PTE Reading Practice Questions: The Ultimate Guide to Improve
Accuracy, Speed & Score (2026
Updated)
The PTE Academic Reading section is one of the most misunderstood parts of the exam. Many students believe that reading is “easy” compared to speaking or writing until they face confusing options, tricky paraphrasing, negative phrasing, and distractors during the practice test. Scoring well in PTE Reading requires strategic reading, smart scanning, vocabulary knowledge, grammar awareness, and continuous practice with real exam–level questions.
If you’re preparing for PTE and want to master the Reading section, this 2000-word guide will walk you through everything you need to know question types, scoring, tips, mistakes, strategies, examples, and how you can practice effectively using Gurully’s PTE Reading Practice portal. Whether you're aiming to boost your reading score from 50 to 70 or from 70 to 80+, this guide will help you get there.
Whether you're aiming to boost your reading score from 50 to 70 or from 70 to 80+, this guide will help you get there.
1. Overview of the PTE Reading Section
The Reading section in PTE evaluates your ability to understand academic texts, analyze information, identify logical flow, follow argument patterns, and choose the best answer from distractor-heavy options.
Total Time
29–30 minutes (varies slightly depending on the test format)
Number of Questions
Around 13–18 questions from 5 different question types.
Skills Measured
Reading comprehension
Grammar & vocabulary understanding
Understanding context & coherence
Identifying key ideas and supporting information
Logical sequencing
Recognizing synonyms, paraphrases, and collocations
Why PTE Reading Feels Difficult
Time pressure
Negative marking for certain items
Confusing synonyms
Multiple similar-looking options
Students often read slowly instead of scanning
Many test takers ignore collocations and academic vocabulary
This is where good practice materials matter. Gurully provides free PTE Reading Practice Questions that mimic the real exam pattern, helping students improve speed and accuracy while understanding the difficulty level of actual Pearson tests.
2. Types of PTE Reading Questions
There are 5 major question types:
1.Multiple-Choice, Choose Single Answer (Reading only)
2.Multiple-Choice, Choose Multiple Answers (Reading only)
3.Re-order Paragraphs (Reading only)
4.Reading: Fill in the Blanks (R-FIB)
5.Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks (RW-FIB)
Each question tests different reading skills. Below is a detailed explanation of every type with strategies and examples.
3. PTE Reading Question Types Explained With Strategies
3.1. Multiple-Choice, Choose Single Answer (MCSA)
What You Must Do
You read a passage and select one correct answer from multiple choices. Scoring
No negative marking.
1 correct = 1 point.
What It Tests
Understanding of the main idea
Author's purpose or tone
Inference skills
Ability to identify supporting details
Strategy
Read the question first.
Identify keywords. Skim the passage quickly.
Eliminate options that are too extreme, unrelated, or partially correct. Match meaning, not words. Common Mistake
Choosing an option that looks right because it contains familiar words. In PTE Reading, synonyms mislead you.
3.2. Multiple-Choice, Choose Multiple Answers (MCMA)
What You Must Do
Choose more than one correct answer.
Scoring
Negative marking applies.
+1 for each correct answer
-1 for each wrong answer
Minimum score per item = 0 (not negative overall)
Best Strategy
Avoid guessing
Choose only those options that you’re 100% sure about
Look for repeated ideas, similarities, or reinforced statements
Read the first and last sentences carefully—authors often summarize in these parts
Skill Tested
Deep reading + analysis.
This is one of the most challenging questions.
3.3. Re-Order Paragraphs
What You Must Do
Arrange sentences in the correct order to form a meaningful paragraph. Why It’s Difficult
Because all sentences look correct individually. How to Solve
Identify the opening sentence (broad, gives introduction).
Look for pronouns (these, it, they → follow something).
Find cause-effect relationships.
Identify chronological or logical flow words like however, moreover, firstly, finally, for example.
Pair sentences to form logical connections.
Gurully Tip
Practice Re-order Paragraphs daily. Consistency improves pattern recognition.
3.5. Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks (RW-FIB)
What You Must Do
Fill in blanks from a large word list.
