PTE Practice
PTE ListeningPTE Academic and PTE Core

PTE Listening: Multiple Choice, Single Answer — format, scoring and tips

You hear a recording and answer one question about it by choosing a single option. The question may ask about the main idea, a specific detail or the speaker's purpose or attitude.

Timing at a glance

AudioPlayed once; there is no replay
Our practice paceAbout 1 minute per question

Timings are approximate and can vary slightly from question to question.

How it's scored

Scored on1 mark for the correct option

The correct option earns one mark; anything else earns nothing. There is no negative marking.

Worked example

A practice question we wrote

Imagine a speaker saying: "Many people think recycling is enough, but reducing what we buy in the first place has a far bigger effect." Question: What is the speaker's main point? A) Recycling is useless. B) Buying less matters more than recycling. C) People should recycle more often.

A strong approach

B. "But" introduces the speaker's real point. A goes too far, and C misses the point.

Common mistakes

  • Choosing an option that is true in general but not what the speaker said.
  • Missing the point made after "but" or "however".
  • Picking the option that repeats the speaker's exact words but changes their meaning.

Tips

  • Read the question before the audio starts.
  • Listen for signal words (but, however, actually) that mark the main point.
  • Rule out options that are too extreme or not mentioned.

Listening: Multiple Choice, Single Answer FAQ

No. A correct answer earns one mark and a wrong answer earns nothing.

PTE Practice is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Pearson. Our scores are a calibrated emulation, not official PTE scores.