PTE Reading Drag and Drop Blanks 2025 | Practice, Scoring & Repeated PDF

Pearson Test of English (PTE Academic) is a premier English Language Proficiency test designed for study abroad and immigration. PTE evaluates your integrated language skills across a streamlined 2-hour exam format consisting of 3 main parts: Part 1: Speaking & Writing, Part 2: Reading, and Part 3: Listening. Unlike IELTS, which involves human examiners, Pearson PTE utilizes a sophisticated AI-based Automated Scoring System to ensure unbiased results. Among the 20 distinct question types, the Reading Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop) is a critical task for boosting your Reading score. In this guide, we cover the 2025 strategies for PTE Reading Drag and Drop Blanks, essential tips, grammar rules, and provide a downloadable PDF of the most repeated questions.

Reading Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop) - PTE Reading

In this specific PTE Reading task, a text passage appears with several gaps (blanks). Your goal is to drag words from the "blue box" at the bottom and drop them into the correct blanks to complete the text logically and grammatically.

• Prompt Length: Text up to 80 words
  
  
• Skills Assessed: Reading Only (This task does not contribute to your Writing score).
  
  
• Time to Answer: There is no individual timer for this question. It is part of the overall Part 2: Reading Section, which lasts approximately 29-30 minutes. You must manage your time wisely (ideally spending no more than 1.5 - 2 minutes per question).
  
  
• Task Layout: You will see a text with missing words. Below the text is a pool of potential answer choices (words) in blue boxes.
  
  
• Strategy: Use your knowledge of grammar, collocations, and context to select the correct word. Left-click and drag the word to the gap.
  
  
• Distractors: There are always more words than gaps. Some words are "distractors" designed to confuse you, so you will not use every word provided.

How is PTE Reading Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop) Scored?

This task uses a partial credit scoring system. Your score depends entirely on the number of blanks you fill correctly. There is no negative marking for incorrect answers in this specific task.

Correct Blank	+1 point
Incorrect/Empty	0 points

For a detailed breakdown of how this task impacts your overall Reading score, review our updated article on the PTE Score Distribution Chart 2025 or consult the official Pearson PTE Scoring Guide.

Recommended Read: PTE Reading & Writing Fill in the Blanks 2025: Tips, Tricks & Practice Questions | PTE Guide

Reading Fill in the Blanks Practice Schedule (2025)

The "Drag and Drop" Reading Fill in the Blanks task is vital for securing a high Reading score. To achieve a target of 65+ or 79+, you must aim for at least 70-80% accuracy in these questions. In the real PTE Exam 2025, you will typically encounter 4 to 5 of these passages.

Practice Strategy: Solve at least 15 to 20 practice questions daily. Focus on understanding why a specific word fits (context vs. grammar). Practice for free on the Best PTE Practice Apps and Websites 2025. Additionally, download the PTE Reading Fill in the Blanks Prediction PDF 2025 to practice the most repeated questions likely to appear in your exam.

PTE Reading Fill in the Blanks Tips and Tricks (2025)

• Context is Key: Read the sentence before and after the blank to understand the context (positive/negative tone, tense, etc.).
  
  
• Target Accuracy: Aim for an average of 3/4 or 4/5 correct per paragraph. This consistency is required for a 65+ or 79+ score.
  
  
• Grammar Shortcuts: Use PTE Grammar Rules to narrow down options quickly. (e.g., if the word before the blank is "to", the next word is often a verb in the base form).
  
  
• Elimination Method: Eliminate grammatically incorrect or irrelevant options first. This usually leaves you with just two choices, increasing your probability of guessing correctly.
  
  
• Academic Tone: If you are confused between two words with similar meanings, always select the more formal/academic word, as PTE is an academic test.
  
  
• Time Management (Critical): In the 2025 format, do not waste time on low-weightage questions like Multiple Choice Single/Multiple Answers. Save maximum time for Fill in the Blanks (Drag & Drop) and Reading & Writing Blanks, as these contribute the most marks.
  
  
• Collocations: Improve your knowledge of English Collocations (words that naturally go together). This is the secret to solving blanks instantly without reading the whole text.
  
  

PTE Reading Fill in the Blanks Strategy: The "2-Option" Rule

The Strategy: In most PTE Reading Blanks, you will notice that out of the given options, only two usually make logical sense for a specific blank. Your job is to identify these two potential candidates using grammar and vocabulary, and then select the "Best Fit" based on collocations.

Let's look at a simplified example:

Example Sentence: The author is ______ a poem.

Options: Building, Writing, Construct, Play

Step 1: Identify possible answers: "Building" and "Writing" are grammatically possible (ending in -ing). "Construct" and "Play" are grammatically incorrect here.

Step 2: Apply Grammar Rule: If a blank follows the helping verb (is/am/are/was/were), the verb usually takes the 'continuous form' (ending in 'ing').

Formula: HV + Verb(-ing)

Step 3: Collocation Check: You don't "build" a poem; you "write" a poem. Therefore:

Correct Answer: Writing ✅

PTE Guide App - Ace Your 2025 Exam

For a complete, structured preparation plan, we recommend the PTE Guide App. It is your step-by-step mentor, covering everything from the basics to advanced strategies for the new 2-hour format. Learn how to book your PTE Exam 2025 and access daily practice materials.

Thank you for reading this guide on PTE Reading Fill in the Blanks. If you found these tips and strategies helpful, please share this article with fellow test-takers. Keep visiting PTEGuideApp.com for the latest exam updates, prediction files, and success strategies. 

The PTE Guide team wishes you the very best. Stay focused, practice hard, and Crack PTE! 👍