PTE Core · Reading · R2

PTE Core Reading: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers

Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers gives you a short text, a question and several options, more than one of which is correct. You select every answer you are confident about. Wrong choices take a point away, although the item score never goes below zero, so careful selection matters more than ticking extra boxes.

Items per test: 1–2
Response: Tick all options you think are correct
Marking: +1 per correct option, −1 per wrong option, minimum 0
Timing: Shares the Part 2 Reading time

How it works

1Read the question first so you know what to look for.
2Read the text and find the lines that relate to the question.
3Check each option against the text one by one.
4Tick only the options the text clearly supports.

Sample question

Original sample · not from an official test

Text: "The library now opens at 8 a.m. on weekdays. Laptops can be borrowed for up to three hours with a library card. Printing costs 10 cents a page, and scanning is free." Question: Which statements are true according to the text?

AScanning does not cost anything.
BThe library opens at 8 a.m. every day.
CA library card is needed to borrow a laptop.
DPrinting is free for card holders.
ELaptops can be kept for a full day.

Show answer

Answer: Scanning does not cost anything; A library card is needed to borrow a laptop.

The text says scanning is free and laptops are lent with a card. The 8 a.m. time is for weekdays only, printing costs money and the loan limit is three hours.

Tips that work

Treat each option as a separate true or false check against the text.
Look for small words that make an option wrong, such as "every", "always" or "only".
If you are unsure about an option, leave it out. A missed correct option loses less than a wrong tick.
Keep this task short; it is worth relatively few points for the time it can take.

Common mistakes

Selecting every option that mentions a word from the text.
Assuming there must be exactly two correct answers.

Questions candidates ask

Does PTE Core use negative marking here?

Yes. Each correct selection gains a point and each incorrect one loses a point, but the item cannot score below zero.

How many answers are correct?

More than one, but the number is not given. Decide based on the text, not on a fixed count.

Should I guess if I have time left?

Only if you have real evidence. A random extra tick can cancel out a correct one.