A cloze test (also cloze deletion test) is an exercise, test, or assessment consisting of a portion of text with certain words removed (cloze text), where the participant is asked to replace the missing words. Cloze tests require the ability to understand context and vocabulary in order to identify the correct words or type of words that belong in the deleted passages of a text. This exercise is commonly administered for the assessment of native and second language learning and instruction.
The word cloze is derived from closure in Gestalt theory. The exercise was first described by W.L. Taylor in 1953.
So, preparing a cloze test consists of writing a complete text and then delecting words. This should follow a rule: the first and the last words are never deleted and then you have to choose a specific number of words to remain and delete. That is, if you choose number 8, you �ll delete every ninth word after counting eight to remain. So, in a cloze test, any kind of word can be deleted and the main purpose is to check general understanding and overall knowlegde of grammar, vocabulary structure and expressions, all together. You �ll select the text according to the level of your students, that is, elementary, pre intermediate, etc, and the area of ESL, communicative, business English, ESP, ect. It´s very much used in placement texts and in ESl for profficiency level.
Fill-in-the-blank exercises, on the other hand, are designed with a different purpose. You can design them to check vocabulary, for example. So you not only have to remove the items of vocabulary you would like to test from a text, but also to check if the content is clear enough and self explanatory to provide the necessary context for the word to be used. You can check vocabulary, use of articles, verb tenses, use of "some" and "any" just to mention a few examples.
Cross words, letter soups, etc may have another purpose but not necessarily quite different.
