Contrary to popular belief, PTE Multiple Choice Multiple Answer tasks are more challenging than single-answer questions, as most candidates struggle to utilize elimination strategies or similar techniques to narrow down their options.

Hopefully, PTE Magic’s guides and tips below can help you address this burning issue to achieve the highest score possible for these tasks.

Keep scrolling to learn more.

Key Takeaways

• Multiple-choice multiple-answer is one of the five question types designed to assess reading skills in the PTE test.
• PTE applies negative markings for this task, meaning your total score will be deducted for each incorrect option. 
• PTE Magic’s guides and tips below can help you achieve the highest score possible for these tasks.

Related:

• PTE academic exam: A complete guide
• How to properly prepare for your next PTE test?
• PTE Reading practice – Everything to know about

An Overview of the Section

Multiple-choice multiple-answer is one of the five question types designed to assess reading skills in the PTE test.

1. What Reading Skills Are Tested? 

In this reading section, test takers are given a written passage followed by multiple-choice questions with more than one correct option. 

This differs from the traditional multiple-choice single-answer items, where candidates must choose the best answer. 

As a result, test takers need to approach the passage more carefully to identify all relevant information and make informed judgments about the relationships and relevance between ideas.

Through this task, the PTE scorers assess a variety of related reading skills, including the ability to:

• Identify the central theme or message of the text.
• Locate and extract specific details that support the main idea.
• Draw appropriate conclusions or make inferences based on the information presented.
• Analyze and evaluate the given information by considering different perspectives.

Sample: Read the text and answer the question by selecting all the correct responses. You will need to select more than one response.

Here is a part of Spain’s sun-baked Andalucia that is extraordinary not only because of its unspoiled terrain and authentic Spanish traditions but also because of its caves. These are not dark, damp holes, with dripping water and evil smells. They are residences, ancient Bronze Age dwellings now being refurbished for hundreds of 21st century Spaniards. In Galera, the region’s most important village, it’s estimated that there are at least 1,000 such habitations carved into its hillsides. We take old caves renovate them, then sell them on, says Rob Oakley, office manager of leading developer Galera enterprises. Our company was set up by someone who discovered the area of Galera when it was just a tourist attraction 15 years ago and saw its potential. The ancient abodes are transformed from rough caves into relatively luxurious homes, equipped out with amenities like electricity and sewage, phone lines, running hot water, even internet connections.

 

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2. How Is This Reading Section Scored?

PTE applies negative markings for this task, meaning your total score will be deducted for each incorrect option. 

• +1 for each correct option
• -1 for each incorrect option
• Minimum points for the question: 0

PTE Reading Multiple Choice Multiple Answer Tips For Choosing Correct Answers

1. A Step-By-Step Guide

Step 1. Read The Questions And Options First

Do not read the entire text immediately. Instead, you should spend the first few seconds looking through all the questions and answer options. They usually provide lots of background and contextual clues for easier reading.

Step 2. Skim Through The Passage to Identify The Core Theme

Once you scan through the questions, it is time for actual reading; however, jumping into details instantly is a common mistake we do not highly recommend. The amount of information can be overwhelming, especially if you are a first-time test taker.

The wisest move is to skim through the passage to understand its overall theme. That way, you can pinpoint which part contains which kind of message.

Step 3. Scan The Passage to Spot Specific Information

After the first two steps, you now understand which information is required and where to find it. Scan the passage more thoroughly this time to spot all these details, and use the information given to validate each option.

Most importantly, make sure you have reviewed all options carefully. 

Even when you are 100% confident in choosing options 1 and 2 as correct answers, it is still advisable to look at other options for confirmation (Why are they not fitting? Why shouldn’t you choose them?) before moving on to the remaining questions.

2. Reminders

a. Do Not Linger Too Long On One Question

While it is important not to rush through the questions, that does not mean you should stay on one for too long, either.

Remember that there is a time limit for reading tasks, just like any other section. Therefore, ensure you only give each question about 2 minutes at best. If you are still not confident in the answer, skip to other questions and return to that item later.

b. Be Aware Of The Negative Markings

Unlike multiple choice single answer tasks, PTE applies negative markings to multiple answer questions, meaning you will lose points for choosing the wrong options. 

On another note, the total points for a question cannot be less than zero. Therefore, even when no options seem right to you, do not leave out the question entirely. Instead, try to choose one option based on educated guesses.

c. Do Not Let Your Background Knowledge Affect Your Answers

For this reading section, do not assume anything or choose a particular option just because “you have heard about it somewhere before.” Answer each question according to what is exclusively mentioned in the passage and nothing else.

