PTE Academic · Reading · R2
PTE Academic Reading: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers
In Reading Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers you read an academic text and answer one question by selecting every option you think is correct. More than one answer is right, but each wrong selection loses a point, down to a minimum of zero. PTE Academic has 2 to 3 of these items.
- Items per test
- 2–3
- Response
- Tick all correct options (more than one)
- Scoring
- +1 per correct choice, −1 per wrong choice; item minimum 0
- Timing
- Shares the Reading part timer
- Scores
- Reading
How it works
- 1A passage appears with one question and a list of options.
- 2You tick every option the passage supports.
- 3Correct ticks add marks and wrong ticks remove them.
- 4The item cannot score below zero.
Sample question
Original sample · not from an official test
Passage: "Green roofs lower a building's summer cooling costs by shading and insulating the roof. They also hold rainwater, reducing run-off into drains. However, they add weight, so older buildings may need structural checks first, and plants require regular maintenance." Which statements are supported by the passage? Select all that apply.
- AGreen roofs can reduce cooling costs.
- BGreen roofs increase rainwater run-off.
- CSome buildings may need checking before a green roof is added.
- DGreen roofs need no maintenance once installed.
- EGreen roofs are cheaper to build than standard roofs.
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Answer: Options 1 and 3.
The passage states lower cooling costs and structural checks for older buildings. Run-off is reduced, not increased; maintenance is required; construction cost is never mentioned, so option 5 is unsupported.
Tips that work
- Only tick an option you can point to in the text. 'Probably true' is not enough when wrong picks cost a point.
- Read the question first, so you know whether it asks about the writer's view, a fact or an implication.
- Watch for options that reverse the passage ('increase' for 'reduce') or add an unmentioned claim such as cost.
- If you are sure of one answer and unsure of the rest, ticking just the one is a sensible strategy.
Common mistakes
- Ticking every plausible option, which can cancel out correct marks.
- Relying on general knowledge instead of the passage.
Questions candidates ask
How many options are correct?
More than one, but the number is not stated. Decide each option on the evidence in the text.
Can my score for this item go negative?
No. Wrong choices reduce your marks for the item, but the minimum is zero.
Is this the same as the Listening multiple-answer task?
The scoring rule is the same, but here the input is a written passage rather than a recording.
Other PTE Academic Reading tasks
PTE Academic overviewPTE Academic Reading: all partsPTE Academic full mock testsPTE Academic articles on the blog