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A transcript of a short recording appears while the recording plays. It is almost word for word what you hear, except that some words have been swapped. You click those words as you notice the mismatch. In PTE Core the task appears 1–2 times, in a Listening part of 22–37 minutes.
Pearson scores the task for Listening and Reading, so every word you catch counts towards two skills.
Read the transcript while you listen and click the words that do not match the speaker. Do not click correct words, and do not rewrite anything: one click per word is the whole answer.
Highlight Incorrect Words uses negative marking: what you click can lose you marks, not just fail to earn them.
| What Pearson counts | Value |
|---|---|
| Each correct word (Listening and Reading) | +1 point |
| Each incorrect word you choose | −1 point |
| Minimum score | 0 |
That minus sign is why over-clicking is dangerous: one innocent word you felt unsure about cancels one swapped word you had found. A 50–50 guess risks a mark you have already banked, so uncertain words should stay unclicked.
The recording does not wait for your eyes. Keep them ahead of the voice:
In the first workplace recording, the speaker says one thing and the screen shows another:
Audio: "Our quarterly review will focus on team collaboration and project deadlines. Please ensure all reports are submitted by Friday."
On screen: "Our quarterly review will focus on team cooperation and project goals. Please ensure all reports are delivered by Friday."
Three words have been swapped: cooperation for collaboration, goals for deadlines, delivered for submitted. Each is a plausible workplace word, so nothing looks broken — which is exactly what makes the task hard. Three changes means three points, and every extra click subtracts one.
No. Pearson lists the task as affecting the scoring of both Listening and Reading, so the words you catch count towards two skills.
You lose one point. Each correct word earns one point, each incorrect word deducts one point, and the score cannot fall below zero.
One or two. Pearson's Score Guide gives the range as 1–2 questions, and the number varies from test to test.
No. A wrong click cancels a word you already earned, so a guess risks a mark you own. Click only words you are certain about.
Pearson does not publish a fixed number. It varies with the length of the transcript, so expect several changes.