Overview of the PTE Academic Test
PTE Academic is a computer-based English language proficiency test accepted by more than 3,500 universities and colleges worldwide for study or immigration purposes. It assesses your listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills in an academic context. Some of the features of the test are given below:
- Single sitting 2-hour test
- Integrated skills
- Computer-based in the test centre
- Provide results in 2 days
- AI Automated + Human Scoring
- Assess Academic English
- 475 test centres are available across the globe
- Booking is available 1 day before the test
PTE Academic Test Sections
The PTE Academic test is divided into three main parts. Part one is speaking and writing, part two is reading, and part three is listening. There is a question about the personal introduction, which is ungraded. You will get 25 seconds and only one chance to read the prompt and record your answer. It’s a good confidence-building measure to practice this as the next section is speaking.
Here is the format of PTE exam along with number of questions of each type.
2.1 Speaking & Writing
Part one is approximately 54-67 minutes long and comprises seven types of questions. This is the longest part of the PTE test, and tests your speaking and writing skills. It has further subparts, which have been explained with helpful links in the table below:
| Question Types | Skills Assessed | Preparation Guide |
|---|
| Read Aloud | Reading & Speaking | ★ 30-40 seconds preparation time, depending on the length of the text. ★ Start reading after the short tone. ★ Silence after the tone for 30 seconds will stop the recording. ★ For more information, read the Read Aloud Practice article. |
| Repeat Sentence | Listening & Speaking | ★ 3-9 seconds prompt and 15 seconds to record your response ★ Audio can be played only once ★ Read 6 Tips for PTE Academic Speaking Repeat Sentence Exam and Repeat Sentence Practice for detailed guidelines and tips. |
| Describe Image | Speaking | ★ 25 seconds to study the image and 40 seconds to record your response. ★ Learn how to answer Describe Image Practice |
| Retell Lecture | Listening & Speaking | ★ Audio begins automatically ★ 10 seconds of preparation time after the audio finishes ★ 40 seconds to answer the question. ★ More information is available to answer the Retell Lecture Practice question. |
| Answer Short Question | Listening & Speaking | ★ 3-9 seconds prompt and 10 seconds to answer (single word/phrase) ★ A complete guide with preparation tips and practice is available at the following links: ★ Answer Short Questions Practice ★ General Information for Answering Short Questions ★ Common Mistakes in PTE Answer Short Questions ★ Build Fluency for PTE Answer Short Questions ★ Listening Skills for PTE Answer Short Questions ★ Use Flashcards to Master PTE Answer Short Questions |
| Summarize Written Text | Reading & Writing | ★ 300-word-long text, 10 minutes to write a summary ★ Write no more than 75 words. ★ Write in one sentence only. ★ Practice summary writing and get instant scores & feedback with AI at Summarize Written Text – PTE Writing Practice |
| Essay | Writing | ★ 200-300 word essay with the given 2-3 sentence prompt ★ 20 minutes for writing. ★ No more than 300 words. ★ Do a lot of PTE Writing Practice. |
2.2 Reading
Part two is reading, which has five different question types. The reading section is challenging for some students, and you can follow the tips to Become a Confident PTE Reading Test Taker. Since the PTE academic test is an integrated skills exam, a question may test two skills simultaneously. The types of questions in this section have been explained and guided in the table below:
| Question Types | Skills Assessed | Preparation Guide |
|---|
| Fill in the Blanks (Reading & Writing) | Reading & Writing | ★ Prompt with 300 words with several gaps ★ Select the right word from the drop-down menu ★ Practice Reading & Writing Fill-in-the-Blanks |
| Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer | Reading | ★ Text of approx 300 words ★ More than one answer is correct ★ Prepare and practice the Multiple Choice Questions |
| Reorder Paragraphs | Reading | ★ 150-word text distributed over different boxes ★ Select the right ordered box and move right under the correct answer. ★ Find the topic sentence first. ★ Prepare and practice Reorder Paragraphs |
| Fill in the Blanks | Reading | ★ 80-word prompt passage with missing words. ★ Only reading is assessed for this question. ★ Use grammar to find answers quickly. |
| Multiple Choice, Single Answer | Reading | ★ 300-word text with multiple-choice answers ★ Only one answer is correct. ★ Prepare and practice Multiple Choice questions. |
2.3 Listening
The listening part is 30-43 minutes long with eight different types of questions. In this part, you will only hear audio or video ONCE and can take notes while listening to the content—the types of questions with skills assessment and preparation guides have been given in the table below:
| Question Types | Skills Assessed | Preparation Guide |
|---|
| Summarize Spoken Text | Listening & Writing | ★ A 60-90 second audio will be played. ★ A 50-70 word summary is to be written. ★ Write no more than 70 words. ★ Prepare & practice summary writing for Spoken Text. ★ Read Top 4 Tips For Summarize Spoken Text question |
| Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers | Listening | ★ A 40-90-second audio with multiple-choice questions. ★ More than one answer is correct. ★ Practice Multiple Choice questions. |
| Fill in the Blanks | Listening & Writing | ★ A 30-60 second audio transcript will be displayed with several gaps. ★ You will have 7 seconds to skim through the text before the start of the audio. ★ Check your spelling very carefully. |
| Highlight Correct Summary | Listening & Reading | ★ A 30-90-second prompt will play automatically. ★ Only one correct answer from several options ★ Prepare and practice using the link; Highlight Correct Summary. |
| Multiple Choice, Single Answer | Listening | ★ A 30-90 second audio will be played ★ Only one correct answer. ★ You will have 5 seconds to skim through questions before the audio starts. |
| Select Missing Word | Listening | ★ A 20-70 second audio with the last word or a phrase missing in sentences ★ Several options, but only one correct answer |
| Highlight Incorrect Words | Listening & Reading | ★ A 15-50-second audio with a transcript on screen. ★ Identify the words that are different in the audio from the transcript. ★ Read tips for the PTE Highlight Incorrect Words question. |
| Write from Dictation | Listening & Writing | A 3-5 second sentence will be dictated. You can take notes while listening to audio. Remember to check your spelling. Practice Write from Dictation question. |
PTE Scoring System
The PTA academic test provides a report for four communicative skills, including listening, reading, writing, and speaking, and an overall score. The scores range from 10 to 90 points. PTE scoring involves both machine AI-driven assessment and human scorers. Use PTE Score Calculator for score and distribution of marks for each PTE question type.
