PTE Academic · Reading · R1
PTE Academic Reading: Reading & Writing Fill in the Blanks
Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks shows a passage with several gaps. Each gap has a dropdown list, and you choose the one word that fits the meaning and grammar. It is the first Reading task in PTE Academic, appears 5 to 6 times, and contributes to Reading and Writing.
- Items per test
- 5–6
- Response
- One dropdown choice per gap
- Timing
- Shares the Reading part timer (23–30 minutes in total)
- Scores
- Reading and Writing
How it works
- 1A passage appears with several gaps, each with its own dropdown.
- 2You open each dropdown and choose one option.
- 3Each gap has only one best answer.
- 4You move on when ready. There is no separate timer per item, so pace yourself across the part.
Sample question
Original sample · not from an official test
Early maps were often ___(1) on hearsay rather than direct observation, so coastlines could ___(2) greatly from one chart to the next. (1) based / founded / built / made (2) differ / change / vary / shift
- A(1) based, (2) vary
- B(1) founded, (2) change
- C(1) built, (2) differ
- D(1) made, (2) shift
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Answer: (1) based, (2) vary
'Based on' is the fixed collocation for a source of information. 'Vary greatly from one… to the next' is the natural pattern; 'differ' would need 'from each other', and 'change' implies one chart altering over time.
Tips that work
- Read the whole sentence before choosing. The word after the gap (a preposition such as 'on' or 'from') often decides the answer.
- Check grammar first: does the gap need a noun, verb, adjective or adverb, and in which form?
- When two options look similar in meaning, pick the one that forms a natural collocation with the surrounding words.
- Aim for roughly two minutes per passage so later Reading tasks are not rushed.
Common mistakes
- Choosing a synonym that fits the meaning but not the grammar pattern.
- Filling gaps one by one without reading the sentence to the end.
Questions candidates ask
Is there negative marking?
No. Each gap is scored as correct or incorrect; a wrong choice does not subtract marks from other gaps.
How is this different from Reading: Fill in the Blanks?
Here each gap has its own dropdown. In Reading: Fill in the Blanks you drag words from a single shared bank.
Why does it count towards Writing?
Choosing words that fit grammar and collocation draws on the same knowledge used in writing, so the task feeds both scores.
Other PTE Academic Reading tasks
PTE Academic overviewPTE Academic Reading: all partsPTE Academic full mock testsPTE Academic articles on the blog