Question-type guide
FIB-RWReadingWeight 11% Writing:18% Reading:25%
Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown)
For each blank in a passage you pick the best word from a drop-down. It tests word discrimination and understanding from context.
Format
- 5-6 blanks
- Text is no more than 200 words
- Each blank is an independent drop-down choice
Scoring criteria
- Scored per blank: 1 point for each correct choice, no penalty for a wrong one
Scoring dimensions are condensed and paraphrased from Pearson's official PTE Core scoring guide for readability; refer to the official documentation for the exact wording.
Answering technique
- 1Read the whole passage for the gist first, then work through the drop-downs; the options are usually similar-looking or near-synonym words that you have to judge from context
- 2Watch for fixed collocations around the blank (prepositions, verb phrases); many blanks can be solved by collocation alone
- 3When unsure, use elimination: rule out options that are the wrong part of speech first
- 4Build up familiarity with common phrases and collocations in academic writing — that's the core of this task
Common pitfalls
- Looking only at word meaning and ignoring part of speech and collocation
- Not rereading to check the passage still flows after choosing