PTE Reading Fill in the blanks overview

Always begin with the first blank. If are able to find the right option, great, otherwise move to the next blank and revisit the blanks you are not sure about later.

For each blank look at the options and consider how they fit in the context of the sentence. Sometimes, all you have to do is pick the correct grammar form. In other cases, you also need to judge if the option you select makes logical sense in the sentence. It is a good idea to go through the options one by one and eliminate the wrong options.

Good vocabulary, grammar fundamentals and knowledge of the common collocations will help you to fill in the blanks more effectively.

Reading skills can take some time to improve. Therefore we recommend our students to develop a habit of daily reading. When reading any text, if you come across an unfamiliar word, make sure to note it down along with an example sentence, so you can remember them contextually.

How to preapre PTE Reading Fill in the blanks for high score?

USkim for overall purpose

In PTE Fill in the Blanks, understanding the meaning of the whole text helps you choose the right word for each blank. For example, if you skim the passage below, you will find key ideas and words which point to a main topic of ‘change’.

When you click on the drop down arrows, you may find options that are also related to the main topic. You can then check grammar and overall meaning to see whether the words fit the blanks:

Read before and after the blank to help you identify the correct word

The choices in the drop-down menus may look quite similar but will have different meanings and usage. Looking at the surrounding context will help you choose the appropriate word.

In the example below, only ‘access’ fits in the phrase ‘gained ............. to technologies’; pick words that match the meaning (gain access) and grammar (‘access to’). Reading either side of the blank will help you narrow down the choices you have to make:

Do not skip text

Do not skip a paragraph of text even if it does not contain blanks. It sometimes contains key information that could be the determining factor in picking the correct answer in the blank in next paragraph.