Managing your time effectively in the PTE Reading section is crucial for securing a high score. Unlike other sections, PTE Reading offers a bulk time allocation, and it’s your responsibility to divide it strategically across the five task types. Let’s break this down step-by-step to ensure you not only complete the section within the allotted time but also prioritize the questions that carry the most marks.
Understanding the Time Allocation in PTE Reading
You’ll receive a combined time limit for all tasks in the PTE Reading section, typically ranging from 30 to 32 minutes, depending on the number of questions you receive. To optimize your performance, it’s vital to allocate time wisely based on the scoring weight of each task.
Here’s how you can approach it:
- Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks (15 minutes)
- Why prioritize this?
This task contributes to about 30% of your total reading marks. It also directly impacts your writing score, making it a high-priority task. - How to manage time?
Dedicate half of your total reading time (around 15 minutes for a 30-minute section) to this task. You’ll likely get 5-6 questions, so aim to spend 2 to 2.5 minutes per question.- Focus on contextual clues and grammatical patterns to find the correct word.
- Avoid overthinking; trust your instincts and move on once you’ve selected an answer.
- Pro Tip:
Practice this task regularly to improve speed and accuracy. Pearson’s PTE practice platforms or PTE mock tests are great tools to simulate real exam scenarios.
- Why prioritize this?
- Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers (5 seconds)
- Why deprioritize this?
This task contributes less than 1% of your total score, so spending too much time here is counterproductive. - How to manage time?
Simply select the third option or make a quick guess. Don’t spend more than 5 seconds per question. - Pro Tip:
This is a low-impact task, so focus on more valuable sections instead of agonizing over it.
- Why deprioritize this?
- Reorder Paragraphs (3-4 minutes)
- Why allocate limited time?
This task contributes to around 5% of your reading score. While important, it doesn’t carry the same weight as Fill in the Blanks. - How to manage time?
Dedicate 1 minute per question for the 2-3 questions you’ll likely encounter. Your goal is to organize the sentences logically and move on quickly. - Pro Tip:
Use patterns like chronology, cause-effect, and grammatical connections to identify the correct order.
- Why allocate limited time?
- Reading: Fill in the Blanks (8-10 minutes)
- Why prioritize this?
This task contributes to about 20% of your total score, making it the second-most important task in the Reading section. It also impacts your Reading band score, so accuracy is critical. - How to manage time?
Allocate 8-10 minutes to this task. With 5-6 questions, you can spend 1.5-2 minutes per question.- Focus on contextual meaning, collocations, and grammatical rules to fill in the blanks correctly.
- Use your saved time from previous tasks to ensure accuracy here.
- Pro Tip:
Pearson’s collocation lists are a goldmine for preparing this task. Familiarize yourself with commonly paired words to make quicker decisions during the exam.
- Why prioritize this?
- Multiple Choice, Single Answer (30 seconds – 1 minute)
- Why deprioritize this?
Similar to Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers, this task carries less than 1% of the total score. - How to manage time?
Use the remaining time (30 seconds to 1 minute) to complete this task. Quickly scan the question, make a guess (or choose the third option), and finish confidently. - Pro Tip:
Avoid overanalyzing. This task is not worth sacrificing time from higher-scoring sections.
- Why deprioritize this?
The Golden Rule: Practice Time Management with Mock Tests
Managing time in the PTE Reading section isn’t just about strategy—it’s about practice. You need to train yourself to think and act quickly under pressure.
- Take weekly mock tests on platforms like Pearson PTE, ApeUni, or any reliable PTE prep site to refine your time management skills.
- Analyze your performance to identify areas where you spend too much time and adjust accordingly.
Key Takeaways for Time Management in PTE Reading
- Prioritize high-scoring tasks: Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks and Reading: Fill in the Blanks.
- Spend minimal time on low-impact tasks: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers and Multiple Choice, Single Answer.
- Use logical reasoning and patterns for Reorder Paragraphs.
- Practice regularly to improve speed and accuracy.
By following this structured approach, you’ll maximize your score while avoiding the stress of running out of time.
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