PTE Core Reorder Paragraph Format & Practice Tips


pte core reorder paragraph

The PTE Core Reading section contains five main tasks, including the PTE Core Reorder Paragraph.

This blog will explore the task format, scoring system, practice template, and several FAQs to help you achieve your PTE Core preparation goals. Keep scrolling to learn more!

Key Takeaways

  • The PTE Core Reorder Paragraph task evaluates your ability to understand and logically organise sentences in a passage.
  • Some common topics often mentioned in the task include academic settings, general knowledge, and daily scenarios.
  • Many platforms offer PTE mock tests to help test-takers prepare for the Reorder Paragraph test, including PTE Magic.

PTE Core Re-order Paragraph Questions & Format

pte core reorder paragraph

The PTE Core Reorder Paragraph task evaluates your ability to understand and logically organise sentences in a passage. 

Test-takers will see boxes, each containing a sentence in a random order. Your goal is to reorder these boxes into their original logical order. The text given is usually up to 110 words, and there is no time limit. 

To reorganise the boxes, simply click and drag a text box to the position you want. Additionally, you can click on the text box and use the arrow on the right to move it up or down. If you want to deselect the box, click anywhere on the outside screen.

How Is It Score?

Your PTE Core Reorder Paragraph score is based on how correctly you reorder the text. Test-takers who organise all the boxes in their correct positions will receive the highest score.

This task uses a partial credit scoring system. You will only receive points for the correct boxes if you reorder one or several boxes incorrectly. 

Note that the Reorder Paragraph scoring affects your overall PTE Core Reading score. Plus, your performance in this task does not affect your PTE listening, speaking, or writing scores.

PTE Core Reading Reorder Paragraph Tips

Spot the Key Information

Before identifying the keywords and key phrases, skim the boxes to get the overall theme of the passage. This will make your reordering process easier and faster.

Here are the types of information that test-takers should pay attention to when reorganising the text boxes:

  • First sentence: The first sentence is the most crucial hint to help you identify the remaining order of the passage. This sentence does not include a transitional word (For example, however, moreover, finally, etc.). It also excludes personal pronouns such as “he, she, it, they” or any repetition of information.
  • Transition words: These words help test-takers match all the information logically. Transition words such as “however,” “moreover,” or “in contrast” let test-takers know their position in the whole passage. It’s unusual to use transition words in the beginning, so read the sentence carefully to match it correctly with the previous and following sentences.
  • Timing words: Sentences may be ordered by time, from past to recent events. For example, words such as “in the 1980s,” “in the year 2002,” or “by 2010” might suggest the order by timing. However, we don’t recommend following this tip robotically since many writers don’t arrange the timeline accordingly. They can mention the future before the past, so pay attention.

Take Mock Tests

PTE Magic provides mock tests that are similar to the actual PTE exam.

Practising frequently is the best way to achieve a high PTE Core score. Many platforms offer PTE mock tests to help test-takers prepare for the real exam, including PTE Magic.

PTE Magic provides mock tests that are closely similar to the actual PTE exam. We also use an AI-based scoring system to evaluate your performance, so you will receive detailed feedback instantly. With this, you will quickly know your strengths and weaknesses, thus effectively preparing strategies for your desired PTE goal.

Control Your Timing

This task requires practical time management to succeed. How you manage your time during the test will decide your PTE score. If you face a hard question, try to guess and move on to more straightforward questions if it exceed the time limit for each question. We recommend spending a maximum of 2 minutes on each question. Don’t stay too long, or you will waste your time with only a few questions answered.

Another tip is to ensure you have some time left to re-check. Sometimes, you might answer wrong without knowing it. However, test-takers must cross-check carefully to avoid changing their correct answer to the wrong one.

PTE Core Reorder Paragraph Practice Template

The text boxes in the left panel have been placed randomly. Restore the original order by dragging the text boxes from the left panel to the right panel.

Source Target
A. Now music could be communicated efficiently, and succeeding generations would know something about the music of their ancestors.
B. It was the development of a standard musical notation in the 11th century that allowed music to be documented in a physical form.
C. In particular a written language can convey a lot of information about past events, places, people and things.
D. But it is difficult to describe music in words, and even more difficult to specify a tune.
E. Over the years many human endeavors have had the benefit of language.

Answer: E-C-D-B-A

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are The Common Topics In The PTE Core Reorder Paragraph Task?

Some common topics often mentioned in the task include academic settings, general knowledge, and daily scenarios.

How Much Time Should I Spend In PTE Core Reorder Paragraphs?

Even though the task does not have a time limit, test-takers still need to pay attention to the overall duration of the test. The PTE Core Reading section is approximately 30 minutes long, so plan your time carefully.

How To Reorder A Paragraph In PTE Core?

Every reorder task needs logic. Each sentence must naturally connect to the others to create a clear paragraph. Therefore, look for transition words, timing words, and the first sentence of the passage to better identify the original arrangement.

Final Thoughts

To succeed in the PTE Core Reorder Paragraph task, test-takers should have a basic knowledge of the task format and scoring system while applying our tips and practising with mock tests simultaneously. We hope this blog is helpful for you. Don’t forget to read our other blogs for more valuable PTE tips and tricks!

Last updated on 25/09/2024

I am a firm believer that the best teachers educate with their hearts not just their minds.

Moni | PTE MAGIC International Founder

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