Improve Your Listening Skills for PTE Multiple-Choice Questions

The PTE Listening section includes Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs), which test a candidate’s ability to identify key details, understand main ideas, and distinguish between correct and incorrect information. Many test-takers find MCQs difficult because:

• The recordings are often long and information-heavy.
• Speakers use paraphrased versions of the answer choices.
• Distractions are included in the recording to mislead test-takers.
• Some test-takers focus too much on remembering every word, rather than understanding the key message.

Mastering PTE Listening MCQs requires a solid strategy. At Benchmark PTE, we provide comprehensive study materials, expert tips, and practice tests to help test-takers refine their listening skills and answer questions with confidence. This guide will cover proven techniques to improve your performance on Multiple-Choice, Single Answer (MCQ-SA) and Multiple-Choice, Multiple Answers (MCQ-MA) in PTE Listening.

For a deeper understanding of how listening tasks are scored, check out PTE Listening Scoring Criteria Breakdown: How to Maximize Your Score.

Understanding Multiple-Choice Questions in PTE Listening

Multiple-Choice, Single Answer (MCQ-SA)

• Task: Listen to an audio clip and select one correct answer from the given options.
• Scoring: No negative marking. Even if unsure, make an educated guess.

Multiple-Choice, Multiple Answers (MCQ-MA)

• Task: Listen to a longer recording and choose more than one correct answer.
• Scoring: Negative marking applies (-1 for each incorrect selection).

Key Takeaway: Since MCQ-MA has negative marking, selecting incorrect options reduces your score, so do not guess unless you’re confident.

For a breakdown of common listening mistakes and how to avoid them, read Common Mistakes in the PTE Listening Section and How to Avoid Them.

Effective Strategies to Answer PTE Listening MCQs

1. Read the Question Before the Audio Starts

• Understanding the question in advance helps focus on the relevant details in the recording.
• Identify whether the question is asking for a fact, opinion, cause-effect relationship, or main idea.
• Highlight keywords to listen for in the audio.

Example:

Question: What is the primary reason for the decline in bee populations?

Answer Choices:

• Climate change
• Pesticides
• Habitat loss
• Natural disease

How to Approach This:

• Read the question and answer choices before the recording starts.
• Listen specifically for words related to “decline in bee populations”.
• Eliminate answers that do not match the speaker’s explanation.

For help recognizing key signpost words in recordings, check How to Recognize and Use Signpost Words in PTE Listening.

2. Identify Keywords in the Question and Answer Choices

• Keywords guide you to important parts of the recording.
• Synonyms and paraphrases are often used instead of exact words from the recording.

Example:

Question: What does the speaker say about the economic impact of climate change?

Answer Choices:

• It has led to job losses.
• It has caused inflation to rise.
• It has had minimal effect.
• It has resulted in economic growth.

How to Approach This:

• Identify key terms: economic impact, job losses, inflation, minimal effect, growth.
• Listen for paraphrases: The speaker might say “unemployment has increased significantly” instead of “job losses”.
• Eliminate incorrect options based on what you hear.

For a list of common PTE Listening keywords and phrases, check Top 50 Common PTE Listening Keywords and Phrases.

3. Focus on Main Ideas, Not Every Detail

• Do not try to memorize the entire recording.
• Focus on what the speaker is emphasizing.
• Ignore extra details or examples meant to distract you.

Example:

Audio Snippet: “The government’s recent study found that excessive pesticide use is the biggest factor in bee population decline.”

Correct Answer: Pesticides.

• Even though the recording doesn’t use the exact words from the answer choice, the meaning is the same.
• Do not get distracted by additional information that isn’t relevant to the question.

For techniques to handle difficult accents and tricky speech patterns, check How to Tackle Tricky Audio in the PTE Listening Section.

4. Use the Process of Elimination

• Rule out obviously incorrect choices first.
• If two answers contradict each other, one must be incorrect.
• If an answer adds extra details not mentioned in the recording, it is likely incorrect.

Example:

Audio Snippet: “Contrary to popular belief, climate change hasn’t significantly impacted local industries, though some economists argue otherwise.”

Question: What does the speaker say about the effect of climate change on industries?

Answer Choices:

• It has significantly affected industries. (Incorrect—contradicts the speaker’s statement.)
• Economists agree it has caused damage. (Incorrect—some argue, but it’s not a general agreement.)
• It has had minimal impact. (Correct—matches the speaker’s statement.)

By eliminating incorrect choices, you increase your chances of selecting the correct answer.

For additional strategies, check How to Improve Your Listening Skills for PTE Multiple Choice Questions.

5. Be Cautious with Negative Marking in MCQ-MA

• Only select answers if you’re certain—guessing too many may reduce your score.
• If you are unsure about an option, leave it blank rather than risk a penalty.

Example:

Audio Snippet: “Both climate change and habitat loss contribute to bee population decline, but pesticides remain the main factor.”

Correct Answers: Pesticides, Habitat loss.

• Even though climate change is mentioned, the audio emphasizes pesticides and habitat loss as the key reasons.

For time management tips to avoid rushing through questions, check How to Manage Your Time Effectively in the PTE Listening Section.

Final Tips for Improving PTE Listening MCQs

• Skim the question and answer choices before the audio starts.
• Listen for keywords and paraphrases in the audio.
• Eliminate clearly incorrect options to improve accuracy.
• Avoid unnecessary guessing in Multiple-Choice, Multiple Answers (MCQ-MA).
• Practice with mock tests that include different English accents.

For full-length practice tests, check Listening Full Mock Test PTE 2025.

Conclusion

Many PTE candidates struggle with Multiple-Choice Questions because they fail to identify main ideas, overthink answer choices, or select too many options in MCQ-MA. By reading questions beforehand, focusing on paraphrased information, and using elimination techniques, you can answer more accurately and increase your listening score.

At Benchmark PTE, we provide structured practice tests, expert strategies, and real exam simulations to help you excel in PTE Listening MCQs. With consistent practice and the right approach, you’ll improve your accuracy and test performance.