The task
What Reading: Fill in the Blanks looks like
- Text
- Up to 80 words; the word box has more words than there are gaps
- Section
- Part 2: Reading (PTE Academic and PTE Core)
- Time
- No item clock: shares the Reading part's countdown (about 23–30 minutes in PTE Academic)
- Skills
- Reading
Source: Pearson's PTE test-format pages and Score Guides (PTE Academic July 2025, PTE Core January 2026).
Marks
How Reading: Fill in the Blanks is scored
- •One mark for each gap you fill correctly; a wrong gap scores zero.
- •No negative marking. Each word in the box can be used once, and some are never used.
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Acoustic Eavesdropping in Foraging
Free to try, no loginIn the text below some words are missing. Drag words from the box below to the appropriate place in the text. There are more words than you need.
Dolphins frequently monitor the echolocation streams produced by conspecifics to locate prey without their own acoustic energy. This opportunistic listening allows individuals to patch quality before investing effort in foraging. Marine biologists suggest that such passive acoustic interception enhances group efficiency, turning individual sensory searches into a hunting advantage that benefits the entire pod.
Drag a word into a gap, or tap a word and then a gap. Tap a filled gap to empty it.
From the set Acoustic Communication in Dolphins.
Tips
How to answer Reading: Fill in the Blanks
- 1
Skim the short text first so you know what it is about.
- 2
For each gap, decide the word class the grammar needs before you look at the box.
- 3
Fill the gaps you are sure of first; the box gets smaller and the hard gaps get easier.
- 4
Watch for distractors: words on the same topic that do not fit the sentence's grammar or logic.
- 5
Read the finished text once more. Every sentence must make sense on its own.
75 sets
Reading: Fill in the Blanks practice sets
- Acoustic Communication in DolphinsAcoustic Eavesdropping in Foraging · Maternal Vocal Imprinting · Bubble Ring Displays · Jaw Clapping Mechanisms · Phonic Lip Biomechanics5 questions · try 1 free →
- Airship Engineering and OperationRigid Airship Structural Design · Buoyancy and Lifting Gases · Aerodynamic Steering and Ballast Control · Non-Rigid Envelope Dynamics · Mooring Masts and Ground Handling5 questions · try 1 free →
- Amphibian Decline and Extinction CrisisChytridiomycosis Pathogen · Habitat Fragmentation · Ecotoxicology and Pesticide Exposure · Climate-Induced Wetland Desiccation · Invasive Aquatic Predators5 questions · try 1 free →
- Ancient Board Games and PastimesThe Royal Game of Ur · Funerary Symbolism in Senet · Strategic Depth of Weiqi · Asymmetric Rules of Hnefatafl · Count and Capture in Mancala5 questions · try 1 free →
- Athletics in Ancient GreeceThe Olympic Truce · Ancient Athlete Regimens · Biomechanics of Ancient Long Jump · Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus · The Ancient Heraean Games5 questions · try 1 free →
- Avian Navigation and Magnetic SensingRetinal Cryptochromes and Magnetoreception · Upper Beak Mineral Receptors · Compass Calibration at Twilight · Magnetic Inclination Mapping · Urban Electromagnetic Interference5 questions · try 1 free →
- Avian Tool Use and CognitionHook Manufacture from Twigs · Sequential Metatool Use · Cultural Transmission of Tool Designs · Tool Transport and Safe Storage · Composite Tool Construction5 questions · try 1 free →
- Avian Vocal Dialects and LearningSparrow Dialect Boundaries · Cultural Evolution of Birdsong · Urban Acoustic Adaptation · Mate Selection and Dialects · Speciation through Vocal Divergence5 questions · try 1 free →
- Axolotl Biology and RegenerationBlastema Formation in Limb Regrowth · Nerve Dependence in Tissue Regrowth · Cardiac Muscle Repair · Spinal Cord Structural Restoration · Immune Regulation of Scarless Healing5 questions · try 1 free →
