PTE Academic Reading section- overview
The PTE Test is one that is taken by non-native English speakers to prove their ability to comprehend academic vocabulary and information that is presented in explicit or implicit words or phrases. This test is usually taken by students who wish to join universities in foreign countries where English is the most spoken language. The reading section of this exam is one of its trickiest parts and has been the main obstacle preventing many students from successfully passing the exam.
PTE Reading Types of Exam Questions, Format
The reading section is divided into five parts. The following are some of the useful points for each part :
MCQ, Choose one answer – In this section, you are given a passage and you are asked some MCQs based on the passage. There is only one right answer. So, if you are going to choose an option, make sure it is the right answer. If you are not sure about how right you are, it is better to skip the question. The passage that is given is just around 110 words long, so it is imperative that you do not spend more than 2 minutes for each question in this part.
MCQ, Multiple answers – This is similar to the first part, the only differences being that the text can be much longer and there is always more than one right option. So, make sure you choose all the options that you feel are right. That is the only difference between this part and the one above.
Paragraph Reordering – In this part, you are asked to rearrange a jumbled paragraph. Reading through the different paragraphs with care is a must. There is no one way to get this right if you are not proficient in English. But you can use certain tricks like arranging the paragraphs in chronological order if years or dates are given. Also, sentences that have connectors and adverbs do not come first. While dragging the paragraphs from the left side to place them correctly on the given space on the right, make sure you do not make any mistakes. Yes, it seems like a foolish mistake to make, but a lot of students do end up making it due to time pressure.
Fill in the blanks – This has to be tackled like any fill in the blank question. Read the sentence more than once to make sure you understand it completely. Then, fill in the right word that is required. Usually, you are asked to fill verbs, pronouns, adverbs, connectors, etc. that are already given on top of the page. You just have to match them to correct blank. So, basic grammar knowledge is more than enough for you to complete this part.
Reading and Writing Fill-ups – This part consists of a paragraph with several blank spaces. You have to fill the blanks with the help of drop down options for each blank. The best way to tackle this by reading a lot and making yourself comfortable with meanings of words.
