PTE Academic · Reading · R5
PTE Academic Reading: Multiple Choice, Single Answer
Reading Multiple Choice, Single Answer presents a short academic text and one question. You choose the single best option from the list. There is no negative marking. It is the last task in the PTE Academic Reading part, appears 2 to 3 times, and counts towards your Reading score.
- Items per test
- 2–3
- Response
- Choose one option
- Scoring
- Correct or incorrect; no negative marking
- Timing
- Shares the Reading part timer
- Scores
- Reading
How it works
- 1A text appears with one question below it.
- 2You read the options and select one.
- 3You can change your choice until you move to the next item.
- 4Only one option is correct.
Sample question
Original sample · not from an official test
Passage: "Early photography required long exposures, so subjects had to stay still for many seconds. Portrait studios used hidden head clamps to keep sitters steady, which is one reason people rarely smile in nineteenth-century photographs." What is the main purpose of the passage?
- ATo explain a practical reason behind the look of early portraits
- BTo argue that early photographers were poorly trained
- CTo describe how modern cameras shorten exposure times
- DTo show that people in the past were less cheerful
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Answer: To explain a practical reason behind the look of early portraits
The passage links long exposures and head clamps to the serious expressions in old photos. Options 2 and 3 are never discussed, and option 4 draws a conclusion the text rejects.
Tips that work
- Read the question before the passage so you know whether it asks about purpose, detail or inference.
- Eliminate options that introduce ideas the passage never mentions.
- Be careful with extreme words such as 'always', 'never' or 'proves'; they often signal a distractor.
- Because this task comes last in Reading, check the part timer before starting so you do not leave it unanswered.
Common mistakes
- Choosing an option that is true in real life but not stated in the text.
- Spending too long on one item and running out of part time.
Questions candidates ask
Is there negative marking?
No. Only multiple-answer questions carry negative marking; here, a wrong answer simply scores zero.
Should I guess if I run out of time?
Yes. With no penalty for a wrong answer, always select an option.
Can a practice score on one question predict my PTE score?
No. A handful of items is not enough evidence for a 10–90 estimate; use practice results to find patterns in your errors.
Other PTE Academic Reading tasks
PTE Academic overviewPTE Academic Reading: all partsPTE Academic full mock testsPTE Academic articles on the blog