PTE fill in the blanks: the three types, how they are scored and how to practise

PTE Academic has three fill in the blanks tasks. Two are in the Reading part: one with drop-down menus (text up to 200 words) and one where you drag words into gaps (text up to 80 words). The third is in Listening, where you type the missing words you hear. Pearson gives partial credit for each correct blank.

The Reading part of PTE Academic has five question types. Two of them are fill in the blanks. The Listening part has a third one.

The drag and drop task also has a built-in distractor rule. Pearson says there are more words than gaps.

Pearson's Reading page introduction says that one reading task also tests writing, without saying which one.

On Pearson's PTE Core page the first Reading task is named "Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks". On the PTE Academic page the matching task is listed as "Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown)". Our reading: the Core name and its drop-down wording point to the drop-down task, but Pearson's Academic page does not say which task it means.

A Pearson contradiction you should know about

Pearson's PTE Academic page for the drop-down task says the opposite in its notes, and so does its Score Guide table. We show all of it, because we cannot tell which one is current.

Pearson's Score Guide explains that some questions count towards two skills at once.

Our reading: for PTE Academic, the task's own notes and the Score Guide's scoring table list this task as scoring Reading only. Only the introduction on the Reading page, and the PTE Core page (a different test), say reading and writing. We cannot settle it, so do not count on this task adding to your Writing score, and practise it either way.

Pearson's skills box and its Academic Score Guide table list the typed task under Listening only, while the scoring note says listening and writing. Pearson's pages disagree, so do not count on it adding to your Writing score.

The practical points are these. Fill every blank, because partial credit means a half-right answer still earns marks. In the typed task a spelling slip loses the point even if you heard the word correctly.

Drop-down

Drag and drop

Type in (Listening)

1. Skim the whole text once for the topic. Do not stop at the first gap.
2. Look at the words on both sides of the gap. Decide what kind of word is missing: a noun, a verb in a particular form, an adjective, an adverb or a small word such as a preposition.
3. Strike out options that are the wrong kind of word, or the wrong form (wrong tense, wrong plural, wrong ending).
4. Between the options that remain, test the usual partner words. Ask which one you have heard next to its neighbour before.
5. Read the whole sentence again with your choice in the gap. If it sounds odd, one of your first four steps went wrong.

A common slip is choosing a word with the right meaning but the wrong form, for example "decision" where "decide" is needed.

Exercise A: drop-down, about three minutes

Urban beekeeping has grown steadily in many cities over the past decade. Supporters say that rooftop hives [1] pollination in parks and gardens, while the honey produced offers a small local product. Critics [2] that too many hives may compete with wild bees for food. A recent [3] of three city councils found that planning rules varied widely. Most councils agreed [4] one point: beekeepers should [5] their hives.

Exercise B: drag and drop, about three minutes

Bicycles became popular in the nineteenth century because they offered cheap, personal transport. Early models were uncomfortable, but improvements in tyres and brakes made riding [1] safer and easier. Today many cities [2] cycling as a way to reduce traffic and improve public health. Building separate lanes has proved [3] effective than simply painting lines on the road, although it is also more [4].

Word box: expensive, more, encourage, encouraging, significantly, regularly.

Exercise C: type in, about three minutes

Ask a friend to read the passage below once at a normal pace, with the gaps filled in. They should read it exactly as the key shows. If you are alone, record yourself reading the key and play it back once. You only see the gapped version below, and you type each missing word.

The city [1] will extend its [2] hours from next month. Evening access will be available on [3], and weekend hours will begin [4]. Visitors can reserve study rooms online, but group [5] must be confirmed by staff.

Reader's script for Exercise C. Do not read this before you have finished the exercise: The city library will extend its opening hours from next month. Evening access will be available on weekdays, and weekend hours will begin earlier. Visitors can reserve study rooms online, but group bookings must be confirmed by staff.

• Choosing by meaning alone. In the drop-down options several words mean almost the same thing, and only one has the right form.
• Ignoring the whole text. A word that fits the sentence may not fit the topic of the passage.
• Forcing a leftover word into the last gap in the drag and drop task. There are more words than gaps, so some words are never needed.
• Hearing the word but misspelling it in the typed task. Practise the spelling of common plural and past-tense endings.
• Spending too long on one blank. Choose the best option, move on, and come back if time is left.

More practice material is on our PTE practice test and free mock test and PTE reading practice pages. Another Listening task is covered on our Highlight Correct Summary page.

Common questions