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PTEPTE Prep

Part 2 · Reading · FIB-D

Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown): Reading PTE question type

You read a passage with gaps and choose from word lists shown beside each gap. Every gap is a dropdown.

The dropdowns offer more options than there are blanks, so the lists are deliberately over-supplied. This is a vocabulary-in-context item, and you need to have read the surrounding sentence before you can narrow anything.

Scoring

How Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown) is scored

One point per blank completed correctly, with no penalty for the ones you get wrong. Every blank is independent, so partial credit is the default rather than an exception.

Skills scored
Reading — contributes to your Reading score
Questions per test
5–6 in Reading

Watch out

Common Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown) mistakes

  1. 1Eliminating options purely by part of speech and missing the one constraint the grammar imposes.
  2. 2Working gap by gap without reading the passage at least once first.
  3. 3Assuming a repeated word cannot be used twice — the lists often reuse words legitimately.

Strategy

Read the whole text once first, then decide. One point per completed blank, no penalty for the ones you get wrong.
Practice Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown)Sit a full mock

Questions

Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown) questions, answered

How many Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown) questions are on the PTE Academic?

A PTE Academic has 5–6 Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown) items in the Reading section. Each one counts towards your Reading score.

How is Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown) scored?

One point per blank completed correctly, with no penalty for the ones you get wrong. Every blank is independent, so partial credit is the default rather than an exception.

What goes wrong most often on Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown)?

Eliminating options purely by part of speech and missing the one constraint the grammar imposes.

Keep going

Related reading question types

All Reading question types · tips for all 22 types · full test format · how PTE scores work.

Scoring figures on this page follow the current PTE Academic official guide. This is an independent practice site and is not affiliated with Pearson.