Focus Areas
This question contributes to Reading + Writing scores.
Skills Needed
Grammar rules
Word forms
Academic vocabulary
Collocations
Context comprehension
Most Important Tip
RW-FIB is the highest-scoring question type in PTE Reading. Practice this regularly on platforms like Gurully, where the questions match exam difficulty.
4. How PTE Reading is Scored
The Reading module contributes to:
Reading score
Writing score (from RW-FIB)
Highest-weight questions
Reading & Writing Fill in the Blanks (RW-FIB)
Reading: Fill in the Blanks (R-FIB)
Medium-weight questions
Re-order Paragraphs
MCSA
Low-weight but risky
MCMA (negative marking)
5. Step-by-Step Strategy to Prepare for PTE Reading
Step 1: Build Vocabulary & Collocations
PTE relies heavily on academic vocabulary and word combinations like: take responsibility carry out research widely accepted significant impact
Collocation knowledge helps you eliminate wrong answers instantly.
Step 2: Practice Reading Everyday Use: Newspaper editorials
Academic articles
Blogs
PTE practice platforms like Gurully’s PTE Reading Practice tools
Step 3: Master Skimming and Scanning
Skimming = reading quickly for main ideas
Scanning = locating specific words
Step 4: Solve PTE Reading Questions Regularly Practice each type separately:
Daily Re-order Paragraphs
20+ RW-FIB questions
10+ R-FIB questions
Weekly full mock tests
Step 5: Track Your Errors
Make a list:
frequent grammar mistakes confusing collocations
synonyms that mislead you
Step 6: Take Full Mock Tests
Platforms like Gurully provide:
Real PTE exam interface
Scored and unscored tests
Section-wise practice
Instant evaluation for RW-FIB, R-FIB, and Re-order Paragraphs
AI-based feedback
6. Common Mistakes Students Make in PTE Reading
❌ Reading everything word-by-word
Time will run out.
❌ Choosing answers based on matching words PTE uses paraphrasing.
❌ Guessing answers in MCMA
Negative marking = score drop.
❌ Mixing up synonyms
Words may look similar but have different tones.
❌ Poor grammar knowledge
Grammar = scoring backbone in FIB questions.
❌ Not practicing under time pressure
Timing is the biggest challenge.
7. Proven Tips to Boost PTE Reading Score
✔ Read question first
Know what you're searching for.
✔ Learn 1,000+ academic collocations
This improves FIB accuracy instantly.
✔ Practice daily on real exam patterns
Gurully provides high-quality practice materials.
✔ Always check the grammatical structure
Tense, articles, prepositions all matter.
✔ Avoid extreme option choices in MCSA
Words like always, never, completely are usually wrong.
✔ For re-order paragraphs: find the pair first Sentences that connect naturally form the sequence.
✔ For RW-FIB: check for part of speech
Noun? Verb? Adjective? Adverb?
✔ Use elimination aggressively
Remove obviously wrong options before selecting the right one.
8. Sample PTE Reading Practice Questions (Exam-Level)
(Note: These are original examples based on PTE difficulty level.)
Sample 1: Reading & Writing Fill in the Blanks (RW-FIB)
Despite being widely regarded as one of the most significant breakthroughs in modern medicine, antibiotics are often due to excessive usage. As bacteria continue to evolve, the effectiveness of these drugs becomes increasingly . Therefore, researchers are working on new treatments that can battle infections without contributing to antibiotic . Options: misused, uncertain, resistance, authority, clarity (Answers not included as per your request style use them freely in your blog.)
Sample 2: Reading: Fill in the Blanks (R-FIB)
The new policy was introduced to transparency within the organization. Many employees welcomed the change as it provided clear guidelines on reporting procedures.
Options: enhance, hesitation, enhancing, enhanced
Sample 3: Re-order Paragraphs
1.Many experts believe that artificial intelligence will transform the way industries operate.
2.For instance, automated systems are already replacing repetitive manual tasks.
3.However, there are growing concerns about job displacement due to automation.
4.The impact of AI on the global economy is both significant and complex.
Sample 4: MCSA
What is the main idea of the passage?