PTE Academic · Task guide 24 · 4 min read
PTE Highlight Incorrect Words: format and tips
PTE Academic Highlight Incorrect Words explained: click words that differ from the audio, negative marking, tracking tips and a routine.
What you see and do
A transcript appears on screen. As you listen to the recording, you notice that some words in the transcript are different from what the speaker says. You click each incorrect word to highlight it. Clicking a highlighted word again removes the highlight.
You hear the recording once only. The transcript is visible before and during the audio.
Timing
| Stage | About how long |
|---|---|
| Read the transcript before the audio | about 10 seconds |
| Audio | about 15–50 seconds |
| Check and finish | within the shared Listening timer |
How it is scored
Highlight Incorrect Words counts towards Listening and Reading, because you must read the transcript while following the audio.
It uses partial credit with negative marking:
| Your action | Effect |
|---|---|
| Each correct word highlighted | +1 |
| Each word highlighted that was actually correct | −1 |
| Lowest possible score for the item | 0 |
What the changed words look like
The changed words are usually single content words that a careful reader might accept, such as:
- a word with a similar meaning ("big" in place of "large");
- a word with a similar sound ("weather" in place of "whether");
- a word that fits the grammar but changes the sense ("rise" in place of "fall").
Function words such as "the", "of" and "and" are rarely the changed words.
Common mistakes
- Losing your place. If you look away from the text even briefly, you may not find where the speaker is.
- Reading ahead of the audio. Your eyes should move at the speaker's pace.
- Clicking on hunches. Every wrong click cancels a correct one.
- Changing answers after the audio. Your first, in-the-moment judgement is usually more reliable than memory.
A short routine
- Before the audio, skim the first line so you are ready to start.
- While listening, follow the transcript word by word, using the mouse pointer to track your place.
- Click immediately when you hear a word that does not match the text.
- Do not stop to think: if you hesitate, you will lose your place.
- After the audio, only remove a highlight if you are certain it was a mistake.
Exam tip: move the mouse pointer under the words as the speaker reads them. When a mismatch comes, the pointer is already on the right word and one click is all you need.
Illustrative example
This transcript was written for Fable Tests. It is not taken from any official material.
What you see on screen:
Honeybees communicate the location of food through a pattern of movements known as the waggle dance. The direction of the dance shows the angle of the food relative to the moon, while the length of each waggle tells other bees how far they must travel. Remarkably, bees can adjust the dance as the day passes.
What you hear:
Honeybees communicate the location of food through a pattern of movements known as the waggle dance. The direction of the dance shows the angle of the food relative to the sun, while the duration of each waggle tells other bees how far they must fly. Remarkably, bees can adjust the dance as the day passes.
Words to highlight: moon, length, travel.
Notice that "length" and "duration" are close in meaning, and "travel" and "fly" fit the sentence equally well. Only careful listening while tracking each word catches them.
Key points
- You click words in the transcript that differ from the audio, heard once.
- It counts towards Listening and Reading.
- +1 for each correct highlight, −1 for each wrong one, with a minimum of zero.
- Track each word with the mouse pointer and click at once.
- Do not guess: wrong clicks cancel correct ones.
For the official current format, see pearsonpte.com. More guides are on the PTE hub.