PTE Core reading practice test: five tasks, with answers
The PTE Core Reading part has five question types and runs 27–37 minutes, says Pearson. Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers takes a point away for each wrong option, so do not guess blindly. Below is how every task is marked, Pearson's tips, and a five-task practice set of our own with answers.
This page covers the Reading part of PTE Core only. It sets out how each of the five tasks is marked, where Pearson's own advice conflicts, and a practice set with one task of each type. It is not immigration advice. Pearson's pages decide how the test works.
The PTE Core Reading part at a glance
Five question types, one timed block.
Pearson describes the Reading part in one line:
"This section of PTE Core assesses your reading skills over five question types"
Reading is Part 2 of three. The time Pearson gives it, and the number of question types, are in the first line of its format page: 27-37 minutes, five question types. Pearson's format page shows "Time to answer: Not applicable" for each Reading question type and gives a time only for the whole part. Our reading: treat the 27-37 minutes as one pool and keep your own clock.
"For example, in PTE Core you may be asked to read a magazine article or write an email. You will not be asked to consider lecture materials or academic articles."
That tells you what to read when you practise: emails, notices, short magazine-style texts and everyday explanations, not lecture notes or journal articles. Pearson also says Academic practice material is the wrong material:
"No, the preparation materials for PTE Academic/PTE Academic UKVI are based on academic English content, whereas PTE Core is based on everyday English content."
| Question type | The task (Pearson) | Text length | Questions in a test |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks | You will see some text with several gaps. Choose the correct words from the drop-down boxes to fill in the gaps. | Text up to 200 words | 5-6 |
| Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers | Read the text. Then answer a multiple-choice question on the content or tone of the text. You can select more than one response. | Text up to 275 words | 1-2 |
| Reorder Paragraph | You will see text boxes in a random order. Put the text in the correct order. | Text up to 110 words | 2-3 |
| Fill in the Blanks | You will see some text with several gaps. Drag words from the box below to fill the gaps. | Text up to 80 words | 4-5 |
| Multiple Choice, Single Answer | Read the text. Then answer a multiple-choice question on the content or tone of the text. You can select only one response. | Text up to 110 words | 1-2 |
The first Fill in the Blanks counts for two skills, and that matters for your totals:
"Some tasks assess more than one skill at the same time. These are called integrated skills"
Our reading: a good result on Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks lifts both your Reading and your Writing score, so it is worth the extra practice.
How each task is marked, and Pearson's tips
Marking decides your strategy.
Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks
Marking: every blank you complete correctly earns one point, and if you fill all the blanks correctly you get the maximum. Fill one or more wrongly and partial credit applies.
"If you fill all the blanks correctly, you will receive the maximum score points. If you fill one or more blanks incorrectly, partial credit scoring applies."
Pearson's tips for this task are about context:
- If you understand the general meaning of the whole text, this will help you choose the correct word for each blank.
- Read around the blank in the text and decide what part of speech the missing word is.
Pearson's test tips PDF adds a point about this task alone: leave no blank empty, because a wrong answer costs nothing here. In its words: “you can make a guess as you don’t lose points for incorrect responses for this question type.”
Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers
"Each correct option is given one point, but one point is deducted for each wrong option, so make sure you are confident in your choices."
Pearson's tip is to look at the options first:
- Quickly read through the response options and note any words that are repeated.
- Scan the text for the repeated words. Then read around them to find the answer more quickly.
Reorder Paragraph
Marking: you earn one point for each pair of correct adjacent text boxes, and the maximum if every box is in the right order.
"If all text boxes are in the correct order, you will receive the maximum score points."
Pearson's tips are to read every box first and find the topic sentence. The topic sentence is the one with no back-reference:
- Read the text boxes in order to understand the main idea of each one.
- The topic sentence can stand alone; it does not begin with a linker or a pronoun that refers back to something or someone.
Credit goes to each correct adjacent pair, so a nearly right order still scores. If you are unsure of the whole order, get the pairs right: find the sentences that must sit side by side.
