PTE Reading Multiple Choice Single Answer Tips
It’s short. It’s simple.
And it’s exactly where many test-takers lose easy points without realizing it!
We’re talking about the PTE Academic Reading Multiple Choice Single Answer task, which looks harmless but often hides subtle traps to test your attention to detail.
In this guide, LUME will break down the top 6 tricks that actually work and the 5 mistakes you’ll want to steer clear of.
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In this question type, you are given a short reading passage, followed by a question and several possible answers.
Only one option is correct, and your job is to choose the best answer based on the information in the text.
To select your answer, you just need to click on it using the left button on your mouse.
Once you click, the option you choose will be highlighted in yellow.
If you change your mind, simply click the same option again to deselect it or click a different one to switch.
You will usually get around 1 to 2 of these questions in the Reading Section, so it’s not a major portion of the test.
Nevertheless, it still counts toward your total score!
The scoring is very straightforward: you get 1 point for choosing the correct answer.
If your answer is incorrect, you get 0 points — no partial credit and no penalty for wrong choices.
Simply put, the worst that can happen is getting zero for that question.
There is no negative marking, so it’s always better to make a wild guess than to leave it blank!
Many people lose points not because they didn’t understand the passage but because they misunderstood the question itself.
That might sound obvious, but it happens more than you’d think.
Maybe you see a familiar keyword and assume you know what the question is asking, or perhaps you skim the question too quickly.
Either way, the result is the same: you end up looking for the wrong kind of information in the passage.
You spot a word you don’t know, and suddenly, your brain hits the panic button.
You might start trying to guess what it means or assume it holds the key to the correct answer.
But in reality, most of the time, you don’t need to know every single word to understand the overall meaning of the passage.
Getting too fixated on one tricky word only makes you lose time and shift away from the bigger picture.
And when that happens, you’re much more likely to misinterpret the passage or fall for a wrong answer that seems to “match” the word you were stuck on.
Distractors are options that use the exact same words or phrases from the passage.
And that is the trap!
Lots of test-takers think, “I saw that word in the passage; it must be right,” and click without double-checking.
Remember, just because the wording is identical doesn’t mean it’s correct.
In fact, that’s exactly how distractors are designed — to trick people who are scanning for matching words instead of really understanding the context.
You’re trying to move quickly, and the first option looks like it makes sense.
So, you click that option and move on; we totally get it.
But here’s the problem: in this question type, only one answer is completely correct, and the others might be partially right, vague, or slightly misleading.
If you don’t take the time to check all the options, you might miss the best one (even when the first one seemed okay).
Sometimes, changing your answer is the right move.
Yet, people often end up switching from a correct answer to an incorrect one.
Why?
That’s because their first instinct was based on a clear understanding of the passage, while their second guess came from nerves or doubt, not logic.
If this keeps happening, it can seriously shake your confidence for the rest of the test.
Don’t jump headfirst into the text before looking at the question, because that means you go in blind.
You don’t know what you’re supposed to be looking for, so you end up reading everything with equal focus, which is both stressful and inefficient!
Instead, read the question first to give yourself a clear goal.
That way, when you move on to the passage, your brain is already on alert for the right kind of information.
The surrounding words (the context) usually give you enough clues to figure out an unfamiliar word, whether it’s something positive, negative, surprising, or important.
For example, a sentence says, “The drought had a detrimental effect on the crops, wiping out most of the harvest.”
Even if you don’t know what “detrimental” means, you can guess from the rest of the sentence that it’s something bad.
It might be tempting to rush through the passage to save time, especially since the text is usually short.
But be careful — reading too quickly can lead to missing the small but crucial details that distinguish right from wrong answers.
While you don’t need to memorize every word, you do need to stay engaged.
So, as you read, try to mentally summarize what each sentence is saying and ask yourself, “What’s the author trying to communicate here?”
Go through the options one by one and try to eliminate the ones you know are definitely wrong.
For example, some answers will clearly contradict what the passage says.
Others might bring up ideas that were never mentioned.
Then there are the classic distractors — answers that use exact words from the passage but twist their meaning.
Actively eliminating such answers reduces the number of choices and improves your odds of selecting the right one.
For this task, aim to spend about one and a half to two minutes per question.
That includes reading the question, the passage, and all the answer options.
If you find yourself going in circles after the two-minute mark, it’s better to make your best guess and move on.
Remember, there is no penalty for wrong answers, so leaving it blank or agonizing over it forever will not help.
This tip might sound obvious, but it’s the one that makes the biggest difference!
Also, when you practice, make sure you’re not just going through the questions; time yourself and review your mistakes as well.
Each practice session is a chance to sharpen your skills and build your confidence.
By test day, you want this process to feel second nature, and the only way to achieve this is to put in the effort.
The PTE Reading Multiple Choice Single Answer task doesn’t have to be something you dread.
Not when you know exactly how it works and how to approach it!
And remember, LUME is here to help you prepare smarter, not harder, with AI-personalized study tools and targeted practice questions.
So start applying these tips today and get closer to your score goals!
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Want to FINALLY Pass the PTE Core Test And Achieve Your Goals? Get Your FREE Lume Account Today to Unlock… ✅ 10,000+ PRACTICE QUESTIONS with detailed answers ✅ FREE MOCK TESTS with fast & accurate AI scoring ✅ Get BETTER SCORES with a PERSONALIZED study plan (Limited seats available!) |
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