Negative Marking in PTE

The PTE Academic test is known for its AI-powered, unbiased scoring system. One important aspect that test-takers often overlook is negative marking, which can impact your final score if not managed carefully. Understanding where negative marking applies—and how to avoid unnecessary point loss, is essential for smart test strategies. In this article, we’ll answer key questions related to the negative marking in the PTE exam:

• What is negative marking in PTE?
• Which PTE question types include negative marking?
• How does it affect your final score?
• What are the best strategies to avoid losing marks?

Read below to find the answers to these pressing questions and more.

What is Negative Marking in PTE?

Negative marking is when you incur a loss of one mark upon answering a question incorrectly. This means that one must be especially careful when answering these types of questions to avoid affecting their PTE score card negatively.

What Types of Questions Have Negative Marking?

Only two types of questions can incur negative markings in the PTE. The two questions on which an incorrect answer can suffer negative marking are as follows:

1. Multiple Choice, Choose Multiple Answers (Listening and PTE Reading), and
2. Highlight Incorrect Words (PTE Listening)

Now let us take a closer look at each of these, one by one:

1. Multiple Choice, Choose Multiple Answers

In this question type, you are presented with a passage or audio and must choose more than one correct option from a list. Here’s how scoring works:

• +1 for each correct option selected
• -1 for each incorrect option selected
• Minimum possible score: 0 (no negative total)

Tip: If you're unsure, it’s better to leave an option unselected than to guess and risk losing a point.

Example:

Question:
Which of the following statements are true?

Options:
A. The capital of Japan is Kyoto. 
B. Australia is both a country and a continent. 
C. Africa is one country. 
D. The USA has 50 states. 
E. Russia is the largest country in the world. 

• Correct selections: B, D, E → +3
• If you also selected A or C → -1 for each

Sample Scenarios:

Note: This type of question appears in both Reading and Listening sections. Single-answer multiple choice questions do not have negative marking.

2. Highlight Incorrect Words

In this Listening question type, you will hear an audio while reading a transcript. Some words in the transcript will not match the audio. Your task: Highlight the words in the transcript that differ from the spoken audio.

Scoring:

• +1 for each incorrect word correctly identified
• -1 for each correct word wrongly highlighted
• Minimum score: 0

Example:

Audio: Queen Elizabeth is the longest-serving monarch in British history.

Transcript: Queen Elizabeth is the longest-serving monarch in English history.

• You must highlight "English".
• Highlighting any correct word, such as "longest-serving" or "monarch", will cost you -1 point.

Tip: Only highlight if you’re confident. Guessing may lead to unnecessary score loss.

Does Negative Marking Affect Your Overall PTE Score?

Yes, but only in the specific question types mentioned above. Here's how:

• These questions contribute to the scores of Reading, Listening, and Enabling Skills (such as Listening Skills and Reading Accuracy).
• Poor performance due to negative marking can lower your sectional and overall scores.
• However, your score for any individual question will not fall below zero—so the impact is limited but still significant.

Smart Strategies to Avoid Negative Marking

• Don’t guess blindly. Only choose options you're reasonably confident about.
• Practice targeted question types to build your accuracy.
• Learn to eliminate incorrect options using logic and keywords.
• Avoid selecting ‘maybe’ answers in Multiple Choice, Choose Multiple Answers.
• During Highlight Incorrect Words, train your ear for word-level discrepancies.

Negative marking in PTE is limited to just two question types, but its impact can be critical if not managed wisely. By focusing on accuracy over guesswork, understanding how scoring works, and preparing with real test-like materials, you can confidently avoid losing marks and improve your overall band score.

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Also Check: 

• PTE Score Chart
• PTE Training
• PTE Exam Dates
• Pte Reading Tips
• PTE Exam Preparation Tips: 10 Ways to Crack the Exam
• How to Improve PTE Speaking score