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PTE Academic · Reading · R3

PTE Academic Reading: Reorder Paragraphs

Reorder Paragraphs gives you several short text boxes in the wrong order. You drag them, or use the keyboard, into the order that makes a coherent passage. PTE Academic includes 2 to 3 of these items in the Reading part, and they count towards your Reading score.

Items per test
2–3
Input
Jumbled text boxes, each a sentence or short paragraph
Response
Arrange all boxes in order
Timing
Shares the Reading part timer
Scores
Reading

How it works

  1. 1The boxes appear in random order.
  2. 2You drag them into the sequence you think is correct.
  3. 3You can keep moving boxes until you are satisfied.
  4. 4Only one overall order is intended to be correct.

Sample task

Original sample · not from an official test

Put these in order. (A) As a result, the town began offering free training courses for new beekeepers. (B) In 2019, local farmers reported a sharp fall in fruit harvests. (C) Investigators linked the decline to a shortage of pollinating insects. (D) Within three years, the number of registered hives had doubled.

Show a strong response

Outline: B, C, A, D

B introduces the situation with a date and no reference back. C explains the fall ('the decline'). A begins 'As a result', responding to C. D reports the outcome with a later time marker ('Within three years').

Tips that work

  • Find the opener first: a sentence that introduces a topic without pronouns like 'this' or 'they' pointing back.
  • Link pairs using reference words ('the decline', 'these methods') and connectors ('however', 'as a result').
  • Use time markers and a general-to-specific pattern to fix the order of the middle boxes.
  • Once all boxes are placed, read the sequence through once to check it flows.

Common mistakes

  • Starting with a box that begins with 'However' or 'This'.
  • Fixing the order of two boxes early and not rechecking once the rest are placed.

Questions candidates ask

How many boxes will there be?

Usually a handful of short sentences or paragraphs. Treat each as a clue to its neighbours rather than reading them in isolation.

Is there partial credit?

Pearson's score guide sets out how Reorder Paragraphs is marked; check it for the current rule. In practice, getting most of the sequence right is always worth doing.

Where can I practise Reorder Paragraphs?

EnglishHub has exam-style practice for this task within its 200 PTE Academic practice sets.

Other PTE Academic Reading tasks

PTE Academic overviewPTE Academic Reading: all partsPTE Academic full mock testsPTE Academic articles on the blog