How to practise Highlight Correct Summary in PTE, with a practice set you can use today
In Highlight Correct Summary you listen to a recording once, then pick the one paragraph that best summarises it. Pearson says the audio is 30-90 seconds and that you should take notes while you listen, not read the options. Practise by listening once, noting key ideas, then testing each option against your notes.
This task is part of the Listening section of PTE Academic. It is scored right or wrong, so a clear method matters more than speed. Below is what Pearson says about it, a note-taking routine, and three original scripts with answer options and a key. It is not advice on any visa, and Pearson's pages decide the rules.
What the task is
In Pearson's own words.
"After listening to a recording, select the paragraph that best summarizes the recording."
Highlight Correct Summary is one of eight question types in the Listening part. Pearson gives these facts.
| Question | What Pearson says |
|---|---|
| How long is the recording? | Prompt length 30-90 seconds |
| Which skills count? | Skills Assessed Listening and reading |
| How many times do I hear it? | The audio begins to play automatically. You are only able to listen to the audio recording once. |
| How many answers are right? | There are several possible response options but only one is correct. |
"The questions are based on audio or video clips, which begin to play automatically. You hear each audio or video clip once. You are allowed to take notes."
"Part 3: Listening Duration 31–39 minutes Question types 8 question types"
It is correct or incorrect, with no part marks.
"Your response is scored as either correct or incorrect. No credit is given for no response or an incorrect response."
"This question type affects the scoring of listening and reading."
What Pearson says to do
Listen first. Read the options after.
"Note: It may be difficult to read and listen at the same time. It is recommended that you listen first, make notes on the erasable noteboard and then read the summaries."
"Don’t read the options before or while you are listening to the recording as there is too much to read, and this will distract you."
"Instead, note down the key ideas on your erasable noteboard booklet as you listen (e.g., key words and phrases, numbers, names and dates and any information that is highlighted by the speaker through stress and intonation)."
"Then read the options and match the option that is closest in detail to your notes"
Our reading of this advice: the options are long and the recording is short. If you read while you listen, you hear less. If you read afterwards with good notes, you can test each option against what you wrote.
A note-taking routine for this task
Four boxes on your noteboard.
Rule your page into four boxes before the recording starts, and fill them in as you hear it.
| Box | What goes in it | Why (our pattern, from our own scripts) |
|---|---|---|
| Topic | Two or three words that name the subject. | Every wrong option is about something slightly different. |
| Main point | The speaker's central claim, in your own short words. | The right option states it, usually in different words. |
| Details | Numbers, names, places, dates and any word the speaker stressed. | Wrong options often change one detail. |
| Outcome | What the speaker says happens, or should happen, next. | Wrong options often reverse a conclusion. |
When the recording ends, read each option once and tick or cross it against your four boxes. Pick the option with no crosses. If two remain, choose the one that matches more of your details.
Five ways a wrong option can go wrong (our patterns)
Five patterns to look for, drawn from our own scripts.
These patterns come from our own scripts. The Pearson format page we read does not say how it builds its wrong options. It says only to match the option that is closest in detail to your notes.
| Pattern | What it looks like | How to catch it |
|---|---|---|
| Opposite | It says the reverse of the speaker's conclusion. | Compare with the Outcome box. |
| Wrong detail | The topic and the main point are right, but a number, name or group is changed. | Compare with the Details box. |
| Too broad | It turns one finding into a rule for everything. | Look for words like all, always, never, entirely. |
| Too narrow | It describes one example and ignores the main point. | Check it covers the Main point box. |
| Plausible but unsaid | It sounds sensible but the speaker never said it. | If you cannot find it in your notes, it is not there. |
Three original practice scripts
Our own writing, with answer options and a key.
How to use them: ask a friend to read the script once at a normal pace, or record yourself and play the recording once. Take notes. Then read the four options. Do not read the script yourself while you answer.
Script 1
A regional council has completed a six-month trial of free bus travel for residents under twenty-five. Officials had expected a rise in passengers, and that is what happened, but the increase was concentrated on weekday afternoons rather than spread across the week. Surveys during the trial found that most new passengers were students who had previously walked or been driven by relatives, not drivers who had left their cars at home. The council says the trial therefore did little to reduce traffic. However, it did improve attendance at evening classes. The council will now consider a cheaper fare in place of free travel, and will publish a full report next spring.