Fill in the Blanks (drag and drop)
Marking: one point for each correctly completed blank, as in the drop-down version. One difference is worth knowing:
"There are more words than gaps so you will not use all the words provided."
Pearson's tip is to use collocations and grammar:
- Remember that some words often go together to form a familiar phrase. This is called ‘collocation’.
- Read around the blank in the text and decide what part of speech the missing word is.
Multiple Choice, Single Answer
"Your response is scored as either correct or incorrect. No credit is given for no response or an incorrect response."
- If you focus on the key words in the prompt, you will find the answer more quickly and need to spend less time reading the text.
Our reading: a wrong choice scores nothing rather than costing points, so never leave this one blank.
Should you guess? Pearson's pages disagree
Know the rule before you decide.
Guessing in multiple-answer questions is the clearest place where Pearson's own advice conflicts. Here are the three statements, side by side.
| Where | What it says |
|---|---|
| Test format page, tip for single-answer questions | If you read the text but cannot answer the question, choose the option that you think is most likely to be correct. This strategy also applies to multiple-choice questions with more than one answer. |
| Core Test Tips PDF, multiple answers | Don’t guess if you are not sure. You will lose points for choosing an incorrect option. |
| Score Guide, scoring rule | 1 Each correct response. - 1 Each incorrect response. 0 Minimum score |
The Score Guide is the rule that is applied, and it is clear: every correct option adds a point, every wrong option takes one away, and the item cannot go below zero. Our reading: tick an option only when you can point to the words in the text that support it. A wrong tick cancels out a right one, so a coin-flip guess gains nothing on average once you have other points on the item.
Our practice set: one task of each type
Original texts, with answers and reasons. Do them in order, then check.
Everything in this set is ours. It uses everyday English, like the real Reading part, and none of it comes from a test owner. Give yourself about twelve minutes for all five tasks, and cover the key until you finish.
Task 1: Fill in the Blanks, drop-down choices
Subject: Your evening class. Dear Mr Roy, thank you for your email. I am (1) ____ to tell you that there are still places in the Tuesday class. The class (2) ____ at 6 p.m. and finishes at 8 p.m. You do not need to bring (3) ____ equipment, because we provide everything. Please tell us by Friday if you would like to (4) ____ a place.
- (1) pleased / pleasing / please / pleasure.
- (2) starts / start / starting / started.
- (3) any / some / a / many.
- (4) reserve / reserves / reserved / reserving.
Task 2: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers
Text. The council has decided to close the old swimming pool at the end of June. Repairs would cost far more than the council expected, and fewer people have used the pool in recent years. A new pool will open next to the sports centre in two years' time. Until then, residents can use the pool in the next town at a reduced price, and a free bus will run from the town square on Saturday mornings. Clubs that use the old pool will be asked to share lessons with others.
Which statements does the text support? Choose all that apply. A. The old pool is closing partly because repairs would cost too much. B. A new pool will open next to the sports centre. C. Residents must pay full price at the pool in the next town. D. A free bus will run on Saturday mornings. E. The new pool will open next year.
Task 3: Reorder Paragraph
Put these five sentences in the best order. A. A better plan is to alternate between walking and running for short periods. B. By then, the body has had time to adjust and the habit is easier to keep. C. Many people find it hard to start running. D. After a few weeks, the running periods can slowly become longer. E. The main problem is that they try to do too much in the first week.
Task 4: Fill in the Blanks, drag and drop
Word box: make, give, ask, fall, run, hold. Text. Before you (1) ____ up your mind about the flat, visit it twice. Ask the landlord to (2) ____ you a copy of the contract. If anything is unclear, do not be afraid to (3) ____ questions. There are more words than gaps, so some will not be used.
Task 5: Multiple Choice, Single Answer
Text. Dear Ms Patel, I am writing about the heating in my flat, which has not worked properly since the beginning of November. I reported the fault twice by phone, and each time I was told someone would visit within a week. Nobody has come. I understand that your engineers are busy at this time of year, but I would be grateful if you could give me a firm date for the repair.
What is the writer's attitude? A. Angry and threatening. B. Polite but firm. C. Confused about the problem. D. Thankful for quick help.
