PTE Reading

Understanding the PTE Reading Section

The PTE Academic Reading section evaluates your ability to comprehend academic texts, understand vocabulary in context, and recognize text organization.

Section Format

Question Type

Number

Time Guidance

Scoring Impact

Fill in Blanks - Drop Down

5-6

2-3 min each

Reading only

Multiple Choice (Multiple Answer)

1-2

2 min each

Reading only

Re-order Paragraphs

2-3

2-3 min each

Reading only

Fill in the Blanks - Drag and Drop

4-5

2 min each

Reading only

Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

1-2

1.5 min each

Reading only

Important: 2025 Scoring Update for Reading

The most significant change to PTE Academic in recent years directly affects how you should approach this section. As of 7 August 2025, Read Aloud no longer contributes to your Reading score - it now only contributes to Speaking. Previously, Read Aloud was one of the easiest ways to lift a Reading band because strong pronunciation and fluency on a written text rewarded both skills at once.

What this means for you:

Your Reading score is now built almost entirely from the five tasks within the Reading section itself. There's no longer a Speaking task quietly topping it up in the background. In practice, this makes Reading one of the harder sections to score well in, especially for students who previously relied on Read Aloud to carry them.

Where to compensate:

• Fill in the Blanks (Drop Down) and Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop) carry the most weight in the Reading section. Together, they typically account for 9–11 questions out of 13–18, more than half the section. Building your collocation knowledge and grammatical accuracy here is the single highest-return investment for your Reading score.
• Re-order Paragraphs is also high-value because each correctly placed adjacent pair earns points (partial credit), and there are usually 2–3 of these per test. Strong performance here can recover ground that Read Aloud used to provide.
• Multiple-choice (Single and Multiple-Answer) questions are lower-volume but still count. Don't skip them, but don't over-invest either - accuracy on the fill-in-the-blanks and re-orders matters more.

Strategic takeaway: If you're aiming for a 65+ or 79+ Reading band under the new scoring system, your preparation should weigh heavily on fill-in-the-blanks and re-order paragraphs. The old advice of "Read Aloud will help carry your Reading score" no longer applies.

Question Type Strategies

Fill in the Blanks - Drop Down

A text with several blanks where you select words from dropdown menus.

Strategy:

1. Read the entire passage first for context
2. Identify the part of speech needed (noun, verb, adjective, etc.)
3. Look for collocations (words that commonly go together)
4. Check grammatical agreement (singular/plural, tense)
5. Read the sentence with your choice to confirm it sounds natural

Collocation Examples:

• "make a decision" (not "do a decision")
• "conduct research" (not "make research")
• "reach a conclusion" (not "arrive a conclusion")

Tips:

• Build your collocation vocabulary
• Pay attention to prepositions after verbs
• Consider a formal academic register

Re-order Paragraphs

Arrange scrambled text boxes into the correct order.

Strategy:

1. Find the topic sentence - usually introduces the main subject without referring to previous information
2. Identify the conclusion - often summarizes or draws final conclusions
3. Look for connectors:

• "However, Therefore, Moreover, Furthermore" = Continuation or contrast
• "This, These, Such, The" = Reference to something mentioned before

1. Track pronoun references - "it," "they," "this" must refer to something earlier
2. Follow logical flow - chronological, cause-effect, general-to-specific

Time Management:

• Spend up to 3 minutes maximum
• If stuck, make your best arrangement and move on
• Each correct adjacent pair earns points

Fill in the Blanks - Drag and Drop

A text with blanks where you drag words from a box.

Strategy:

1. Read the whole passage first
2. Identify parts of speech for each blank
3. Eliminate words that don't fit grammatically
4. Use context clues to narrow choices
5. Check collocations and natural phrasing

Tips:

• There are usually more words than blanks (distractors)
• Some words may seem to fit, but don't match collocations
• Read aloud (in your head) to check if it sounds natural

Multiple Choice (Multiple Answer)

Select all correct options from a list.

Strategy:

1. Read the question carefully - note what it's asking
2. Skim the passage for relevant sections
3. Evaluate each option independently
4. Be cautious - wrong selections lose points
5. When unsure, select fewer options

Negative Marking:

This is the only Reading question type with negative marking. Wrong selections actively subtract points (down to a minimum of zero for the question). Random guessing here can take you from a partial-credit score back to zero.

• Correct selection: +1 point
• Wrong selection: -1 point
• Minimum score: 0
• Don't guess randomly

Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Select one correct answer from the options.

Strategy:

1. Read the question first
2. Skim text for relevant information
3. Eliminate obviously wrong options
4. Choose the most supported answer
5. Don't overthink - trust your first instinct

Time Management Strategy

Total time: 29-30 minutes for 13-18 questions

Recommended Allocation:

• FIB - Drop Down: 2-3 minutes each
• Re-order Paragraphs: 2-3 minutes each
• FIB - Drag and Drop: 2 minutes each
• Multiple Choice (Multiple): 2 minutes each
• Multiple Choice (Single): 1.5 minutes each

Key Principles:

1. Don't exceed the time limits for any question
2. Answer every question except Multiple Choice (Multiple Answer): For all other question types, a guess can earn partial credit, while a blank guarantees zero
3. For Multiple Choice (Multiple Answer), only select options you're confident about: Wrong selections are deducted, so partial guessing is better than full guessing
4. 
   
5. Mark difficult questions and return if time permits
6. Save a few minutes for review

Skills Development

Improving Reading Speed

1. Practice timed reading daily
2. Expand vocabulary through academic texts
3. Learn to skim for main ideas
4. Practice scanning for specific information

Building Collocation Knowledge

Essential for fill-in-the-blank success:

1. Read academic journals and articles
2. Note word combinations you encounter
3. Use collocation dictionaries
4. Practice with PTE-specific word lists

Common Academic Collocations: | Verb | Common Collocations | |------|---------------------| | Conduct | research, study, experiment, survey | | Provide | evidence, support, information, assistance | | Reach | conclusion, agreement, decision, consensus | | Draw | attention, conclusion, comparison, distinction | | Play | role, part, crucial/important role |

Understanding Text Structure

Recognize common patterns:

• Problem-Solution: Issue presented, then solutions discussed
• Cause-Effect: Events and their consequences
• Compare-Contrast: Similarities and differences
• Chronological: Time-based sequence
• General-Specific: Broad concept to detailed examples

Practice Recommendations

1. Daily Reading: Academic articles, journals, quality newspapers
2. Vocabulary Building: Practice 5-10 new collocations daily
3. Timed Practice: Always practice with time limits
4. Re-order Practice: Work on logical text organization
5. Review Errors: Analyze why incorrect answers were wrong

Common Challenges and Solutions

Challenge

Solution

Running out of time

Practice using strict time limits per question, and speed reading

Wrong collocations

Build a collocation database and read more academic English

Re-order confusion

Practice finding topic sentences and transitions

Multiple choice errors

Read more carefully, eliminate systematically

Vocabulary gaps

Daily vocabulary study with an academic word list