Sample answers · Listening MCSA
PTE Multiple Choice, Single Answer · Listening section
PTE Listening MCSA sample – Band 79.
A worked Listening MCSA item: the 75-second audio rendered as transcript, the note grid captured during playback, all 5 options analysed against the notes, and the Band 79 decision method for binary correct/incorrect scoring.
Last verified 17 July 2026 · Written for PTE Academic post-August 2025 format · Verified against Pearson's July 2025 Score Guide.
The stimulus recording
How Australian native shrubs survive bushfire
75 seconds audio · plays once, no replay control · no on-screen transcript on the real exam.
Australian native shrub species that occupy fire-prone habitats have evolved several strategies to survive and reproduce despite repeated exposure to bushfire. The most well-known of these is serotiny, in which seeds are held inside protective woody cones or fruit for years, and released only after a fire has passed through and destroyed the parent plant. Banksia species are the classic example. A less obvious strategy is resprouting from lignotubers, which are large underground root swellings that store carbohydrates and dormant buds. After a fire kills the above-ground stems, the lignotuber sends up new shoots within weeks. Eucalypts and many acacias use this strategy. A third, more recently studied strategy is smoke-triggered germination, in which chemical compounds in bushfire smoke break dormancy in soil-stored seed banks. This third strategy is common in south-western Western Australia, and it explains why some plant communities appear to bloom en masse in the growing season immediately after a fire.
Rendered here for study only. On the real exam the audio plays once and the options appear afterwards; the transcript is never visible.
Note grid captured during playback
4 rows, one per strategy.
| Row | Note (shorthand) |
|---|---|
| TOPIC | AU native shrubs, bushfire survival strategies |
| STRATEGY 1 | Serotiny: seeds in woody cones, released after fire kills parent (Banksia) |
| STRATEGY 2 | Lignotubers: underground root swellings, store carbs + dormant buds, new shoots after fire kills stems (eucalypts, many acacias) |
| STRATEGY 3 | Smoke-triggered germination: chemicals in smoke break seed dormancy in soil (SW WA, mass bloom next growing season) |
Because the audio lists three parallel strategies, the grid mirrors that structure. When the question stem asks about one specific strategy, you match against the row that holds it.
The question
Exactly one of the 5 options below is correct. Binary scoring: 1 for the right pick, 0 for any of the others.
Per-option analysis
Each option matched against the STRATEGY 2 row of the grid.
Seeds are held inside protective woody cones for years and only released after a fire has passed through and destroyed the parent plant.
Evidence: This describes serotiny, not lignotuber resprouting. The audio names Banksia as the example of this strategy, not eucalypts. Read the question stem carefully, distractor A is designed for candidates who confuse the three strategies.
The above-ground stems of the plant die in the fire, but new shoots emerge within weeks from underground root swellings that store carbohydrates and dormant buds.
Evidence: Directly matches the audio's description: "After a fire kills the above-ground stems, the lignotuber sends up new shoots within weeks." All four load-bearing details are present: above-ground stems die, new shoots emerge, underground root swellings, and the storage of carbohydrates + dormant buds.
Chemical compounds present in bushfire smoke break dormancy in soil-stored seed banks, allowing mass germination in the growing season after the fire.
Evidence: This describes smoke-triggered germination, not lignotuber resprouting. The audio names this as a distinct, third strategy, common in south-western Western Australia. Distractor C is designed to trap candidates who match on the word "fire" without matching on the mechanism.
Plants develop thick fire-resistant bark that insulates the trunk from heat, allowing normal above-ground growth to resume once the fire has passed through.
Evidence: Not mentioned in the recording. Thick fire-resistant bark is a real strategy in some Australian eucalypts, but the audio does not describe it. Distractor D is a real-world-true statement not supported by the audio, the exact pattern MCSA uses to punish general-knowledge picking.
Seeds are transported by wind from unburnt neighbouring stands, colonising the burnt area within a single growing season after the fire.
Evidence: Not mentioned in the recording. Wind dispersal from unburnt stands is a real ecological phenomenon but the audio does not name it. Distractor E is a plausibility trap, do not pick because it "sounds like something that could be true".
Band 79 answer
Option B is the correct pick.
Correct option picked. Item score: 1/1. Any of A, C, D or E would have scored 0. MCSA is scored binary with no negative marking.
