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PTE Highlight Incorrect Words Template: word-by-word tracking, no over-clicking

Highlight Incorrect Words (HIW) shows an on-screen transcript of a 15 to 50 second audio, and you click the words that do NOT match what the speaker actually says. There are 2 to 3 HIW items per PTE Academic test. This is one of only three tasks with negative marking: every correctly clicked mismatch scores +1, every incorrectly clicked word scores -1, minimum 0 per item. HIW contributes to both your Listening AND Reading skill scores. The strategy hinges on tracking each spoken word against its printed counterpart in real time, then resisting the temptation to click uncertain words.

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Quick answer

A Highlight Incorrect Words template is a synchronised reading routine. Your eyes move across the transcript at the same pace as the speaker. Every time the spoken word does NOT match the printed word, click it immediately. Every time you are unsure whether a word matched or not, leave it alone. Negative marking means unclear clicks cost the same as guessing wrong, so under-click rather than over-click.

Read this first

HIW has negative marking (+1 per correct click, -1 per incorrect click, minimum 0 per item). This punishes hesitation and doubt. If you clicked a word because it 'sounded odd' rather than because you clearly heard a mismatch, you have almost certainly clicked wrong. Trust only clear ear-to-eye mismatches. When in doubt, do not click.

The framework

How the framework works

Read the sections in order. Each one is a step of the framework, with adaptable sentence starters you fill from the actual prompt.

The word-by-word tracking technique

The transcript stays on screen throughout the audio. Your job is to read at exactly the speaker's pace, matching each printed word to the spoken one. How to do it: 1. Position your eyes on the FIRST word of the transcript before the audio starts. 2. As the audio plays, move your eyes one word at a time in sync with the speaker's voice. 3. Every printed word your eyes touch should be checked against what your ears just heard. If they match, keep moving. If they differ, click that printed word immediately. 4. Do NOT stop to think about a mismatch. Click and keep moving with the audio, or you will fall behind and miss the next 5 words. This is a rhythmic skill: reading pace synced to speech pace. Rehearse by reading any English news article aloud while a partner reads the same article at 1x pace; your eye-tracking must match their voice.

Cue markers: what a mismatch usually sounds like

Mismatches in HIW are not random typos. They are word substitutions that preserve the sentence's grammar but change the meaning. Common patterns: 1. NEAR-SYNONYMS. Printed 'increased', spoken 'expanded'. Both fit the sentence; only the audio decides. 2. OPPOSITE MEANINGS. Printed 'decreased', spoken 'increased'. Rare but obvious when you catch them. 3. TOPIC DRIFT. Printed 'photosynthesis', spoken 'respiration'. Both biological processes; only listening carefully distinguishes. 4. NUMBER OR NAME SWAP. Printed '1990', spoken '1980'. Printed 'Melbourne', spoken 'Sydney'. 5. TENSE OR NUMBER SHIFT. Printed 'has shown', spoken 'have shown'. Printed 'student', spoken 'students'. All five patterns preserve grammar, which is why fluent readers who scan without listening carefully miss them. Word-by-word tracking is the only defence.

The negative-marking maths (why over-clicking is fatal)

Scoring per item: +1 per correctly clicked mismatch, -1 per incorrectly clicked word, minimum 0. Example: transcript has 4 real mismatches. If you click 8 words hoping to catch them all (4 correct + 4 wrong), you score max(0, 4 minus 4) = 0. If you click only the 3 mismatches you are certain of, you score max(0, 3 minus 0) = 3. Even missing one real mismatch, you are ahead of the over-clicker. Rule of thumb: click only when you can point to the specific sound you heard that differed from the specific word you read. If you 'think you might have heard something off', that is not a click. Missing 1 of 4 mismatches costs 1 mark. Clicking 1 wrong word costs 1 mark plus the mark you would have earned on the actual mismatch, so a wrong click is roughly a 2-mark swing.

The reading pace test (before the audio starts)

Before the audio plays, do a rapid silent read of the transcript. This does three things: 1. Gives you the topic and expected register (academic, conversational, news-style). 2. Lets you notice any single word that already looks odd for the context (a topic-drift candidate). 3. Sets your eye-tracking baseline so you know how fast you will need to read once the audio starts. Do NOT try to memorise the transcript in the pre-audio window. The task is not memory; it is real-time match-checking. A 30 second silent read at natural pace is enough for a 30 to 50 word transcript.

What Pearson scores on Highlight Incorrect Words

One trait, partial credit, negative marking: - +1 per correctly clicked mismatched word. - -1 per incorrectly clicked word (a word that matched the audio, but you clicked it anyway). - Minimum score per item: 0. HIW is AI-only scored (not one of the 7 hybrid task types with human Content review). It contributes to BOTH your Listening and Reading skill scores, which makes it one of the higher-leverage Listening items per unit time. Per Pearson's July 2025 Score Guide, a PTE Academic test contains 2 to 3 HIW items.

Common mistakes and timing

- Reading the transcript ahead of the audio, then trying to catch up. You will miss mismatches that fell in the section you skipped. - Reading behind the audio ('I'll click after I hear the whole clip'). By the time you reach the mismatch on screen, you have forgotten what was spoken. - Clicking every word that 'sounds off'. Negative marking punishes this brutally. - Not clicking anything because 'I might be wrong'. Zero clicks means zero marks. Trust the mismatches you clearly heard. - Trying to reach the last few words in a burst. If you fell behind, accept the miss and stop clicking; do not click randomly at the end. Timing: 30 to 60 seconds per HIW item (audio duration is 15 to 50 seconds, plus 10 to 15 seconds review). Do not exceed 90 seconds total.

