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Sharpen your PTE Reading skills with 24 free mock tests featuring Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice, Reorder Paragraphs, and Reading & Writing FIB. Build your PTE reading vocabulary list and master keywords for higher scores. Get tips on PTE reading strategies with instant AI feedback — no sign-up required, unlimited free access.
Start Free Reading Practice Now →Just finished a reading mock? Let's talk about what actually helps. PTE Reading is deceptively simple – the questions look straightforward, but most students run out of time or fall for traps. Here's how to avoid that.
Here's what nobody tells you: you don't have time to read every passage carefully. The PTE Reading section gives you about 30 minutes for 13-18 questions across multiple texts. That works out to roughly 2 minutes per question – including reading the passage.
So if you're reading every word slowly and thinking deeply about each one, you're going to run out of time. Every single time. The trick is knowing WHAT to read and what to skim.
You read a text with 4-5 blanks and choose the correct word for each from a dropdown. This is considered one of the highest-value question types because it affects BOTH Reading AND Writing scores.
What works:
You get 4-5 jumbled paragraphs and need to arrange them in logical order. This one frustrates people because it feels like a puzzle with no clear starting point.
The strategy that actually works:
Don't overthink this. Your first instinct is often correct, especially after practice. Changing answers repeatedly usually makes things worse.
Similar to RWFIB but you drag words from a word bank instead of using dropdowns. There are usually more words than blanks – some are distractors.
Important difference: You can't "half-guess" here. Each word can only be used once, so if you put the wrong word in early, you might cascade errors through the rest.
Approach:
You read a passage and select ALL correct options (2 or more). Negative marking applies – wrong choices cost you points.
This is where students lose points unnecessarily. The temptation is to select everything that seems vaguely related. Don't.
Strategy:
Standard multiple choice – one correct answer out of 4-5 options. No negative marking here.
This is statistically easier than multiple answer questions. But traps still exist:
Let's be honest: time is your biggest enemy in Reading. Here's a rough breakdown:
If you're stuck on a question for more than 3 minutes, make your best guess and move on. Seriously. One difficult question isn't worth sacrificing two easier ones at the end.
You don't read everything the same way. Different questions need different approaches:
Reading everything word-by-word is a trap. You'll understand perfectly and then run out of time with 4 questions left.
Go back up and try another mock. This time, set a timer – 2 minutes per question maximum. See how your score compares when you're managing time strictly versus when you're relaxed. Most students actually score higher under time pressure because they stop second-guessing themselves.