PTE Academic · Guides · October 24, 2026 · 6 min read
PTE Highlight Incorrect Words: negative marking, tips and practice (2026)
In PTE Highlight Incorrect Words you read a transcript while listening to a recording, and click the words on screen that differ from what the speaker says. It appears 2–3 times in the Listening part. It has negative marking: you get +1 for each correct word you click and −1 for each wrong one, and the score for the task never goes below zero. So click only when you are sure.
What you see and hear
| Part of the test | Listening |
| Audio | a short recording, roughly 15–50 seconds, played once |
| On screen | the transcript, with a few words changed |
| What you do | click each word that is different from the audio |
| Tasks per test | 2–3 (the number varies) |
| Scoring | +1 per correct click, −1 per wrong click, minimum 0 |
The changed words are swapped for a different word, often one that fits the grammar and sometimes the opposite meaning, so the text still reads naturally. You can only catch them by listening. You have a few seconds to glance at the text before the audio starts; in Nomto’s trainer that is 10 seconds. The task counts towards both listening and reading. For the rest of the Listening part see the PTE exam pattern.
A practice task from Nomto
On screen you read:
Most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep a night, yet surveys suggest that many get considerably less. A lack of sleep affects more than just energy levels. It can make it easier to concentrate and remember new information, and over time it may weaken the immune system. Experts recommend going to bed at the same time each night and avoiding bright screens for an hour after sleeping. A cool, dark room also tends to reduce the quality of rest.
The speaker says harder, before and improve. Those three are the words to click. (Here they are in bold for you; on the test nothing is marked.) Notice how each swap keeps the sentence grammatical. On a quick read, after sleeping might pass; only the audio tells you it is wrong. Here, the swaps also make the text illogical, which is a useful second check, but do not count on that: some swaps make perfect sense.
How negative marking works, with a worked example
There are three changed words, so the maximum is 3. Look at what different clicking strategies earn:
| What you click | Right | Wrong | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| easier, after, reduce | 3 | 0 | 3 − 0 = 3 |
| easier, after | 2 | 0 | 2 − 0 = 2 |
| easier, after, reduce, considerably | 3 | 1 | 3 − 1 = 2 |
| easier, after, considerably | 2 | 1 | 2 − 1 = 1 |
| easier, considerably, weaken, cool | 1 | 3 | 1 − 3 → 0 |
| nothing | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Two things stand out:
- Leaving out a word you are unsure of costs less than clicking a wrong one. Row 2 (two sure clicks) beats row 4 (two sure clicks plus a guess that was wrong).
- The task score never drops below zero, so one bad task cannot drag down the rest of your test. But within a task, every wrong click eats one of your correct ones.
The practical rule: click a word only if you clearly heard something different. A guess that is wrong cancels a point you earned.
Tips
- Use the seconds before the audio. Skim the first line or two so your eyes are ready to follow. You do not need to read the whole text.
- Follow with the cursor. Move your mouse along the line as the speaker talks. When you hear a difference, the cursor is already near the word, and you click without losing your place.
- Click at once, think later. If you stop to decide, you will lose the next sentence. Click when you hear the difference; in Nomto’s trainer a second click removes the highlight if you change your mind.
- Do not stop reading after a click. The next changed word can be two lines away or in the same sentence.
- Watch the small changes. Opposites (easier/harder, before/after), related words (several/fewer, softer/brighter) and similar-looking words are common swaps.
- Review before the time runs out. After the audio, check each click: did you really hear a different word, or were you just unsure of the speaker’s accent? Remove any click you cannot defend.
- Do not click two words for one change. Each change is one word. If you are not sure whether the swapped word is very or large, choose the one that you heard differently.
Common mistakes
- Clicking words that “sound unusual” rather than words that were clearly different.
- Losing the place in the text after a click and then guessing to catch up.
- Clicking a word because the sentence seems illogical, even though the speaker said exactly that word.
- Clicking many words “to be safe”. With negative marking, that is the least safe strategy.
Templates and tricks
There is no template for this task, and “click 3 to 5 words every time” advice is risky: the number of changed words varies, and every extra click is a possible −1. The only reliable method is following the text with your eyes and cursor at the speaker’s pace. Read-aloud practice, where you read a text in time with your own voice, builds that skill too (see Read Aloud).
Common questions
Is there negative marking in PTE Highlight Incorrect Words? Yes. Each correct word earns +1 and each wrong click costs −1. The score for the task cannot go below zero.
How many words should I highlight? As many as you clearly heard differently, and no more. The number of changed words varies from task to task.
What happens if I don’t click anything? You score zero for that task, the same as a task where your wrong clicks cancel all your right ones. Clicking only the words you are sure of is the better plan.
Does this task count towards Reading as well? It is an integrated task: you listen and read at the same time, and it is described as counting towards both listening and reading.
Practise with the same scoring
Nomto’s trainer has a bank of Highlight Incorrect Words tasks with recorded audio, played once. Your clicks are scored with the same +1 / −1 rule, never below zero, and the review shows the transcript as spoken next to what was on screen, so you can hear what you missed. The other negatively marked task is Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers, explained in the listening multiple-choice guide. Listening tasks marked word by word without penalties are Write from Dictation and Fill in the Blanks. When you are ready, a mock test shows how these tasks add up across Listening.
PTE Academic™ is a trademark of Pearson. Nomto is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Pearson.