with the missing word or phrase.
Write NO MORE THAN ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage. The researchers could not fully separate the effect of the study content from the effect of being prompted by ___ messages.
Return to the passage, recording or visualCheck answers and explanations
- Blank 1
- reminder
Reminder is the correct word because the app sent reminder messages, and the researchers could not tell how much those prompts influenced the outcome. The passage explicitly says they could not fully separate the two effects.
Because the app sent reminder messages, they could not fully separate the effect of the study content from the effect of being prompted
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Question 12 · Fill in the blank (text)
Complete each blank with the missing word or phrase.
Write NO MORE THAN ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage. The researchers recommended a larger ___ with more schools and a longer follow-up period.
Return to the passage, recording or visualCheck answers and explanations
- Blank 1
- trial
Trial is the correct word because the final report calls for a larger trial. The recommendation points to a broader and longer evaluation, not a finished conclusion.
the researchers recommended a larger trial with more schools and a longer follow-up period
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.