PTE Reading FIB vs RW FIB: what is the difference?
Reading FIB (R FIB) is drag and drop: a short text with one box of words below it. RW FIB (Reading & Writing FIB) is drop-down: a longer text with a list beside each gap. Pearson names them differently in each test.
The two Fill in the Blanks tasks side by side
| Feature | Reading FIB (drag and drop) | RW FIB (drop-down) |
|---|---|---|
| Name in PTE Academic | Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop) | Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown) |
| Name in PTE Core | Fill in the Blanks | Reading and Writing: Fill in the Blanks |
| Where the words come from | One box for the whole text, with more words than gaps | A separate drop-down list beside each gap |
| Text length | Up to 80 words | Up to 200 words |
| Items per test | 4–5 | 5–6 |
| Skills scored: Academic | Reading | Reading |
| Skills scored: Core | Reading | Reading and Writing |
Score guides: PTE Academic (July 2025) p. 40, PTE Core (January 2026) p. 35. Text length and word box: Pearson's Reading format pages.
So the scoring matches; the word box does not, and that changes the method. For every task that feeds Reading, see PTE Reading 79.
How to do PTE Reading fill in the blanks (drag and drop)
In drag and drop, the gaps compete for the same words. Pearson's format page says there are more words than gaps, and you can drag a placed word to another gap or back to the box. So you get a tool the drop-down never gives you: elimination across gaps.
The shared-box method (BandLadder advice)
- 1
Read the whole text. 80 words at most. Get the topic and the direction of each sentence.
- 2
Sort the box. Label each word by class and form. Pairs like depend / depends mean a grammar check.
- 3
Place the sure ones. Fill the gaps where only one word fits. Each one shrinks the box.
- 4
Match the leftovers. Try leftover words only in leftover gaps. A word that fits nowhere is a spare.
Freshwater pearl mussels can live for more than a century, yet young mussels rarelyPlural, no object (1) ______ in many rivers today. Their larvae must spend months attached to the gills of a trout or salmon, so the mussels (2) ______ on healthy fish populationsPartner word. Where siltSingular (3) ______ the gravel beds, the juveniles that drop from the fish are buried and die. Restoring a river for mussels thereforeSingular (4) ______ clearing the gravel as well as protecting the fish. Word box: survive · depends · meansWrong forms · clogs · depend · mean · gills
- → Sure first. Gap 3: singular "silt" acting on "the gravel beds": clogs. Gap 4: "Restoring a river" is one activity, so singular: means, and mean becomes a spare.
- → Gap 1: after "rarely", a plural verb with no object. Only survive works.
- → Gap 2: "survive on" would also fit here, but survive is already used, and nothing else fits gap 1. Plural "the mussels" + on: depend. The shared box decided it.
- → Spares: depends, mean and gills, an echo of the text.
- → Answers: (1) survive (2) depend (3) clogs (4) means.
How to do RW FIB: one drop-down list per gap
In the drop-down task, nothing you choose in gap 1 changes gap 3. You lose elimination across gaps but gain focus: each list usually tests one thing. Name it, and the gap gets easier (BandLadder advice).
Read the list before the gap (BandLadder advice)
| If the options are… | The gap is testing | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Forms of one word (last / lasting / lasted / lasts) | Grammar | The word before the gap: a modal, "to", a subject |
| Same class, similar meaning (take / make / give / pay) | Collocation | The noun or preposition it must go with |
| Same class, different direction (run / sink / stay / rise) | Meaning | The rest of the sentence, e.g. "rather than" |
| Linkers (However / Therefore / For instance) | Logic | How the sentence before relates to this one |
Water reed has been used to roof houses in parts of northern Europe for centuries, and a well-laid roof canModal (1) [last / lasting / lasted / lasts] for decades. Thatchers (2) [take / make / give / pay] great carePartner noun to lay each bundle at the same steep angle, because rain must (3) [run / sink / stay / rise] down the outer stems rather than soak into the roofProof. Many homeowners admire the look of these roofs.Contrast (4) [However / Therefore / For instance / Similarly], in some regions few young people train as thatchers, so the skill is in short supply.
- → Gap 1, grammar: after the modal "can", the base form last.
- → Gap 2, collocation: English says take care; "pay" goes with attention.
- → Gap 3, meaning: "rather than soak into" rules out sink; water flowing down is run.
- → Gap 4, logic: people admire the roofs, yet few train to make them: a contrast, However.
