Tips & Strategies
    Reading · 5 question types

    PTE Reading — Official Tips & Strategies

    Every official Pearson tip for all 5 reading tasks — fill in the blanks, MCQs, and reorder paragraphs — turned into illustrated sticky-note strategies you can actually remember on test day.

    Before you start

    General advice for Reading

    Three habits Pearson highlights for every reading task.

    Skim first, then scan

    Spend 20–30 seconds getting the gist before you hunt for answers. The big-picture meaning makes detail questions much faster.

    Manage your time across 5 tasks

    Reading is timed across the whole section. Don't let one reorder paragraph eat the time you need for fill-in-the-blanks.

    Always answer — never skip

    There's no negative marking on single-answer questions. A guess earns more on average than an empty answer.

    SpeakingWritingReadingListening
    1Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks2Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers3Reorder Paragraph
    4Reading: Fill in the Blanks5Multiple Choice, Single Answer
    1
    Reading · Task 1 of 5

    Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks

    A short passage with drop-down menus. Pick the word that fits the meaning AND the grammar of each blank.

    Instructions

    • Read the passage to grasp the topic before tackling individual blanks.
    • For each blank, open the drop-down and choose ONE word.
    • You can change your selection any time before clicking Next.
    Illustrated notes · Reading

    Strategy deep-dive

    Hand-picked sticky notes — colour-coded so each move is easy to spot.

    01 / 04

    Skim for overall meaning first

    1. 1Read once for the main topic (e.g. 'change', 'climate', 'education').
    2. 2Notice repeated keywords.
    3. 3Then go blank-by-blank — options often connect back to that main topic.
    02 / 04

    Read before and after the blank

    1. 1Read 3–4 words on each side of the blank.
    2. 2Check the grammar — noun, verb, adjective, infinitive?
    3. 3Check the collocation — e.g. 'gained access TO' (not 'gained excess to').
    4. 4Eliminate options that fail either test.
    03 / 04

    Use grammar to eliminate

    1. 1After 'beginning to' — you need an infinitive verb.
    2. 2After 'a / an / the' — you need a noun.
    3. 3After 'very / quite' — you need an adjective. Rule out options of the wrong part of speech first; you'll usually be left with 1–2 choices.
    04 / 04

    Common pitfalls to avoid

    1. 1Picking a word just because it 'sounds nice'.
    2. 2Ignoring grammar and choosing on meaning alone.
    3. 3Spending too long on one blank — move on and come back.
    4. 4Forgetting that this task scores both reading AND writing skills.
    Quick check

    Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks — 5 questions

    Answer all 5 to unlock the next question type. There's no penalty for retrying.

    1. 1

      What should you do FIRST when an R&W FIB question appears?

      Single answer

    2. 2

      Which skills are scored on this task?

      Select all that apply

    3. 3

      After 'a / an / the', the missing word must be:

      Single answer

    4. 4

      True or false: there is negative marking on this task.

      True / False

    5. 5

      Which is the smartest way to choose between similar-looking options?

      Single answer

    Next: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers
    2
    Reading · Task 2 of 5

    Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers

    Read a text and select MORE than one correct response. Wrong selections cost you points.

    Instructions

    • Read the prompt carefully — more than one option is correct.
    • Select every option you are confident about.
    • Negative marking: incorrect selections subtract points.
    Illustrated notes · Reading

    Strategy deep-dive

    Hand-picked sticky notes — colour-coded so each move is easy to spot.

    01 / 03

    Note any repeated words in the options

    1. 1Skim all answer options first.
    2. 2Spot words that repeat — usually a key noun ('classes') or adjective ('multigrade').
    3. 3Scan the text for that repeated phrase.
    4. 4Read around it to verify each option. This is much faster than reading the whole text option-by-option.
    02 / 03

    Know how the task is scored

    1. 1Each correct option earns +1.
    2. 2Each incorrect option earns −1.
    3. 3Minimum total is zero (you can't go negative).
    4. 4So: if you're not sure, do NOT click — clicking all options will leave you with zero, never a high score.
    03 / 03

    Match meaning, not exact wording

    1. 1Find the relevant sentence in the text.
    2. 2Paraphrase it in your head.
    3. 3Pick the option whose meaning matches your paraphrase — not the one with the most matching words.

    Do

    • Read the prompt twice — be 100% sure how many answers are needed.
    • Use repeated keywords as your starting point for scanning.
    • Only click an option if you can point to the exact line in the text that proves it.

    Don't

    • Click every option just to be safe — negative marking destroys your score.
    • Choose an option just because it shares vocabulary with the text.
    • Spend more than 2 minutes per question — manage your reading-section time.
    Quick check

    Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers — 5 questions

    Answer all 5 to unlock the next question type. There's no penalty for retrying.

    1. 1

      How is Reading MCMA scored?

      Single answer

    2. 2

      What is the smartest first move when you see the options?

      Single answer

    3. 3

      If you're unsure about an option, what should you do?

      Single answer

    4. 4

      Which clues are TRAPS in MCMA? (Select all that apply.)

      Select all that apply

    5. 5

      True or false: clicking ALL options guarantees you get the correct ones.

      True / False

    Next: Reorder Paragraph
    3
    Reading · Task 3 of 5

    Reorder Paragraph

    Arrange 4–5 jumbled text boxes back into the original logical order by dragging them.

    Instructions

    • Read all the text boxes before you start moving anything.
    • Drag boxes from the left panel into the correct order on the right.
    • You can re-arrange as many times as you like before clicking Next.
    Illustrated notes · Reading

    Strategy deep-dive

    Hand-picked sticky notes — colour-coded so each move is easy to spot.