- A. A council trial of free bus travel for young people raised passenger numbers, mostly on weekday afternoons and mainly among students, so it did little to cut traffic, though it helped evening class attendance. The council will consider cheaper fares and publish a report.
- B. A council trial of free bus travel for young people greatly reduced traffic by persuading drivers to leave their cars at home, and the council plans to extend free travel to all residents.
- C. A council trial of free bus travel for young people showed no change in passenger numbers, but evening class attendance rose, so the council will end the scheme.
- D. A council has published a full report on bus travel showing that students prefer walking to catching buses, and it has therefore cancelled all fares.
Script 2
Marine scientists are growing fragments of coral in underwater nurseries and then attaching them to damaged reefs. The method has helped some reefs recover faster than expected. But the researchers stress that it is not a cure. Warming seas remain the main threat, and fragments grown in a nursery may bleach just as easily as wild coral if the water gets too hot. The team argues that restoration work should continue alongside efforts to cut emissions, because neither on its own is enough to save the reefs.
- A. Coral nurseries can help damaged reefs recover, but warming seas remain the main threat, so restoration should go together with cutting emissions.
- B. Coral grown in nurseries is immune to heat, so scientists say reefs no longer need protection from warming seas.
- C. Coral nurseries have failed, and scientists now believe that damaged reefs cannot be restored by any method.
- D. Scientists found that cutting emissions alone is enough to save the reefs, so nurseries should be closed.
Script 3
Many open-plan offices were introduced to encourage conversation between colleagues. A new study of five hundred employees suggests the effect is smaller than designers hoped. Face-to-face conversations fell after workers moved into open spaces, while emails and messages increased. Researchers believe that people feel observed in an open office and so withdraw into their headphones. The study's authors do not recommend abandoning shared space, but they suggest offering quiet rooms and clearer rules about when interruptions are acceptable.
- A. A study found that open-plan offices increased face-to-face conversation and should therefore be adopted everywhere.
- B. A study of employees found that open-plan offices reduced face-to-face talk and increased messaging, and its authors suggest keeping shared space but adding quiet rooms and clearer rules about interruptions.
- C. A study found that employees prefer email to conversation because headphones are banned in open-plan offices.
- D. A study recommends abandoning shared offices entirely and giving every employee a private room.
| Script | Answer | Why the others are wrong |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | B reverses the outcome, because the council said the trial did little to reduce traffic. C changes the detail, because passengers increased. D says the report is already published, but the council will publish it next spring, and nothing was said about students preferring walking or fares being cancelled. |
| 2 | A | B reverses the point about heat, because fragments may bleach as easily as wild coral. C reverses the first finding (the method has helped some reefs recover) and stretches it to "any method". D reverses the conclusion, because the team says neither restoration nor cutting emissions is enough on its own. |
| 3 | B | A reverses the finding. C invents a ban on headphones. D contradicts the authors, who do not recommend abandoning shared space. |
Where to get more practice
Free options first.
Pearson puts free practice for Listening and Reading inside a free myPTE account, including a free start on its AI Practice that has a Reading and Listening diagnostic. Pearson's own advice for its guided practice is to review your mistakes and look for patterns.
"Note any patterns in the types of questions you find difficult."
Our PTE practice test and free mock test page lists the free and paid options. Our PTE listening tips page covers all eight Listening question types.
Common questions
A Listening task. Pearson says: "After listening to a recording, select the paragraph that best summarizes the recording." It is scored as correct or incorrect.
Pearson gives the prompt length as 30-90 seconds. You hear it once.
No. Pearson says: "Don’t read the options before or while you are listening to the recording as there is too much to read, and this will distract you." It suggests you take notes instead.
Pearson says to note down key words and phrases, numbers, names and dates, and anything the speaker stresses. We add a topic, a main point and an outcome.
A wrong answer earns nothing. Pearson says: "Your response is scored as either correct or incorrect. No credit is given for no response or an incorrect response." Pearson describes deductions for other Listening tasks, but not for this one.
Pearson says it affects the scoring of listening and reading.
Ask a friend to read one of our three scripts once, or record yourself and play it back once. Take notes, then test each option against them. Our key explains why the wrong options are wrong.