PTE Academic · full test
PTE Academic reading practice set 1
Fifteen PTE Academic reading questions on honeybee dances, early printing, opportunity cost, city heat islands, sleep and coral reefs. The set covers Multiple Choice (single and multiple answers) and Reading Fill in the Blanks. It is untimed; the real Reading part is timed and scored from 10 to 90.
Exam mode: timed, answers at the end, like the real test. Practice mode: untimed, the answer and explanation after each question.
What is in this test
| Multiple choice, one answer | 10 questions | instant marking |
| Multiple choice, three answers | 3 questions | instant marking |
| Multiple choice, two answers | 2 questions | instant marking |
Covers: mcq single answer (5) · mcq multiple answers (5) · reading fill in blanks (5)
A sample question
Traditional economic models assume that people make choices by carefully weighing costs and benefits. Behavioural economists have shown that real decisions are often shaped by how options are presented. One of the clearest examples comes from workplace pension schemes. When employees had to actively sign up for a pension, many never did so, even though most said they intended to save for retirement. Delay, uncertainty about which plan to choose and the effort of filling in forms were enough to keep participation low. Several countries, including the United Kingdom, changed the rules so that eligible workers are enrolled automatically and must opt out if they do not wish to save. Participation rose sharply after the change. Crucially, workers kept the same freedom as before: nobody was forced to stay in the scheme. Only the default had changed. Critics note that automatic enrolment is not a complete answer. Many people remain at the default contribution rate, which may be too low to provide a comfortable retirement, and those with irregular or very low incomes may gain less from the scheme. Supporters reply that a modest pension is far better than none and that contribution rates can be raised gradually. The debate now centres on how high those rates should eventually be. According to the passage, which of the following are true? Select ALL the correct answers (2 are correct).
- Before the change, effort and delay kept many workers from joining pension schemes.
- Automatic enrolment removed workers' right to leave the scheme.
- Participation in pension schemes increased after automatic enrolment was introduced.
- Most workers choose a contribution rate higher than the default.
- Critics argue that automatic enrolment lowered overall savings.
Marked when you take the test; the explanation appears in your review.