PTE Highlight Incorrect Words

Q: How is Highlight Incorrect Words scored?

+1 per correctly clicked difference, −1 per wrong click (floored at 0), feeding both Listening and Reading — one of only 8 integrated tasks.

Q: Should I click a word I’m unsure about?

No. Under negative marking a wrong click cancels a right one. Click what you heard differ, not what you suspect.

Q: What’s the best technique?

Cursor-following: trail the audio word by word with your pointer so catches happen in place — and never read ahead or hunt backwards.

Q: How many are in the test?

2–3, in the Listening section, audio played once.

A transcript sits on screen while the audio plays — but some printed words differ from what the speaker says. Click the differences as they pass. It’s one of the exam’s best point-farms, and one of its few tasks that can go backwards.

2–3questions per test

+1per correct click

−1per wrong click

2section scores fed

The thing most people miss: two rules define this task. It’s an integrated double-scorer — Pearson scores it for Listening AND Reading — so every catch pays twice. And it carries negative marking: +1 per correctly clicked difference, −1 per word you click that was actually spoken as printed (floored at zero). Free catches, expensive false alarms: click what you heard differ, never what you suspect might have.

The cursor-following method

Your pointer is your place-keeper — eyes, ears and cursor move together.

Trail the audio with your cursor word by word, a beat behind the speaker. When print and voice split, you’re already on the word — click and keep moving.
Don’t read ahead. The task is synchronisation: racing ahead means comparing memory to memory, which is where false alarms breed.
Miss one? Let it go. Hunting backwards for a suspected difference while the audio runs on costs you the next catch — and tempts a guess-click that’s −1 waiting to happen.
The swaps are usually same-shaped words — similar length or sound, sensible in context — so trust your ears over plausibility: if you clearly heard it match the print, it matched.

The mistakes that cost the most points

1. Clicking on suspicion

“That word felt odd” is not a catch — and every wrong click erases a right one.

✓ Fix: click only differences you actually heard. Under negative marking, discipline outscores boldness.

2. Losing your place in the transcript

One glance away and the voice is a line ahead of your eyes — differences sail past uncaught.

✓ Fix: the cursor is the anchor: physically trail the words. If you slip, rejoin at the speaker’s current position, not where you left off.

3. Chasing a missed word backwards

Scrolling back mid-audio trades one uncertain point for every difference still ahead.

✓ Fix: forward only. A missed catch costs one point; a lost position costs several.

4. Forgetting what it’s worth

Treated as a throwaway, it’s 2–3 questions of double-section marks handled carelessly.

✓ Fix: this is one of only 8 integrated tasks — practise it like the point-farm it is.

How to practise it

Synchronised tracking is a motor skill — a week of reps transforms it.

On The PTE Master, Highlight Incorrect Words runs exam-style with the real negative marking — wrong clicks subtract in practice too, so the discipline is built before test day, and every attempt shows exactly which differences you caught, missed, or invented.

Good news for free users: this task is objectively scored, so the full bank and instant marking are free — no paid plan needed. Paid packs add AI scoring on the speaking and writing tasks.

Practise Highlight Incorrect Words

Real audio-vs-transcript differences, real −1s, instant word-by-word results.

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Common questions

How is Highlight Incorrect Words scored?

+1 per correctly clicked difference, −1 per wrong click (floored at 0), feeding both Listening and Reading — one of only 8 integrated tasks.

Should I click a word I’m unsure about?

No. Under negative marking a wrong click cancels a right one. Click what you heard differ, not what you suspect.

What’s the best technique?

Cursor-following: trail the audio word by word with your pointer so catches happen in place — and never read ahead or hunt backwards.

How many are in the test?

2–3, in the Listening section, audio played once.

Keep going

Highlight Correct Summary The other Listening + Reading double-scorer Multiple Choice (all 4 types) Where else negative marking hides All 22 PTE question types The complete list, with timings and which tasks feed two scores Write From Dictation A point per word, no penalties, right at the end

The PTE Master is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Pearson. "PTE Academic" is a trademark of its owner. Scoring rules, question counts and skills mappings on this page are from Pearson's published Test Taker Score Guide — always check the official Pearson materials for the definitive format before test day. Last updated: 23 July 2026.