PTE Reading Multiple Choice (Multiple Answers): Tips & Scoring
Multiple Choice, Choose Multiple Answers asks you to read a passage and select all the correct options for a question. It is the one reading task with negative marking — a wrong selection cancels out a correct one — so a careful, confidence-based approach matters more than ticking lots of boxes.
How the task works
You read a short passage and answer a question that has more than one correct option. You tick all the answers you believe are correct. You typically face one to two of these.
Step-by-step strategy
- 1Read the question first, then read the passage with it in mind.
- 2Check each option against the passage — confirm it is directly supported by the text.
- 3Eliminate options that are true in general but not stated, or that distort the passage.
- 4Tick only the options you can justify from the text.
Only tick what you are sure of
Because of negative marking, two confident correct answers beat three answers where one is a guess. If you genuinely cannot justify an option from the passage, leave it unticked.
How it is scored
- Each correct option selected earns a mark; each incorrect option selected loses a mark.
- Your score for the item cannot go below zero.
- This negative marking makes guessing risky — accuracy beats quantity.
- Selecting every option to 'cover' the answers backfires and nets few or no marks.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Ticking extra options 'just in case', triggering the negative-marking penalty.
- Choosing options that sound plausible but are not supported by the passage.
- Confusing a true statement with one that actually answers the question.
- Rushing the passage and missing the qualifier words that change meaning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does PTE Reading Multiple Choice have negative marking?
Yes, the 'choose multiple answers' version does — each wrong selection cancels a correct one, though your item score cannot fall below zero. The single-answer version has no negative marking.
How many options should I select?
Only the ones you can justify from the passage. Because of negative marking, selecting a wrong option undoes a correct one, so confident accuracy beats guessing extra boxes.
Continue Reading
PTE Academic Reading: Strategies for Every Task Type
PTE Academic Reading explained: Fill in the Blanks, Re-order Paragraphs, and multiple choice — with timing strategies, negative-marking rules, and practice tips.
ReadingPTE Reading Multiple Choice (Single Answer): Tips & Scoring
PTE Reading Multiple Choice, Choose Single Answer guide: how to scan for the answer, eliminate distractors, and why you should never leave it blank.
ReadingPTE Re-order Paragraphs: Strategy & Scoring
PTE Re-order Paragraphs guide: how to find the topic sentence, follow linking words, and sequence text boxes — plus how partial-credit scoring works.