PTE Reading Test : Everything You Need to Know

Pearson Test of English (PTE) is a standardized English language test that assesses the level of English proficiency of non-native English speakers. The PTE exam process makes work, study, or visa applications simpler and is accepted by governments and universities worldwide. The goal of the PTE results is to prove whether a student is proficient enough to attend college in or migrate to an English-speaking country. The PTE exam pattern consists of three sections: Speaking and Writing, Reading, and Listening. 

There are two types of PTE exams: PTE Academic and PTE General. PTE Academic is one of the universally accepted tests of English language proficiency. It evaluates candidates on their writing and speaking, listening, and reading skills. PTE General is conducted to reward brilliant achievements in English learning.

Interested students can take the PTE examination at their nearest testing center, and it requires two hours to complete. It is a computer and headset-based examination which analyzes English proficiency in real life. There are 20 types of questions in the examination, and students will have one session to complete the same. 

Parts of PTE

PTE reading is only one part of the examination. There are 20 question types in the PTE examination, including essay writing and multiple-choice questions. Here is a basic guide: 

1. Part 1 – Speaking and Writing – This takes 54-67 minutes. It has seven types of questions available. Students will be evaluated on their writing and speaking skills here. Students will be using English that is suitable for an academic setting. 
2. Part 2 – Reading – This takes 29-30 minutes on average. This portion has five different types of questions. It will test a student’s ability to read English of an academic nature. Both reading and writing skills are evaluated through a single item type. 
3. Part 3- Listening – This section takes 30-43 minutes on average. It has eight types of questions and tests listening abilities via video and audio clips. 

PTE Reading Section in Detail

The PTE reading test requires 29-30 minutes on average. This section tests candidates’ ability to understand instructions. It is divided into five segments. The PTE Academic is an integrated examination, and hence there is one item that also evaluates the writing skills of the candidate. The PTE exam reading question types are the following: 

1. Reading & Writing- Fill in the Blanks- This is a pivotal part of the reading test in PTE. There will be on-screen text with numerous gaps. You have to drag words from a box to fill them up. This is also called PTE reading comprehension at times. 
2. Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer- You have to answer a question with multiple choices after reading the given text on its tone/context. This is another part of the reading test in PTE that you should not neglect. 
3. Re-Order Paragraphs- There will be multiple text boxes on your screen arranged randomly. Insert them in the right order. 
4. Fill in the Blanks- You will have text with several gaps. You can drag words from the box to fill up the same. This has the shortest text length up to 80 words. 
5. Multiple Choice, Single Answer- Read the text and then answer the multiple-choice question by choosing only a single response on the tone/content of the text given. 

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Guides for PTE Reading Section

The reading time in PTE is just 29-30 minutes. Hence, students will have to be quick. Here are some PTE tips and tricks for reading that you should keep in mind: 

Multiple Choice, Single Answer

• Try to find out the core message of the given passage while emphasizing keywords to discover the correct answer. 
• Always emphasize frequency words like sometimes, always, etc. 
• Since no negative marking is there, do not leave this question blank. 
• Eliminate the options and narrow down the answer. 
• Answer hints are often available in the last couple of lines in the passage. 
• Remember passage-based information since questions do not have any order. 
• Paraphrase suitably and convey meanings with various types of words.

Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers 

• One of the biggest PTE reading tips is that you should not choose any options without total surety. This question comes with a negative marking. 

Re-Order Paragraphs

• Look for the headline and a key idea in the paragraph. 
• Sentences beginning with pronouns (she/he/they/them) should not be your first world. 
• Find contradictory phrases. 

Filling in the blanks 

• There is no negative marking in this section. Answer all the questions. 
• Focus on the parts of speech right before and just after the blank is given. It will help you discover the word that is missing. 
• Missing words will mostly have their corresponding synonyms in the given text.

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