- → Answers: (1) last (2) take (3) run (4) However.
If two options still fit, meaning and collocation decide: see PTE RW FIB: when two answers fit. Don't let one stubborn gap eat the Reading clock (BandLadder advice).
PTE fill in the blanks traps: mixing up the two methods
✗ Solving drag-and-drop gaps one at a time in order, as if each had its own list.
✓ Place the surest gaps first, then try leftover words in leftover gaps (BandLadder advice).
The box is shared, so each sure answer removes options for the rest.
✗ Trying to use every word in the drag-and-drop box.
✓ Expect spare words and leave them in the box.
Pearson's format page says there are more words than gaps.
Your turn: Reading FIB or RW FIB?
Answer each one, then reveal the answer. The gaps come from an original text about dew ponds, clay-lined ponds once dug for livestock on chalk hills.
- A 70-word text has four gaps and a box of seven words below it. Which task is it, and which skill does it feed in PTE Academic?
- A. Drop-down RW FIB; Reading and Writing
- B. Drag-and-drop Reading FIB; Reading only
- C. Drag-and-drop Reading FIB; Reading and Writing
- D. Drop-down RW FIB; Reading only
Show answer
Drag-and-drop Reading FIB; Reading only
One shared box with spare words is drag and drop, which feeds Reading only in both tests.
- Drop-down gap: "Dew ponds were lined with clay so that rainwater would ______ instead of draining into the chalk."
- A. collect
- B. collecting
- C. collected
- D. collects
Show answer
collect
Forms of one word mean a grammar gap: after "would", the base form.
- Drag and drop. Box: settle · settles · shallow · shallows · deep · line. Gap A: "Over time, mud would ______ on the floor of the pond." Gap B: "A pond that grew too ______ dried out in summer." What goes in each gap?
Show answer
A: settle. B: shallow.
After "would", the base form settle. "Too" needs an adjective, and drying out points to shallow, not deep.
- You are taking PTE Core and are unsure about a drop-down gap. Should you leave it empty?
- A. Yes, a wrong answer loses a point
- B. No, a wrong blank loses nothing listed
- C. Yes, it only counts for Writing
Show answer
No, a wrong blank loses nothing listed
The Core guide gives 1 point per correct blank, minimum 0, so a guess can only help.
BandLadder questions
Practise it now
Use the method on original BandLadder questions. Attempt them free and see your score.
Questions
FAQ
What is the difference between Reading FIB and RW FIB in PTE?+
Reading FIB is drag and drop: up to 80 words and one shared box with more words than gaps. RW FIB is drop-down: up to 200 words with a separate list beside each gap. Both give 1 point per correct blank.
What is FIB RW in PTE?+
It is Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks, the drop-down task in the Reading part. PTE Academic calls it Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown); PTE Core calls it Reading and Writing: Fill in the Blanks.
Does RW FIB count for writing?+
In PTE Core, yes: the Core Score Guide lists Reading and Writing (p. 35). In PTE Academic, the Score Guide lists Reading only (p. 40), although one line on Pearson's Academic Reading page says otherwise.
How many fill in the blanks are in PTE reading?+
The score guides list 5–6 drop-down items and 4–5 drag-and-drop items in both PTE Academic and PTE Core. Each item has several blanks, each worth 1 point, with nothing deducted for a wrong one.
How much time do I get for PTE fill in the blanks drag and drop?+
There is no timer per item. Both tasks share the Reading part clock: approximately 23–30 minutes in Academic and 27–37 minutes in Core.
Sources
- PTE Academic Score Guide for Test Takers (July 2025): p. 40: Part 2 Reading timing; Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown) and (Drag and Drop): item counts, partial credit, skills scored
- PTE Core Score Guide for Test Takers (January 2026): p. 35: Part 2 Reading timing; Reading and Writing: Fill in the Blanks and Fill in the Blanks: item counts, partial credit, skills scored
- Pearson PTE Academic test format: Reading: Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown) and (Drag and Drop): task, prompt length, skills assessed, word box with more words than gaps
- Pearson PTE Core test format: Reading: Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks and Fill in the Blanks: task, prompt length, skills assessed
IELTS is a registered trademark of the University of Cambridge, the British Council and IDP Education Australia. PTE is a trademark of Pearson. BandLadder is not affiliated with either.
© 2026 BandLadder. Written and checked by the BandLadder team. You may quote or cite this page with credit to BandLadder and a link to it; republishing it in full needs our written permission. Content use policy