Answer key
- Task 1: (1) pleased, (2) starts, (3) any, (4) reserve. "I am pleased to" is a fixed pattern. "The class" is one thing doing a regular action, so the verb takes an s. "Any" is used with a negative and an uncountable noun. After "to" you need the base form.
- Task 2: A, B and D. A is supported by the sentence about repair costs. B and D are stated directly. C is false because the price is reduced. E is false because the pool opens in two years.
- Task 3: C, E, A, D, B. C is the topic sentence with nothing pointing back. E, "The main problem", refers to the difficulty in C. A, "A better plan", answers that problem. D, "After a few weeks", continues the plan. B, "By then", needs the time already given in D ("After a few weeks"), so it comes last.
- Task 4: (1) make, (2) give, (3) ask. "Make up your mind" and "ask questions" are fixed phrases, and "give" is the word left that fits "a copy of the contract". Fall, run and hold do not fit any gap.
- Task 5: B. The writer explains the problem calmly, says "I understand", and uses "I would be grateful if", but still asks for a firm date. That is polite and firm.
What to do with your result: for each wrong answer, write down why you chose it, then find the exact words in the text that made it wrong. That habit is what builds the skill; the score itself matters less.
How to train for the Reading part
Short sessions, in the order of Pearson's own study tips.
Pearson's test tips PDF gives a study tip for each reading task. They are about habits you can build in everyday life:
- To improve your reading skills, it’s important to practice reading short texts from books, articles, and magazines.
- Practice reading short texts from websites, magazines, and coursebooks.
- To enhance your vocabulary, consider creating a list of words along with their corresponding synonyms.
- Expand your vocabulary by practicing changing the form of a word.
Here is a weekly routine built on those tips. It is ours.
| Day | Twenty-minute session |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Fill in the Blanks: read two short emails and circle every collocation (word pair) you notice. |
| Day 2 | Reorder Paragraph: cut a short article into sentences, shuffle them and rebuild it. Underline the linking words. |
| Day 3 | Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers: read a news summary and write five true and three false statements about it. |
| Day 4 | Multiple Choice, Single Answer: for each text, note the question first, then find the answer in the text. |
| Day 5 | Vocabulary: write ten new words, with a synonym and a sentence each, and change the word form (agree, agreement, agreeable). |
| Day 6 | Mixed set: do one task of each type against a clock. Log every mistake. |
| Day 7 | Rest, or reread your mistake log. |
Official practice for Reading
Pearson's free tools include Reading practice, and its practice products include sectional Reading tests:
- Several Reading and Listening questions. (free version of the AI practice)
- 1 Reading and Listening diagnostic (also free)
- Sectional Guided Practice Tests (Smart Prep, free)
- 4 sectional tests (paid AI practice, which Pearson says has dedicated Reading tests)
- Includes 300 bonus practice questions (Official Guide, which covers all four skills; Pearson does not say how many are Reading)
The full list, with prices, is on our PTE Core practice test page.
Common questions
Pearson's free version of its Official PTE Core AI Practice includes “Several Reading and Listening questions” and a Reading and Listening diagnostic. Smart Prep also lists Sectional Guided Practice Tests. Our set above is free too.
Pearson's format page gives Part 2: Reading as 27–37 minutes with five question types. It shows "Not applicable" as the time to answer for each question type, so keep your own clock.
Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice Multiple Answers, Reorder Paragraph, Fill in the Blanks and Multiple Choice Single Answer. Pearson says the section “assesses your reading skills over five question types”.
In Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers, yes. Pearson says each correct option is given one point, but one point is deducted for each wrong option. In the single-answer type and the Fill in the Blanks types a wrong answer does not take marks away.
Pearson says no. Its Core help page says the materials for PTE Academic are based on academic English content, whereas PTE Core is based on everyday English content.
No. Pearson's Score Guide gives 1 point for each pair of correct adjacent textboxes, so a partly right order still earns credit.
It varies. Pearson's Score Guide gives ranges for each type, for example Reorder Paragraph 2-3 and Reading: Fill in the Blanks 4-5, and Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks 5-6.