PTE Academic · Task guide 20 · 3 min read
PTE Listening Fill in the Blanks: format and tips
PTE Academic Listening Fill in the Blanks explained: type the missing words as you listen, one mark per word, spelling and a routine.
What you see and do
A transcript of a recording appears on screen with several words missing. As the recording plays, you type the missing word into each gap. Each gap is a single word.
You hear the recording once only. You can type during the audio and correct your answers after it ends.
Timing
| Stage | About how long |
|---|---|
| Read the transcript before the audio | about 7 seconds |
| Audio | about 30–60 seconds |
| Complete and check | within the shared Listening timer |
How it is scored
Listening Fill in the Blanks counts towards Listening and Writing.
It uses partial credit: you earn one mark for each correctly spelt word in the right gap. A word with a spelling mistake scores zero for that gap. There is no negative marking, so fill every gap.
Common mistakes
- Falling behind the audio. If you try to type the whole word perfectly while listening, you can lose your place.
- Spelling errors. A word you heard correctly but spelt wrongly earns nothing.
- Wrong word forms. "Develop" in place of "developed", or a singular in place of a plural, is marked wrong.
- Leaving a gap blank. A sensible guess that fits the grammar might be right.
- Mixing British and American spellings. Pick one convention and use it consistently.
A short routine
- Before the audio, skim the transcript to see where the gaps are and what kind of word each needs.
- While listening, keep your eyes on the text and type the first two or three letters of each missing word, or note it on your noteboard.
- After the audio, go back and complete each word.
- Check grammar: plural endings, verb tense, and agreement with the words around the gap.
- Check spelling of every word before moving on.
Exam tip: the words around each gap are your best clue to the form. "Two ___ were" needs a plural noun; "has been ___" needs a past participle.
Illustrative example
This transcript was written for Fable Tests. It is not taken from any official material.
What you see on screen:
Coral reefs cover a tiny fraction of the ocean floor, yet they support around a quarter of all marine (1) ________. When water temperatures rise, corals can lose the algae that give them their colour, a process known as (2) ________. If conditions return to normal (3) ________, the corals may recover.
What you hear: the same passage, read aloud with the missing words included.
| Gap | Answer | Clue |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | species | After "all marine", a noun naming living things |
| 2 | bleaching | A noun naming the process |
| 3 | quickly | An adverb describing how conditions return |
A typed answer of "specie" or "bleeching" would score zero for that gap, even though the listener clearly heard the word.
Practice ideas
- Take a short audio clip with a transcript, blank out a few words, and fill them in while listening.
- Keep a list of words you misspell under pressure and review it regularly.
- Practice typing on a standard keyboard without autocorrect, as in the test.
Key points
- You type single missing words into a transcript as you listen once.
- It counts towards Listening and Writing.
- One mark per correctly spelt word, no negative marking.
- Spelling and word form must be exact.
- Note the first letters during the audio, then complete and check afterwards.
For the official current format, see pearsonpte.com. More guides are on the PTE hub.