Those who want to get admission to universities in other countries or settle abroad have to take part in the PTE exam.

Currently, over 3,000 institutions, colleges, and professional organizations rely on PTE to confirm the English skills of their students.

The test includes 3 sections—Listening, Reading, Speaking & Writing, and the PTE Reading section is the hardest. This PTE Reading multiple choice single answer task will test your comprehension and analysis ability in a given text. These are questions with only one answer.

It would help if you answered them exactly and effectively to get a high score on the PTE Reading test.

In what way?

In this guide, PTE Magic will help you with useful tips and practice. 

Let’s take a look.

Key Takeaways

• PTE Reading multiple choice single answer will test your comprehension and analysis ability in a given text.
• There is no opportunity for any partial return once you select from among the given responses in the examination.
• In the second half of this blog, we share five helpful tips to achieve the best score in PTE Reading multiple-choice single answers.

Related:

• How to improve PTE reading scores quickly
• PTE tips and tricks for beginners

Overview Of The Section

Starting the PTE Reading test, you must solve the multi-choice questions with a single answer—the first question type of this section. You’d better read the text and then choose the right response. To avoid mistakes, we remind you that this guideline only helps you get a good score in the reading section, not including other PTE sections.

By applying your ability to interpret, evaluate, and analyze, you can easily overcome this task. Don’t worry too much because it isn’t over 2 questions, and the text in 300 words doesn’t make you meet many difficulties while doing it.

However, you should pay attention to time management. How much time do you have to complete these questions? It is accurate that you can only finish this task in 1 minute and 30 seconds. Either you answered correctly, or your answer is wrong. There is no opportunity for any partial return once you select from among the given responses in the examination.

Sample: Read the text and answer the multiple-choice question by selecting the correct response. Only one response is correct.

These resolutions, demanding in effect that slavery be thus safeguarded-almost to the extent of introducing it into the free states-really foreshadowed the Democratic platform of 1860 which led to the great split in that party, the victory of the Republicans under Lincoln, the subsequent secession of the more radical southern states, and finally the Civil War, for it was inevitable that the North, when once aroused, would bitterly resent such pro-slavery demands.

 

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5 PTE Reading Multiple Choice Single Answer Tips

Based on our personal experience, we want to share helpful tips so that you can achieve the best score in PTE Reading multiple-choice single answers.

Tip 1: Read the Question Prompt Rather Than The Text

Generally, the candidates first read the text because it helps them understand the content and answer the question well. In fact, they are applying the wrong technique, both wasting time and giving a worse result. 

Reading the question prompt would be best if you took the required focus. Try to determine what it is necessary to answer. Once you know exactly the task related to the author’s opinion, the main idea of the passage, or a specific detail, you can prepare to read properly.

Tip 2: Try to Connect The Question

After seeing the answers quickly, it’s best to connect them with the question. Try to find the relevant points between the options and the query. In addition, pay attention to the highlighted keywords, telling you to search for climate change or an indication in Australia, for example.

Tip 3: Read the Text Attentively

Don’t read in a casual way! We advise you to read the entire text fully and derive the central idea. Identify which sentence or paragraph in the text is compatible with the query. 

Tip 4: Eliminate Impossible Answers

There are clearly wrong answers, and you can eliminate them right away. For instance, after reading the text, you figure out that the first and second options aren’t mentioned in the content. The third option is relatively full, while the fourth one is perfect.

Tip 5: Ensure the Exam Time

You can concentrate on your test, but pay attention to the exam time. Do you still remember that you have 1 minute 30 seconds to complete this reading multiple-choice section? Let’s wear a watch to monitor the exam on time.

Frequent Mistakes To Avoid

If consistent practice is important, another factor that will help you improve your score is knowing what mistakes to avoid when taking the test. Specifically, in PTE Reading Multiple Choice Single Answer, test-takers often make the following errors:

Skimming Excessively

This is a common mistake where test-takers quickly skim through the entire passage without pausing to grasp the main idea or important details.

This mistake can prevent you from fully understanding the content and making an accurate answer choice.

Consequently, candidates often pick the wrong answer or have to re-read the passage multiple times.

Focusing on Irrelevant Details

Many test-takers tend to spend too much time analyzing minor, isolated details or information that isn’t crucial to the main idea of the passage or the question itself.

This often leads them astray, making it difficult to pinpoint the question’s focus and easily distracting them with “distractors.”

Guessing Without a Good Basis

When faced with a difficult or uncertain question, some candidates often guess randomly. They don’t rely on any information or clues from the passage.

Instead of guessing, candidates should go back and scan for relevant information. Using elimination strategies is a helpful way to increase the chances of choosing correctly.

Poor Time Management

This is one of the most critical mistakes in PTE Reading, especially with the Multiple Choice Single Answer format.

It takes a lot of time to find the right answer to the hard questions. Meanwhile, spend less time on the remaining questions.

Ignoring Instructions

Not thoroughly reading or skipping the instructions for the question is a serious mistake.

Instructions sometimes contain crucial hints about the approach to take or the type of answer expected. 

Overlooking these can lead to misunderstanding the requirement, for instance, selecting multiple answers when only one is allowed, resulting in avoidable lost points.

Not Using Elimination Strategies

Trying to find the correct answer and overlooking and eliminating the incorrect ones are common mistakes of candidates. 

Distractors are usually very cleverly designed; they might seem exact but contain inaccurate or irrelevant information.

Therefore, if you find yourself in such a situation, it’s best to eliminate the wrong answers. Don’t try too hard to find the single correct one.

 Misinterpreting the Passage

This is the most fundamental and serious error. It stems from failing to grasp the main idea, the logical structure, or the relationships between ideas within the text.

The cause is limited vocabulary, poor reading comprehension skills, or reading too quickly.

When you misunderstand the passage, all subsequent analysis and answer choices will be flawed. As a result, you lose points for that question.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Questions of This Type Are There in The PTE Reading Test?

The number of questions in the Multiple Choice Single Answer section is not high, usually around 2-3 questions. Although the quantity is small, answering them correctly still contributes to your overall score.

How Much Time Do I Need on Each Multiple-Choice Single-Answer Question?

Since this isn’t the highest-pointed question type, you’d better aim to complete each one in approximately 1 to 1.5 minutes. Don’t use more time to avoid impacting other question types, such as Fill in the Blanks.

Are There Any Tips Or Strategies for Doing Well On This Question Type?

Yes, there are several effective strategies:

• Read the question first
• Skim the passage or the main idea
• Look for keywords and synonyms
• Use elimination strategies
• Pay attention to the first and last sentences of the passage
• Don’t rely on background knowledge

Should I Take Notes For This Question Type?

It’s not essential to take detailed notes. However, underlying keywords or main ideas as ỵou read the passage can help you easily cross-reference them with the answer choices.

Is There A Way To Know When To Skip A Question Of This Type?

The answer is “yes” when you’ve read the question and skimmed the passage, but still can’t pinpoint the relevant information or feel too confused by the options.

It’s best to make a strategic guess (choose the answer you feel is most plausible) and move on to the next question. Spending too much time on one difficult question will eat into the time you have for other sections where you might perform better.

Final Thought

The PTE Reading multiple choice single answer in your exam should be an easy task to complete. What you need to look for the answers will be in the text, so equipping yourself with knowledge related to the specific subjects isn’t essential. 

Instead, you must know what you must read, how to read, and how to eliminate the impossible options. By pocketing our tips and practicing to read more, make sure that you’ll get the optimal result.