You should also pay attention to the word choice to avoid careless mistakes. For instance, if the passage says “most of,” then options with “everything” or “100%” must be left out.

d. Read Every Day During Practice

Even just 10-15 minutes of reading time a day will do. Make it a habit to read at least one newspaper article, book chapter, or journal article during your free time. This practice will enrich your vocabulary and grammatical knowledge. 

Avoid scrambling to learn everything in the last days before your test. You are unlikely to get any good results!

Common Mistakes to Avoid

PTE Reading Multiple Choice Answer practice can help you become familiar with the question types. However, if you want to improve quickly and boost your score, you need to recognize your own weaknesses. In this section, test-takers commonly make the following mistakes:

• Not reading instructions carefully: Some candidates often skip reading the directions. They don’t realize they need to select all correct answers, resulting in them choosing only one answer or selecting the wrong number of options.
• Solely relying on keyword matching without understanding meaning: Answers are often paraphrased (rephrased with synonyms or different structures) rather than directly copied from the passage. Just looking for identical keywords can lead to mistakenly choosing distractors.
• Choosing answers based on intuition or personal knowledge: Several test-takers tend to select options based on what they think is correct or what they already know. That’s why it’s is easy for them to disregard the information provided in the passage.
• Missing the correct answer or selecting extra incorrect answers: Due to insufficient comprehension or shallow analysis, candidates might miss one or more correct options. Worse, select the wrong ones as well. This is serious because this section has negative marking (points are deducted for each incorrect answer).
• Managing your time poorly: Spending too much time on a difficult question can lead to not having enough time to complete the remaining questions. Although this part doesn’t carry as many points as other PTE task types, proper time allocation is still crucial.
• Misunderstanding the main idea or purpose of the passage: If candidates don’t grasp the overall gist of the reading, they can easily select incorrect answers related to specific details or the author’s intent.
• Being misled by distractors: Incorrect options are often very cleverly designed. They might contain partially correct information that isn’t entirely accurate according to the passage’s content. They even have distorted information, or are too general/too specific.
• Not cross-referencing options with the passage: After making their selections, many test-takers don’t take the time to verify each chosen option against the original text to confirm its accuracy.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Questions Are There In This Section, And How Long Does It Take?

Typically, there will be 2-3 questions of this type in the PTE Academic Reading test. Specific time for each question isn’t allocated individually; instead, it falls within the total time for the entire Reading section (approximately 30-40 minutes for all Reading task types).

How Many Correct Answers Are There For Each Question?

Every question will have at least 2 correct answers, and potentially up to 3 or 4. The key is that you must select ALL the accurate options.

Is There Negative Marking For Incorrect Answers?

Yes, there is negative marking. If you choose the wrong answer, points will be deducted for that question. Therefore, be careful and only select the answers you are certain are correct.

Does This Section Contribute To Cross-scoring For Other Skills?

No. It only scores for your PTE Reading and doesn’t impact other skills like Listening, Speaking, or Writing.

How Does This Section Impact The Overall PTE Reading Score?

While this section doesn’t carry the highest weight in Reading (compared to Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks or Reading: Fill in the Blanks), it still contributes to your Reading score. Performing well here helps strengthen your overall score.

How Should I Practice For This Section To Achieve The Best Results?

Practice reading various types of texts, focusing on identifying main ideas, specific details, and your inference skills. Work through sample tests and pay attention to your mistakes. Most importantly, understand why an answer is correct and why others are incorrect.

What’s The Importance Of Vocabulary In This Section?

A broad vocabulary is crucial. It helps you understand synonyms, antonyms, and various ways of paraphrasing. All allows you to identify the right answers and avoid being confused by distractors.

Is Note-Taking Necessary For This Section?

Quickly jotting down main ideas or keywords can be helpful for easily comparing them with the options. However, don’t spend too much time on note-taking; focus on reading comprehension and analysis.

Conclusion

The rule of thumb for the PTE Reading Multiple Choice Multiple Answer is to read the options first for contextual clues, then scan the passage to locate the related information.

Time management is just as crucial for reading tasks as your analytical skills. Remember to spend 2 minutes or less on each question.

Also, before the test, remember to build your vocabulary steadily over the days by reading articles, books, or academic research. Do not scramble to cram everything in your head at the last minute!