What types of questions can I expect in the PTE Listening section?

In the PTE (Pearson Test of English) Listening section, test-takers encounter various question types designed to assess their ability to understand spoken English in academic and everyday contexts. These question types aim to evaluate different listening skills, including comprehension, inference, and note-taking. Here’s an overview of the common question types one can expect in the PTE Listening section:

1. Multiple Choice, Choose Multiple Answers:

Test-takers listen to a recording and select multiple correct answers from a set of options. This question type assesses the ability to comprehend specific details or main ideas from the audio.

2. Multiple Choice, Choose Single Answer:

Similar to the previous type, but here, test-takers need to choose only one correct answer from the given options, testing their ability to identify the main idea or specific details.

3. Fill in the Blanks:

In this task, test-takers listen to a recording with gaps and then type the missing words or phrases into the corresponding blanks. This assesses both listening and spelling skills.

4. Highlight Correct Summary:

Test-takers listen to a recording and select the summary that best captures the main points or overall message of the audio. This task evaluates the ability to understand the gist of a conversation or lecture.

5. Highlight Incorrect Words:

Here, test-takers listen to a recording while reading a transcript simultaneously. They must identify and select the words in the transcript that differ from what they hear in the audio. This task assesses attention to detail and listening accuracy.

6. Select Missing Word:

Test-takers listen to a recording with a gap and then choose the word that best fits the missing part from a set of options. This task evaluates the ability to predict and understand contextually appropriate vocabulary.

7. Summarize Spoken Text:

Test-takers listen to a short lecture or speech and then summarize it in writing within a specified word limit. This task assesses listening comprehension, note-taking, and writing skills.

These question types cover a range of listening skills, from understanding specific details to grasping main ideas and making inferences. To excel in the PTE Listening section, it’s crucial for test-takers to practice regularly, focus on improving their listening comprehension, and familiarize themselves with the format of each question type.