    01 / 04

    Read every box quickly first

    1. 1Read all 4–5 boxes once at speed.
    2. 2For each, jot a 2–3 word summary on the whiteboard.
    3. 3Build a one-sentence mental picture of what the whole paragraph is probably about.
    4. 4Now you can spot the logical flow much more easily.
    02 / 04

    Find the topic sentence first

    1. 1A linker (However, Therefore, Also…).
    2. 2A pronoun referring back (He, She, This, These…).
    3. 3A definite article suggesting earlier mention ('The women were asked…').
    4. 4A passive that points to a previous study ('No link was found…').
    03 / 04

    Follow the clue chain

    1. 1Pronoun chains — 'Professor Fitzgerald' → 'he' → 'his team'.
    2. 2Definite article chains — 'a study' → 'the study'.
    3. 3Time markers — 'first', 'then', 'finally'.
    4. 4Cause/effect linkers — 'because', 'so', 'as a result'.
    04 / 04

    Common pitfalls to avoid

    1. 1Picking the longest box as the opener — length is irrelevant.
    2. 2Ignoring linking words at the start of a box.
    3. 3Forgetting to re-read the final order top-to-bottom for flow.
    4. 4Spending all your time here — it's just one of five reading tasks.
    Quick check

    Reorder Paragraph — 5 questions

    Answer all 5 to unlock the next question type. There's no penalty for retrying.

    1. 1

      Which box is most likely the TOPIC sentence (opener)?

      Single answer

    2. 2

      Which of these are valid CLUE chains to order the rest of the paragraph?

      Select all that apply

    3. 3

      True or false: the longest box is usually the opening sentence.

      True / False

    4. 4

      Why should you read every box BEFORE dragging?

      Single answer

    5. 5

      Which sentence opening is a STRONG signal the box is NOT the opener?

      Select all that apply

    Next: Reading: Fill in the Blanks
    4
    Reading · Task 4 of 5

    Reading: Fill in the Blanks

    Drag words from a list into the correct blanks in a passage. Some words are distractors.

    Instructions

    • Read the passage to grasp the main topic.
    • Drag each word into the blank you believe it fits.
    • There are more words than blanks — not every word will be used.
    Illustrated notes · Reading

    Strategy deep-dive

    Hand-picked sticky notes — colour-coded so each move is easy to spot.

    01 / 03

    Think collocations — words that travel together

    1. 1'The general public' — 'public' fits with 'general'.
    2. 2'Heavy rain', 'strong tea', 'make a decision', 'do homework'.
    3. 3Build a mental list of common pairings before the test.
    4. 4Recognising a collocation often solves a blank in 2 seconds.
    02 / 03

    Use grammar to choose the right word

    1. 1Decide the part of speech needed (noun, verb, adjective, infinitive).
    2. 2Rule out options in the wrong form.
    3. 3Of the remaining options, pick the one with the right meaning. Example: after 'beginning to', you need infinitive verbs only — drop nouns and adjectives immediately.
    03 / 03

    Eliminate distractors deliberately

    1. 1Assume 1–2 words are pure distractors.
    2. 2Cross them off mentally once you've placed the obvious ones.
    3. 3Don't force a leftover word into a blank where it doesn't fit — leave it out.
    Quick check

    Reading: Fill in the Blanks — 5 questions

    Answer all 5 to unlock the next question type. There's no penalty for retrying.

    1. 1

      Are there always as many words as blanks?

      Single answer

    2. 2

      Which is the FASTEST way to lock in a blank?

      Single answer

    3. 3

      After 'beginning to', the missing word must be:

      Single answer

    4. 4

      Which are valid collocations? (Select all that apply.)

      Select all that apply

    5. 5

      True or false: every word in the word bank must be used.

      True / False

    Next: Multiple Choice, Single Answer
    5
    Reading · Task 5 of 5

    Multiple Choice, Single Answer

    Read a text and pick the ONE correct option. No negative marking, but only one option is right.

    Instructions

    • Read the prompt before reading the text — it tells you what to look for.
    • Read the text with that question in mind.
    • Select exactly one option.
    Illustrated notes · Reading

    Strategy deep-dive

    Hand-picked sticky notes — colour-coded so each move is easy to spot.

    01 / 03

    Note key words in the prompt FIRST

    1. 1Underline the key noun or noun phrase in the question ('indicator of climate change in Australia').
    2. 2Scan the text for those exact words or close synonyms.
    3. 3Read around the match for the answer. This is far faster than reading the whole text from the top.
    02 / 03

    Evaluate the response options

    1. 1Before reading the text, eliminate options that feel unlikely or off-topic ('darkness' isn't an indicator of climate change).
    2. 2Mark options that feel likely.
    3. 3After reading, pick the most likely option — even if you're not 100% sure. There is NO negative marking, so always answer.
    03 / 03

    Distractor traps

    1. 1Options that use exact words from the text but twist the meaning.
    2. 2Options that are TRUE but don't answer the question.
    3. 3Options that are too general or too specific.
    4. 4If two options look correct, the one that matches the prompt's focus word wins.
    Quick check

    Multiple Choice, Single Answer — 5 questions

    Answer all 5 to unlock the next question type. There's no penalty for retrying.

    1. 1

      Is there negative marking on Reading MCSA?

      True / False

    2. 2

      What should you read FIRST?

      Single answer

    3. 3

      Which are classic MCSA distractor traps? (Select all that apply.)

      Select all that apply

    4. 4

      If two options look correct, which usually wins?

      Single answer

    5. 5

      How many options should you select?

      Single answer