Worked examples

The framework applied

Same framework, different prompts. Each answer is filled with real content, not a memorised script.

Example 1The on-screen transcript reads: 'Australia is the sixth largest country on Earth by area, occupying an entire continent between the Pacific and Indian oceans. It has a population of approximately 27 million people, concentrated overwhelmingly in coastal cities. The interior of the continent is dominated by arid desert regions, including the Great Victoria Desert and the Simpson Desert.'

35 second audio on the geography of Australia. 4 mismatches in a 55-word transcript.

Framework-filled answer

Click 4 words: 'sixth' (printed) matched against 'seventh' (spoken); 'entire' matched against 'small'; 'cities' matched against 'suburbs'; 'desert' (first instance, in 'arid desert') matched against 'grassland'. Do NOT click: 'Great', 'Victoria', 'Desert' (second instance, in 'Great Victoria Desert'), 'Simpson', 'Desert' (third instance, in 'Simpson Desert'). These match the audio exactly. Score: 4 correct clicks, 0 incorrect = 4. If you also clicked one of the later 'Desert' instances thinking there was a pattern, you would score 3.

Why this scores: The trap here is the second and third 'Desert' words inside 'Great Victoria Desert' and 'Simpson Desert'. Because the first 'desert' was a mismatch, hurried readers assume the pattern continues. Word-by-word tracking against the audio catches that the later 'Desert' instances ARE spoken as 'desert'. Every printed word is its own check.

Example 2The on-screen transcript reads: 'Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors in the brain, which normally signal drowsiness as the day progresses. Because caffeine has a half-life of around five hours, a coffee consumed in the afternoon can still measurably affect sleep quality that night. Regular users develop partial tolerance, but this does not fully eliminate the disruption to deep sleep patterns.' What the audio actually says (mismatches in caps): 'Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors in the brain, which normally signal drowsiness as the NIGHT progresses. Because caffeine has a half-life of around FOUR hours, a coffee consumed in the afternoon can still measurably affect sleep quality that night. Regular users develop partial tolerance, but this does not fully eliminate the disruption to REM sleep patterns.'

40 second audio on caffeine and sleep. 3 mismatches in a 60-word transcript.

Framework-filled answer

Click 3 words: 'day' matched to 'night' (adenosine signals drowsiness as the DAY progresses; audio says NIGHT); 'five' matched to 'four'; 'deep' matched to 'REM'. Do NOT click: 'adenosine', 'half-life', 'afternoon', 'tolerance'. Any of these might sound technical or odd, but they match the audio. Score: 3 correct clicks, 0 incorrect = 3. Common wrong click: 'measurably' (long and unusual word, so easy to over-click). But if you tracked the audio, you heard 'measurably' clearly. Leave it alone.

Why this scores: 'REM' versus 'deep' is a topic-drift mismatch: both fit the sleep-science context, so only careful listening distinguishes them. This is the most common HIW pattern. If you fall for it and skip past both words as 'about sleep', you will miss the mismatch entirely.

Frequently asked questions

How is Highlight Incorrect Words scored?

Partial credit with negative marking: +1 per correctly clicked mismatch, -1 per incorrectly clicked word, minimum 0 per item. This is one of only three PTE Academic tasks with negative marking (the others are Reading MCMA and Listening MCMA). Under-clicking beats over-clicking.

How many Highlight Incorrect Words items are on the PTE Academic test?

2 to 3 HIW items per test per Pearson's July 2025 Score Guide. Each shows a 15 to 50 second audio synced to an on-screen transcript, with word substitutions in the printed version that you click as you hear the mismatches.

How many words should I click on HIW?

Only the ones where you clearly heard the spoken word differ from the printed word. Under negative marking, an unclear click costs the same as guessing wrong. If you can only defend 3 of 4 mismatches, click 3. Three defensible clicks beats four clicks that include a guess.

What is the biggest HIW mistake?

Reading the transcript ahead of the audio, then trying to catch up. Your eyes and the speaker's voice must be on the SAME word at the SAME time; otherwise you miss the mismatches. Rehearse the rhythm of eye-tracking synced to speech pace before test day.

What kinds of words are usually mismatched?

Near-synonyms (increased versus expanded), opposites (decreased versus increased), topic drift (photosynthesis versus respiration), number or name swaps (1990 versus 1980; Melbourne versus Sydney), and tense or number shifts (has shown versus have shown). All preserve grammar, which is why fluent scan-reading misses them.

Can I look at the transcript before the audio starts?

Yes. There is a brief pre-audio window where the transcript is visible. Use it for a rapid silent read to catch the topic and register, and to notice any single word that already looks odd for the context. Do not try to memorise; the task is real-time match-checking, not recall.

Does Highlight Incorrect Words affect my Reading score?

Yes. HIW contributes to BOTH your Listening and Reading skill scores because you must listen accurately AND read the transcript carefully in real time. This makes it one of the higher-leverage items per unit of time in the Listening section, provided you resist over-clicking under negative marking.