PTE Reading Multiple Choice Single Answer | Quick Introduction

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Multiple choice, single answer questions are one of the most common question types in every language test. PTE Academic is no exception. PTE Multiple Choice Single Answer follows the familiar pattern and is the first question type you will find in the Reading section of the PTE.

This is a test of how well you can analyse and understand a short text and answer a question based on. Each text is up to 300 words and you will find 2~3 questions of this type in your exam. There is no individual time limit for this question type. It falls under the overall time allocated for the reading section.

This is what you will see on your computer screen.

The screen consists of three parts – the text, the prompt and the answer choices.

The prompt will tell you what question do you have to answer. You will find a number of choices, from 3~5 for each question. Only one of the given choices is correct.

Students often wonder how much time they should spend on this question type. It varies from student to student and depends upon her overall comfort level with questions of this type. Someone who finds these questions easier compared to the re-order questions will naturally spend lesser time on these. This is something that one needs to figure out while preparing for the exam. Our online PTE coaching puts a lot of emphasis on developing this kind of understanding and preparing a strategy accordingly.

The question type is an assessment of your reading skills. More specifically these include the following.

Can you understand the main theme or idea behind a text?

If a person has good reading skills, he will be able to grasp the main idea quickly. This kind of skill is very valuable in academic environments.

Can you find detailed information in a text?

You will find a number of questions which will require you to look for specific information in the text. This can be for example, questions around dates, events, reasons, sequences or any other information for which you will have to read the text for details.

Can you identify the writer’s purpose or opinion?

Sometimes you will find questions that will require you to understand the writer’s motive behind including a piece of information in the text. This is usually not explicitly stated and one is supposed to make the deduction from the reading the text. For example, a question that asks you why does the author refer to the film Transformers in the text? It might be to draw a link to Science Fiction in Hollywood or to refer to the toys based on film characters. To understand this, you will be required to understand the intent with which the author has written the text.

Can you find relationships between different parts of a text?

Different parts of a text have specific roles to play just as different actors have a role to play in a stage drama. The first couple of lines of a text may introduce you to a problem and the last few lines may tell you about one possible solution. You should be able to make connections like these.

Can you draw conclusions?

Drawing a conclusion is a great test of how well a person has understood a text. You will find questions that ask you to answer an overarching broad question based on the information in the text. It will require you to make a decision based on your understanding of the whole text.

The Online Coaching offered by Sure Way English comes with several practice tests and scored PTE Mock Tests that contain questions to help you develop all these reading skills.

We advise our students to not just quickly answer a question and check whether it is right or wrong. They should also spend time answering why an option is correct while other options are wrong.

The habit of reading daily and thinking about it critically will not only help you with this particular question type but also develop your overall reading skills.

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