PTE Academic, Reading
PTE Reading Multiple Choice, Single Answer
You read a passage and choose the one option that answers the question.
Format and scoring
| Skill | Reading |
|---|---|
| How it's scored | One mark for the correct answer. |
| Weight (estimate) | About 2% of your reading score |
How to answer Reading Multiple Choice, Single Answer
- 1Read the question, then the passage.
- 2Eliminate options the text contradicts.
- 3Choose the option with direct evidence.
Common mistakes
- Picking an option that's true in general but not stated in the text.
Sample question
Desire paths in urban design
When planners lay out a new park or campus, they usually decide in advance where people should walk. Yet within months, visitors often create their own routes across the grass, wearing narrow trails between the places they actually want to go. These 'desire paths' are sometimes treated as a nuisance, and fences or signs are installed to discourage them. A growing number of designers, however, see them as valuable evidence. Some universities have deliberately delayed paving new campuses until students have walked across them for a term, then laid paths along the routes that emerged. The approach reflects a broader principle: that observing how people behave in a space can be more reliable than predicting how they ought to behave.
Which of the following best summarises the writer's view of desire paths?