Fill in the Blanks Predictions — Recurring Passages
Updated for July 2026. Both Fill in the Blanks formats — the drag-and-drop reading version and the dropdown reading-and-writing version — reuse passages across exams, blanks and all. A passage you have already solved comes back with its collocations pre-loaded: you fill it in seconds, bank the marks, and spend the pooled reading clock on the passages you have not met. In a section where time pressure fails more candidates than vocabulary does, that saved time is the real prize.
The two formats, and what repeats in each
| Format | What is scored | Why the repeats matter |
|---|---|---|
| Reading: Fill in the Blanks (drag words) | Reading only — every correct blank | Recognised passages are near-instant marks, and wrong-option traps you already fell for once won't work twice |
| Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks (dropdowns) | Reading AND writing — the section's biggest scorer | Recurring passages feed two skill bands; practised collocations protect the writing band most candidates don't realise this task carries |
How to drill the Fill in the Blanks tiers
Start in the Predictions tier
Work the questions ranked most likely to appear next — recent, repeatedly reported items. This is the highest return per practice hour, especially inside your final two weeks.
Extend into the exam-seen tier
Once the top tier is clear, widen coverage to everything reported from live exams. Familiarity compounds: each cleared question is one less surprise on test day.
Re-check before your exam
Rankings shift as new exams are reported. A final pass in your last week catches the freshest questions — something a monthly PDF can never give you.
Learn the collocation, not the answer key
The efficient way to practise a repeated passage is to understand why each answer wins — the collocation, the grammar signal, the connector logic — rather than memorising letter positions. Understanding transfers: the same collocations reappear in passages you have never seen, so every solved prediction passage quietly trains you for the unsolved ones. PTE Monster scores each attempt instantly and shows the correct fills, so the why is always one click away.
Frequently asked questions
Do Fill in the Blanks passages repeat in PTE?
Yes — both reading formats reuse passages across exams, blanks included. Test takers report the same texts regularly, and recently reported passages rank highest in the Predictions tier for each format.
Which Fill in the Blanks format matters more?
Reading & Writing Fill in the Blanks is the heavyweight — it carries more items than any other reading task and feeds your writing band too. If your reading or writing score is capping you, its prediction tier is the first place to spend time.
Should I memorise the answers to repeated passages?
Learn why each answer is right instead. Collocations and grammar signals transfer to unseen passages; memorised positions do not. A repeated passage practised with understanding pays on every paper, not just the one where it reappears.
Keep exploring
Practise with real exam questions
Repeated real questions ranked by prediction tiers, scored by AI in seconds.
Practice the live bankPTE Monster is an independent practice platform, not affiliated with or endorsed by Pearson. Practice scores are estimates, not official PTE scores. PTE and PTE Academic are trademarks of Pearson plc.