Master the PTE Academic Reading: Reorder Paragraph

The PTE Academic & UKVI test format includes several challenging tasks in the Reading section. One of the most critical structural tasks is the Reorder Paragraph item type. In this post, we look at how the task works, how it's scored, and how you can maximize your points.

What is the Reorder Paragraph Task?

In this task, several text boxes appear on the screen in a random order. Your goal is to restore the original, logical order of the text by moving the boxes into their correct sequence.

• Skills Assessed: Reading
• Prompt Length: Text up to 150 words

Expert Tips to Ace Reorder Paragraph

1. Read All Text Boxes Quickly First

Before you start dragging or moving boxes around, read through all of them quickly. Note the keywords in each box to get an overall sense of what the original text is about and how the ideas flow.

2. Find the Topic Sentence First

Every well-written paragraph begins with a strong topic sentence.

• It introduces a clear statement about the main topic and stands alone.
• It does not begin with linkers (e.g., "however", "furthermore") or pronouns (e.g., "he", "this") that refer back to something missing.
• It does not use passive verb tenses that reference a prior action (e.g., "No link was found").

3. Look for Cohesion and Linking Clues

Once you identify the independent topic sentence, look for dependent links. Match pronouns, definite articles, and transition words to their preceding nouns or clauses to build logical pairs.

How is this Question Scored?

Your response is judged on your ability to understand the organization and cohesion of an academic text.

• Maximum points: Awarded if all text boxes are placed in the correct order.
• Partial credit: If one or more text boxes are in the wrong order, partial credit scoring still applies based on correct adjacent pairs.

Note: This task affects the scoring of *Reading only*. Your listening, speaking, and writing skills are not tested by this question type.