PTE Academic Knowledge 3 â Questions and Answers
Question 1: In academic writing assessed by PTE, which term describes language that expresses uncertainty or possibility rather than absolute certainty?
- Hedging (Correct answer)
- Elision
- Anaphora
- Nominalization
Correct answer: Hedging
Hedging language (e.g., 'may,' 'might,' 'it appears that') is used in academic writing to indicate that claims are not absolute.
Question 2: Which signal word BEST indicates a contrast relationship between two ideas in an academic text?
- Furthermore
- Therefore
- Nevertheless (Correct answer)
- Consequently
Correct answer: Nevertheless
'Nevertheless' signals that the upcoming idea contrasts with or concedes the previous point, making it a contrast marker.
Question 3: In PTE Reading: Fill in the Blanks, which strategy is MOST helpful for selecting the correct word?
- Choose the longest word available
- Consider grammatical category and collocation of the surrounding words (Correct answer)
- Always select a technical term
- Pick the word that appears most frequently in the passage
Correct answer: Consider grammatical category and collocation of the surrounding words
Checking whether the missing word fits grammatically (e.g., noun, verb) and collocates naturally with adjacent words is the most reliable strategy.
Question 4: The word 'albeit' in academic writing is best replaced by which of the following phrases?
- In addition to
- Even though / although (Correct answer)
- As a result of
- In contrast to
Correct answer: Even though / although
'Albeit' is a formal conjunction meaning 'even though' or 'although,' used to introduce a concessive clause.
Question 5: What does 'inference' require a reader to do when answering comprehension questions in PTE Academic Reading?
- Copy exact sentences from the passage
- Use only background knowledge, ignoring the passage
- Draw conclusions from implied information not directly stated (Correct answer)
- Summarize the passage in one sentence
Correct answer: Draw conclusions from implied information not directly stated
Inference means reading between the linesâdrawing logical conclusions from information implied but not explicitly stated in the text.
Question 6: Which of the following is an example of nominalizationâa common feature of academic writing?
- The researchers investigated the problem.
- The investigation of the problem was conducted. (Correct answer)
- They quickly solved it.
- Scientists are looking into it.
Correct answer: The investigation of the problem was conducted.
Nominalization converts verbs or adjectives into nouns (e.g., 'investigate' â 'investigation'), creating a more formal, impersonal academic tone.
Question 7: In the PTE Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers (Reading) task, what is a key risk of selecting too many options?
- You receive extra credit for longer selections
- Incorrect choices cancel out correct ones under the partial-credit scoring system (Correct answer)
- The time limit resets with each additional selection
- All selected answers must agree with the same main idea
Correct answer: Incorrect choices cancel out correct ones under the partial-credit scoring system
PTE's partial-credit scoring for this task means incorrect selections subtract from your total, so choosing wrong answers lowers your score.
PTE Academic Knowledge 3
In academic writing assessed by PTE, which term describes language that expresses uncertainty or possibility rather than absolute certainty?