Multiple Choice, choose multiple answers is a section of the PTE reading test. This test contains negative marking. The test assesses your ability to read and understand a passage in English. If you understand the meaning of the text, you will invariably score well.
Follow the tips given below in order to ace the Multiple Choice, choose multiple answers module.
The first step that you must always be mindful of is to understand what the question is asking for.
Sometimes you may be asked to identify the correct statements from given options, while other times this may flip to which of the following statements are false. If you get confused, this will impact which answers you end up selecting. That is why the first thing that you must ensure is to understand what the questions are asking you to do. Only then go ahead and find the answer.
Time is of the essence in this section. But if you are going to start reading the passage from the word go, you are going to waste precious time. It is similar to finding an unknown target. However, if you read the questions first and go through the options briefly, you will have a good estimate of what you are looking for in the passage. Additionally, it will also make your reading more focused.
Note that the information in the passage won’t be exactly the same as in the answer options. More often, some keywords would have been replaced by synonyms or substitute words. Also, the options might be in different order as the text. The first answer could come from the bottom, while the last answer from the top of the passage. That is why identifying keywords is important when going through the passage.
Practice skimming through a few passages every day and determine the basic theme of the passage through it. Some daily practice for the same will help you greatly in the exam itself. When it comes to scanning, you are looking for a particular piece of information in the passage. For optimal practice, set no more than a couple of minutes to do so. Over time, the practice of skimming and scanning will become a natural part of your reading.
Since negative marking will penalize you for incorrect answers, be mindful of selecting the options. If you are sure of only one option, pick only that. If you are convinced of multiple options, choose those options. If only one option seems likely but you have doubts about the others, select only the option that you are sure of. If you aren’t sure of any of the given options, trust your instincts, make your best guess, and select one option.
Sometimes you may be unsure of which option to choose and in such case, try employing the strategy of elimination. Look for words that are definitely incorrect and remove as many options as possible. This should enable you to identify the remaining option as the correct one. Mostly, there are no more than 3 correct answers; often only 2.
Before going into the exam, be sure of how much time you are going to spend on each question. Stick with your time and don’t go beyond it. For best results, spend no more than a couple of minutes on the question.
If you go through these tips and strategies and ensure that you practice them carefully in a timed setting, you will become much better at identifying and isolating the correct answers quickly and will finish the module within 2 minutes.