PTE Reorder Paragraphs Tips For Maximum Scores
Do you know you can get points using smart PTE Academic Reorder Paragraphs tips, even if your answer isn’t 100% correct?
Yes, that’s right!
This part of the reading section isn’t all-or-nothing, and understanding how it works can give you a major edge.
Let LUME walk you through this!
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You’ll be given 4 to 5 completely jumbled sentences in the “Unordered Options” box.
Each sentence is meaningful on its own (so no gibberish), but they’re out of sequence.
Your mission is to arrange them to form a smooth, logical paragraph by dragging and dropping them into the “Correct Answer” box.
There are usually 2 to 3 Reorder Paragraph tasks in your Reading section, and every correct pair of sentences in the right order earns you a point.
So, if the correct order is A-B-C-D-E, the correct pairs are AB, BC, CD, and DE, which equals 4 points.
But let’s say your answer is A-B-E-C-D.
Even though A and B are correctly placed, if D and E aren’t linked properly, you’ll only get 1 point for AB.
Fortunately, there are no penalties for mistakes!
So, if you’re unsure, make your best guess and move on.
After all, leaving it blank guarantees zero points, but taking a chance might get you one or two.
When a Reorder Paragraph question feels too tough, it’s tempting to sit there and overthink it.
But remember, the PTE Reading section is timed as a whole, not per question.
That means if you spend five minutes stuck on one reorder task, you’re robbing yourself of time for the next reading question — or the one after that.
As a result, you rush through the rest of the section, and your overall score takes a big hit!
Many people make the mistake of reading the sentences out of order.
They start with the last sentence, then jump to the second, then the third — basically, they scan around randomly without any real plan.
This issue totally breaks the natural flow of understanding.
If you’re not reading the sentences in a focused, structured way, it’s nearly impossible to pick up on clues like transitions, topic introductions, or logical connections between ideas.
You’ll miss the little breadcrumbs that help you figure out what comes first, what builds on what, and what wraps it all up!
A lot of test-takers think, “It’s just rearranging sentences. How hard can it be?”
However, this task tests a very specific skill: recognizing how academic texts are structured and how ideas are developed and connected.
And that’s not something you can wing.
Without regular practice, it’s tough to spot the subtle cues that help you build correct sentence pairs.
You’ll end up second-guessing yourself and relying purely on surface-level logic!
Going into the task with no clear strategy is a silent score-killer.
Yet, many beginners just drag and drop sentences based on instinct or gut feeling without thinking about how the task is scored.
Remember, you don’t get points for getting the whole paragraph right.
As discussed earlier, you get points for every correct adjacent pair of sentences!
Hence, ignoring logical links will drastically lower your chances of getting these pairs right.
Without a plan, even good English skills won’t save you from a low score here.
Sometimes, in the rush to be “strategic,” people completely overlook the basics.
We’re talking about essential building blocks like recognizing topic sentences, spotting pronouns that refer to earlier nouns, or noticing linking words like “however” or “therefore.”
These grammar details are the keys to figuring out how sentences connect!
If you skip over those clues, you’re basically trying to solve the puzzle without looking at the picture on the box.
The result is a disjointed paragraph that might sound okay in parts but completely falls apart in structure and costs you points.
Before you start dragging sentences around, stop and read them all from top to bottom.
Don’t worry about the order yet; just get a feel for what the paragraph is trying to say.
Ask yourself: What’s the topic here?
Is it telling a story, explaining a concept, or comparing two things?
Seeing the “big picture” helps you determine which sentence might be the starting point and which supports or explains it.
Every paragraph has a beginning, and in Reorder Paragraphs, there’s always one sentence meant to come first.
It usually clearly introduces the topic and won’t start with pronouns like “this,” “it,” or “they.”
Likewise, you won’t find transition words like “however” or “in addition” (we will return to them later).
Those types of words usually rely on something mentioned earlier, which means they can’t open the paragraph.
Instead, look for a sentence that stands alone, possibly introducing a person, event, or idea for the first time.
Transition words are the breadcrumbs that help you follow the flow of ideas.
They tell you that a sentence is building on (or responding to) something said earlier.
So, pay close attention to them as they reveal how the writer is moving from one thought to another.
As mentioned, if you see a sentence starting with “however,” you already know it’s not the first one!
Some sentences include time-related words or phrases (e.g., “in 2005,” “after the event,” “recently,” or “by the end of the decade”).
They can be incredibly useful for figuring out the logical order of events!
If one sentence talks about a discovery in 1990 and another mentions a follow-up experiment in 1995, you know the 1990 one comes first.
If you want to get better at reordering paragraphs, you have to practice a lot; there’s no sugarcoating it!
This task is not something you can master just by reading tips or watching a few videos.
Practicing with the most repeated Reorder Paragraphs in PTE in the question at LUME is recommended.
After all, it tests how quickly and accurately you can recognize patterns in writing, and that skill only comes with repetition.
The more you expose yourself to different types of paragraphs, the easier it gets to spot topic sentences and logical flow.
We have gone over this issue: The reading section has one shared clock.
So, if you linger too long on one task, you’re stealing time from the others.
When a paragraph is taking forever, don’t stress.
Make your best judgment, arrange the sentences logically, and move to another task.
Plus, you can always return later if you still have time left.
After each practice session, go back and study your answers.
Look at the correct sentence order and compare it to what you picked.
Ask yourself what clues you missed and whether you overlooked any transition words.
The goal isn’t just to know the right answer but to understand why it’s right.
That’s how you start noticing patterns and stop repeating the same mistakes!
Now that you’ve got these 7 Reorder Paragraphs PTE tips under your belt, you no longer have to second-guess yourself!
And if you really want to level up, make sure you’re practicing with the most repeated topics.
At LUME, we’ve got the smart tools, question banks, and personalized support to get you there faster.
Smart prep starts now, and you’re on the right track!
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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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