Listening
Select Missing Word
The last word or phrase of a recording is replaced by a beep. You choose the option that best completes what the speaker was going to say.
- Listening
- Items on a test
- About 1–2
- Audio
- Played once, ending in a beep
- Options
- 3–5, one correct
- Scoring
- Correct or incorrect
Item counts vary slightly by test form. The ranges follow Pearson’s PTE Academic test-taker score guide.
What this task asks
The recording plays once and stops at a beep where the ending should be. You choose the option that fits the meaning and the grammar of what came before. There is one correct option.
The next recording does not start until you click Next, so you have a moment to change your mind. Click the selected option again to clear it.
How scoring works
The response is correct or incorrect, based on whether you predicted the ending from the context. No credit is given for no response or an incorrect response.
The item contributes to Listening only. There is no negative marking.
Timings and scoring follow Pearson’s published format for Listening.
Tips that match the task
- 1
Listen for the direction of the sentence: a contrast, a cause, or a result. The beep is the end of that thought, not a random vocabulary test.
- 2
Predict a meaning before you look hard at the options, then see which option says that meaning in a form that fits the grammar.
- 3
Reject options that could start a new sentence but cannot finish the one you heard.
- 4
Reject options that contradict an earlier phrase, even if the topic word matches.
- 5
Choose one option. Leaving the item blank scores 0, the same as an incorrect guess.
- 6
If you want to change the answer, clear it and select the other. The next audio waits until you click Next.
Common mistakes
- Choosing a word that appeared earlier in the recording, rather than a completion of the final sentence.
- Ignoring grammar, so the option does not fit the words just before the beep.
- Waiting for the beep and forgetting the beginning of the sentence, which is what makes the ending predictable.
- Selecting two options. Only one is correct, and only one should be highlighted.
- Treating a wrong guess as dangerous. This item does not deduct points.
Frequently asked questions
What is the beep in Select Missing Word?
It replaces the last word or group of words in the recording. You choose, from three to five options, the ending that best completes what the speaker was saying.
How is it scored?
Correct or incorrect. It contributes to Listening. There is no negative marking, and no credit for a blank or a wrong option.
How many Select Missing Word items are on the test?
About 1–2. The audio plays once.
Practise Select Missing Word on a real question
Open a free practice question in the LearnPTE app and try this task with instant feedback.