Listening - PTE Academic / UKVI, PTE Core
Select Missing Word
Select Missing Word practice trains prediction from listening context near the end of a recording.
Task facts at a glance
| Appears in | PTE Academic / UKVI and PTE Core — Listening part |
|---|---|
| Items per test | 1–2 |
| Audio length | 20–70 seconds, plays once — final word replaced by a beep |
| Scoring | Correct or incorrect, 1 point per item |
| Negative marking | None |
| Skills credited | Listening |
Worked example
You hear a talk on early timekeeping that ends: “…it served humanity for an immense span, from our earliest ancestors right through to [BEEP]”. Choose the option that completes the recording. (Real bank question with four options — shown in the player below.)
D — “the present day”.
Why this scores well: The sentence contrasts “our earliest ancestors” with the other end of the time span, so only D completes the logic.
Scoring traits to watch
Listening comprehension
Key takeaways
Track the speaker’s direction before the final missing part.
Use context and grammar together to predict the ending.
Review why distractors do not complete the meaning.
How to practise Select Missing Word
This task depends on the direction of the recording. Practise predicting the ending from the whole idea, not from one familiar word.
- Listen for the topic and speaker attitude.
- Predict the ending before reading all options.
- Choose the option that completes the idea.
Practice framework
- Listen for the topic and speaker attitude.
- Predict the ending before reading all options.
- Choose the option that completes the idea.
- Review wrong choices for context mismatch.
Common mistakes
- Choosing by grammar only and ignoring the recording’s direction.
- Missing the tone or conclusion before the beep.
- Guessing from one keyword instead of the whole context.
Frequently asked questions
What is the beep in Select Missing Word?
The final word or phrase of the recording is replaced by a beep, and you choose the option that best completes the sentence.
How is Select Missing Word scored?
It is marked correct or incorrect, worth one point, and there are one to two of these items.
How long is the audio in Select Missing Word?
The recording is 20–70 seconds long and plays once only, ending with the beep.
This task inside EdKnot
