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A transcript of a short recording appears on screen with several words taken out. While the recording plays, you type each missing word into its gap. In PTE Core this task appears 2–3 times, inside a Listening part that runs 22–37 minutes and holds 7 question types.
The task feeds Listening and Writing, so a word you hear perfectly and spell wrongly costs you a mark in two skill scores at once.
Pearson's instruction tells you to listen to the recording and type the missing words into the gaps. There are no options to choose from — you supply the word yourself, from what you hear — and nothing is deducted for a wrong answer, so an empty gap can only ever cost you a mark.
Partial credit, counted word by word:
| What Pearson counts | Value |
|---|---|
| Each word spelled correctly (Listening and Writing) | 1 point |
| Each incorrect or misspelled word | 0 points |
| Minimum score | 0 |
A recording with four gaps is four separate chances. Three of four is a good result; four of four is a finished task.
There is no time for separate notes — typing the gaps is the note-taking. Three habits carry it:
The first workplace recording has four gaps. Here they are with the answers in place:
"our office is implementing a new hybrid work policy" … "Thursdays for team collaboration" … "returned for security updates" … "contact your department manager directly."
| Blank | Answer | What gives it away |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | hybrid | Adjective in front of "work policy". |
| 2 | collaboration | Noun after "team". |
| 3 | updates | Plural noun after "security". |
| 4 | directly | Adverb in -ly after "contact your department manager". |
Four gaps, four points. Type update for updates, or misspell collaboration, and that one word scores zero while the other three still count.
Both. Pearson scores the task for Listening and Writing, so each correct word counts towards two skill scores.
Two or three. Pearson's Score Guide gives the range as 2–3 questions, and the number varies from test to test.
No. Scoring is partial credit with a minimum score of zero, so an incorrect word earns nothing and never removes a mark you have already earned.
In the live test the recording is played to you rather than controlled by you. This practice tool lets you replay the audio as often as you like while you are learning.
Pearson awards the point for a word spelled correctly, and a number may be written as a digit or as a word. This tool allows a one-character difference so a stray keystroke does not cost you a mark.