Reading is Part 2 of PTE Core, between Speaking and Writing and Listening. It takes 27 to 37 minutes and has five question types, all on one clock. Below are four short everyday texts like the ones in Multiple Choice, Single Answer, each with two questions. Each question shows the answer and the reason as soon as you pick.

Every text and question here is original practice written for this independent site in the published PTE Core format. None of it is official Pearson material.

The five Reading question types

Reading and Writing: Fill in the Blanks also counts toward your Writing score. The others count for Reading only. Read Aloud (in Part 1) and Highlight Incorrect Words (in Part 3) feed your Reading score as well.

Practice texts

Read each text, then answer its two questions below. On the real test each Multiple Choice, Single Answer text has only one question; two per text here gives you more practice from each one.

Text 1: a building notice

Notice to residents of 220 Birch Street

The east elevator will be closed for repairs from Tuesday, May 5 to Thursday, May 7. The west elevator will run as usual, but expect longer waits in the morning. If you are moving furniture or other large items that week, please book the west elevator with the office at least 24 hours ahead. Bookings are limited to one hour. Residents who have trouble with stairs can ask the office for a parking spot near the west entrance for those three days. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

Text 2: an email between coworkers

Hi Ravi,

Since the number 14 bus was cut back to once an hour, a few of us from the warehouse have started sharing rides. Lucia drives in from the west end and has one seat left. She leaves early, so you’d need to be at the corner of Main and Fifth by 6:20. We split the cost of gas every Friday, usually about fifteen dollars each a week. Her only rule is no eating in the car. Let me know by Wednesday if you want the seat, because Tom from shipping has asked too.

Priya

Text 3: a library page

Borrow a museum pass

Library cardholders can now borrow a family pass to the Riverside Science Centre. Each pass admits two adults and up to three children for one visit within seven days of checkout. Passes can’t be reserved; they are lent at the information desk to whoever asks first. Each card can borrow one pass a month. A late pass costs $5 a day, because other families are waiting for it.

Text 4: a job ad

Part-time cashier wanted

Greenleaf Market is hiring a part-time cashier for weekend shifts, about 16 hours a week. No experience is needed; we provide two paid training days. You must be able to stand for long periods and lift boxes of up to 10 kg. A second language is an asset, as many of our customers speak Punjabi or Tagalog. To apply, bring your resume to the store any weekday before noon and ask for Joanne.

Questions

Tips for Multiple Choice, Single Answer

• Read the question first, then scan the text for the part it points to. The texts are short, but the clock is shared by the whole Reading part.
• Expect paraphrase. The right answer rarely repeats the text’s words. “Book the elevator at least 24 hours ahead” became “a day in advance” above.
• Watch for true but irrelevant options. Wrong options often mention something from the text that doesn’t answer this question, like the training days in Text 4.
• Don’t add what the text doesn’t say. If an option goes beyond the text, it’s wrong even if it sounds sensible.
• Spend your time where the points are. This type has only 1 or 2 items, while the two Fill in the Blanks types have 9 to 11 items between them. Don’t let one question eat your clock.

Tips for the other Reading types

• Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers: each wrong pick costs a point, so only select options you can find support for in the text.
• Reorder Paragraph: find the opening box first (it can stand alone, with no “However” or “This” pointing back), then link pairs by pronouns and linking words.
• Both Fill in the Blanks types: read the whole sentence, including the words after the gap. Grammar (a, an, plural, verb form) often rules out half the options.

Next steps

For the whole format, read the PTE Core test guide. For Listening with a real audio clip, try the PTE Core Listening practice. To see what Reading score each CLB needs (60 for CLB 7), see the PTE Core score chart.