The Band 79 timing plan
Four beats across a 75-second window.
Before audio starts (10 to 15 seconds)
Draw a 4-row note grid: TOPIC, plus 3 empty rows for the strategies the speaker will list. Numbering rows in advance stops you re-organising notes on the fly and losing content.
During the 75-second audio
Fill each strategy row in shorthand as it is introduced. Numbers, arrows, example species. Do not attempt full sentences.
After the audio ends (question + options appear)
Read the question stem twice, underline the exact concept it asks about ("lignotubers", "serotiny", etc). Then for each option, match against the row of your grid that concept lives in.
Final check before Next
Confirm the option you picked describes the RIGHT strategy, not just any strategy from the audio. MCSA is scored binary, so a mismatch between question stem and option costs a full mark.
6 common Listening MCSA mistakes
The failure modes that drag a Band 79 to a Band 60.
| Mistake | What it costs you |
|---|---|
| Picking an option that describes the wrong strategy | The distractors on MCSA are usually true descriptions of OTHER concepts from the audio. Correct concept + wrong strategy = 0 marks. Match the question stem, not just the audio content. |
| Picking based on general knowledge rather than the audio | Options often include real-world-true statements that were never in the audio (D and E above). MCSA is testing what you heard, not what you know. |
| Not reading the question stem twice | Question stems on MCSA are specific: "which describes X", "why does Y happen". Fast reading confuses which specific concept the item is asking about, and you pick a beautifully-supported answer to the wrong question. |
| Skipping the note grid because MCSA "looks easier than MCMA" | MCSA audio is 30 to 90 seconds and still requires you to hold the whole argument in memory while the options appear. A grid takes 10 seconds to draw and saves you from mid-audio panic. |
| Picking the first option that sounds partially right | MCSA distractors are engineered to be partially right. The best option is the one that is FULLY right on every clause. Read all 4 or 5 options before committing. |
| Not selecting any option (running the clock down) | MCSA has no negative marking. There is no penalty for guessing. Leaving an option blank guarantees 0; a considered guess has at least a 20 to 25 percent chance of full marks on a 4 or 5 option item. |
FAQ
Listening MCSA, answered.
How is Listening Multiple Choice, Single Answer scored?
Binary correct or incorrect per Pearson's July 2025 Score Guide. Pick the correct option and the item scores 1. Pick any wrong option (or leave the item blank) and the item scores 0. There is no partial credit and no negative marking on MCSA.
How many options are shown in Listening MCSA?
Four or five options per item, with exactly one correct. Pearson does not tell you the count in advance; the number varies from item to item. On the sample above the item has 5 options.
How many Listening MCSA items are on the PTE Academic test?
2 to 3 items per test per Pearson's July 2025 Score Guide. It sits in Part 3 (Listening) alongside Summarize Spoken Text, Listening MCMA, Listening FIB, Highlight Correct Summary, Select Missing Word, Highlight Incorrect Words, and Write from Dictation.
How long is the audio for Listening MCSA?
30 to 90 seconds per Pearson's Score Guide. The audio plays exactly once with no replay control. Options are hidden during audio and revealed after playback ends, so note-taking is essential.
What is the difference between Listening MCSA and Listening MCMA?
MCSA has ONE correct answer and no negative marking, scored binary 1 or 0. MCMA has 2 to 4 correct answers with negative marking (+1 correct, -1 wrong, min 0), scored partial credit. MCSA rewards decisive picking; MCMA rewards careful selection.
Should I guess if I am unsure on Listening MCSA?
Yes. MCSA has no negative marking, so a blank guarantees 0 and any pick has a chance of being right. Rule out options you can dismiss from your notes, then pick from the remainder. Do not leave the item unanswered.
Do the options in MCSA match phrases from the audio verbatim?
Usually not. Pearson paraphrases the audio in the option text. The correct option captures the audio's meaning in different words. Do not look for word-for-word matches; look for concept matches against your notes.
Keep going with Multiple Choice, Single Answer (Listening)
One pattern, three depths.
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Reusable framework
Multiple Choice, Single Answer (Listening) template
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Related tools.
- → Listening MCMA sample – multiple-answer variant with negative marking.
- → Highlight Correct Summary sample – sibling one-of-four Listening task.
- → Listening section overview – all 8 Listening task types.
- → Take a free scored mock – real Listening MCSA items with AI scoring.