- Beaver Landscape EngineeringSediment Deposition and Valley Architecture · Creation of Amphibian Microhabitats · Beaver Canals and Structural Complexity · Anoxic Substrates and Carbon Sequestration · Snag Formation and Avian Diversity5 questions · try 1 free →
- Botanical Garden Science and PracticeGlasshouse Microclimate Engineering · Living Collections Curation · Ex Situ Hand Pollination · Specialised Substrate Formulation · Ethnobotanical Interpretation Displays5 questions · try 1 free →
- Colony Thermoregulation in Emperor PenguinsMicroclimate Dynamics in Winter Clusters · Wave Mechanics in Dense Flocks · Aerodynamic Boundary Layer Formation · Positional Turnover and Thermal Equity · Metabolic Suppression During Fasting5 questions · try 1 free →
All 75 Reading: Fill in the Blanks sets
- Desert Camel Physiology and Adaptation
- Development of the Metric System
- Dynamics of Coral Bleaching
- Dynamics of Jellyfish Blooms
- Early Encyclopaedias and Universal Knowledge
- Early Gliders and Aerodynamics
- Early Precursors and Traditions of Football
- Ecological Dimensions of Wolf Recovery
- Ecology of Kelp Habitats
- Ecology of Seagrass Meadows
- Elephant Infrasonic Communication
- Evolution and Impact of the Typewriter
- Evolution of Coffee House Culture
- Evolution of Early Submarines
- Evolution of Zoological Institutions
- Fountain Pen Engineering and History
- Global History of Chocolate
- Helicopter Aerodynamics and Flight Mechanics
- Historic Bronze Casting Techniques
- Historical and Industrial Glass Technology
- Historical Applications of Shorthand
- Historical Evolution of Chess
- Historical Systems of Timekeeping
- History and Mechanics of Windmills
- History of Crucible Steel
- History of the Sugar Trade
- Honeybee Communication Systems
- Hydrothermal Vent Systems
- Leafcutter Ant Agriculture
- Lexicographical Methods and Design
- Mangrove Ecology and Coastal Dynamics
- Marine Chronometers and Navigation
- Maritime Navigation Instruments
- Maritime Search and Rescue Systems
- Mechanics and History of Watermills
- Mechanisms of Salmon Homing
- Monarch Butterfly Migration
- Norse Ship Construction Techniques
- Oceanic Life of Migratory Eels
- Octopus Intelligence and Behaviour
- Origins of Public Museums
- Parchment and Vellum Production
- Parrot Vocal Learning Mechanisms
- Physiological Mechanisms of Hibernation
- Physiology and Psychology of Marathons
- Porcelain Arts and Production
- Principles and History of Sundials
- Principles of Hot-Air Aviation
- Principles of Jet Propulsion
- Principles of Tea Cultivation
- Public Library Systems and Functions
- Railway Networks and Standard Time
- Sea Turtle Oceanic Navigation
- Sensory Systems of Sharks
- Specialised Ink Formulation and Chemistry
- Stained Glass Art and Technology
- Tardigrade Physiology and Evolution
- Termite Mound Ventilation Mechanics
- The Craft of Historical Bookbinding
- The Evolution of Playing Cards
- The Global Spice Trade
- The Potato in European History
- Underwater Diving Technology
Practise against the clock
One type at a time builds accuracy. A timed sectional test or full mock adds the real timings and a score on Pearson's 10–90 scale.
Try a free PTE mock →Reading: Fill in the Blanks: frequently asked questions
How many extra words are in the box?+
There are always more words than gaps, often about three extra, so some words are never used.
Can I use a word twice?+
No. Each word in the box can go into one gap only.
Is it the same as Reading & Writing Fill in the Blanks?+
No. Here you drag words from one shared box into a shorter text; in Reading & Writing Fill in the Blanks each gap has its own drop-down list.
Other question types
Practise another PTE type
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