Reading
Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers (Reading)
You read a passage and select every option that is correct. More than one option is right, and wrong selections lose points.
- Reading
- Items on a test
- About 2–3
- Correct options
- More than one
- Scoring
- +1 correct, −1 incorrect, minimum 0
- Section timer
- 23–30 minutes, shared
Item counts vary slightly by test form. The ranges follow Pearson’s PTE Academic test-taker score guide.
What this task asks
The instructions tell you that more than one response is correct. Selected options are highlighted. You need every correct option, and you need to leave the incorrect ones alone.
This is one of three PTE Academic item types that deduct a point for a wrong selection. The others are Listening Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers and Highlight Incorrect Words.
How scoring works
Each correct option you select scores 1. Each incorrect option you select scores −1. The item cannot go below 0. If you select every option because you are unsure, the deductions can cancel the correct ones.
The item contributes to Reading. Partial credit applies, so two correct options and one incorrect one can still leave you with a positive score on the item.
Timings and scoring follow Pearson’s published format for Reading.
Tips that match the task
- 1
Read the question before the passage so you know whether you are looking for reasons, examples, or a list of findings.
- 2
Select an option only when the passage supports that specific claim. Shared vocabulary with the text is not support.
- 3
If you are sure of two options and guessing on a third, leave the third. A wrong click removes a point you had already earned.
- 4
Watch for options that overstate the passage: “all”, “never”, or a cause the writer did not claim.
- 5
Check you have read the whole list before moving on. The item is not finished when you have found one correct option.
- 6
Keep an eye on the section timer. A long passage is not worth the rest of the reading section.
Common mistakes
- Selecting all the options to avoid missing one. Pearson’s tips point out that this loses points.
- Choosing an option because it repeats a phrase from the passage, even though the meaning is different.
- Stopping after the first correct option on a multiple-answer item.
- Spending so long that Reorder Paragraphs and the blanks are rushed.
- Unselecting a correct option while second-guessing a wording difference that the passage actually supports.
Frequently asked questions
Does PTE reading multiple choice have negative marking?
The multiple-answer item does. Each correct selection is +1, each incorrect selection is −1, and the score for the item cannot fall below 0. The single-answer reading item is different: it is simply correct or incorrect, with no deduction.
How many options should I select?
Every option you can justify from the passage, and no others. There is more than one correct answer. Selecting options you are not confident about can remove points.
Which skill does this item score?
Reading. A test form includes about 2–3 of these items, inside the shared 23–30 minute reading section.
Practise Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers (Reading) on a real question
Open a free practice question in the LearnPTE app and try this task with instant feedback.