Listening · SMW

Select Missing Word: PTE guide and practice

Select Missing Word asks you to choose the option that logically completes a recording after its final word or phrase is replaced.

Practise Select Missing WordAll question types
Section
Listening
Practice time
About 2 minutes per item
Official format
Pearson PTE

Direct answer

What is Select Missing Word in PTE?

Follow the speaker's argument and use the final context, grammar and expected conclusion to select the missing ending.

What it measures

Which skills does Select Missing Word assess?

Listening comprehension and prediction from context.

Step by step

How should you approach Select Missing Word?

  1. Track the speaker's overall purpose and direction.
  2. Listen closely to the sentence immediately before the gap.
  3. Test each option for both meaning and grammatical fit.

Avoid these

Common Select Missing Word mistakes

  • Relying only on the final few words.
  • Choosing a grammatically correct option that contradicts the talk.

Scoring focus

What matters in your Select Missing Word response?

Select Missing Word is scored as correct or incorrect. Predict the logical ending from the speaker's argument, then test the options for meaning and grammar.

Worked example

See the strategy in a short practice example.

Illustrative The Panel practice example. Not official Pearson test material.

Prompt or source
The speaker lists lower costs, shorter travel times and fewer delays before saying, 'Together, these changes should improve overall ...'
Response
efficiency
Why it works
The noun summarises all three benefits and completes the sentence grammatically.

Teacher review

One adjustment to practise next.

Listen for the direction of the final sentence. The missing words often complete a conclusion, consequence or summary.

Before submitting

Use a final Select Missing Word check.

  • The option completes the final sentence grammatically.
  • It follows the talk's overall direction.
  • I considered context beyond the last two words.

Official reference

Use The Panel for guided preparation and practice. Confirm official test rules and scoring details on the Pearson PTE Listening format page.

Build the full skill

Continue with related listening tasks.

Connect question practice with scoring, study planning and timed test preparation.

Put the guide into practice

Try a focused Select Missing Word session.

Open the matching module in The Panel practice portal and apply the steps while they are fresh.

Open Select Missing WordBack to PTE Academic