AI completely marks some of the test content, while humans check some. Human scorers intervene to assess unusual responses to most anomalies that AI or computers cannot handle. Also, human scorers review the questions “Describe the Image” and “Retell Lecture” to finalise the results. For straightforward correct responses, you get full credit in case of, for example, multiple-choice answers. You might also earn score points for other questions where the response is partially correct. For more details, please read the PTE Essay Scoring & Structure Guide.
3.1 Scoring Written English Skills
Writing skills are marked using Intelligent Essay Assessor (IEA), an automated tool by Pearson. The system is very similar to human scoring. It uses latent semantic analysis (LSA) to generate semantic similarity for words, phrases, and sentences, comparing them to a large body of text.
3.2 Scoring Spoken English Skills
The spoken skills are assessed using Pearson’s Versant technology, which has been designed to analyse speech from various linguistic backgrounds and evaluate syllables or phrases in a speech. Here is a guide to understand Assessment for Answer Short Question.
PTE Test Preparation & Practice Resources
If you want to take the PTE test, you should make a plan first. After planning, it is essential to take a PTE practice test to see your performance. This will give you your estimated scores and indicate the gap you must cover to achieve your required score. Remember to use authentic resources for preparation and practice. We have listed the helpful guides, resources, and practice test links below for each communication skill:
4.1 Speaking
PTE speaking scores three traits, including content, fluency, and pronunciation. To understand each type of question and marking criteria, please read the following helpful information resources.
4.2 Writing
Writing skills in PTE Academic are assessed for seven traits: content, form, development (structure/coherence), grammar, general linguistic range, vocabulary range, and spelling. Here is the list of valuable tips, tricks, and practice content to help you achieve your required score:
PTE Writing Practice
PTE Writing Essay Tips
PTE Write Essay & Summarize Written Text Tasks: An Overview and Quick Tips
Common Mistakes in PTE Write Essay
High-Scoring PTE Essay Tips
Grammar Tips for PTE Write Essay
Generate Ideas for PTE Write Essay
Linking Words for PTE Write Essay
Tackle Unfamiliar PTE Essay Topics
Proofreading Techniques for PTE Write Essay Success
PTE Write Essay: Spelling and Grammar
Use Flashcards to Master PTE Answer Short Questions
4.3 Reading
The reading section in the PTE Academic test comprises an academic text with various question types. Read the tips and practice using the articles given below:
PTE Reading Practice
PTE Reorder Paragraph Tips
4.4 Listening
Listening skills for PTE Academic require careful listening and rigorous practice. To make the test content easier for you, we have explained the types of questions, strategies to score higher, and resources for practice in the articles below:
Preparation Guide for PTE Listening
Listening Skills for PTE Answer Short Questions
PTE Highlight Incorrect Words Tips
PTE Listening Practice
Tips to Crack the PTE Listening Test – Highlight Incorrect Words
PTE Vocabulary Preparation Tips
There is no specific question on vocabulary directly; however, strong vocabulary can guarantee good scores in the PTE Academic exam. Here is the list of articles to improve your vocabulary:
Build Vocabulary for PTE Questions
Common Vocabulary Mistakes in PTE
Using Context to Master PTE Vocabulary
Commonly Tested PTE Vocabulary
PTE Vocabulary Collocations Guide
Phrasal Verbs for PTE Vocabulary
Advanced Vocabulary to Boost PTE Scores
FAQS
What is the passing score on the PTE Academic test?
The PTE Academic test does not have a passing or failing score. It depends on the academic institution’s eligibility score for studying. Most universities accept a score range between 58 and 65 in the PTE Academic test.
What is the PTE exam format?
The PTE Academic test is an integrated skills test. Although its parts follow an order: Speaking & Writing (54-67 minutes), Reading (29-30 minutes), and Listening (30-43 minutes), different skills are tested in each section. Sometimes, two skills are tested in one question.
What type of questions are asked in PTE speaking?
Speaking includes reading aloud, Repeating Sentences, Describing Images, Re-telling lectures, and answering short question tasks.
Is reading in the PTE Academic test easy?
It depends on your reading habits, vocabulary, comprehension, and overall English level. The test comprises texts from different genres, and the time pressures make it challenging for most test takers. If you prepare and practice well, you will achieve 79+ in your first attempt.
How many question parts are in the PTE Academic reading?
PTE Academic test reading has the following tasks: Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers, Re-order Paragraphs, Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice, Single Answer.
How do you get 79 in reading PTE?
The best tips to score above 79 are given below:
- Read a lot of academic texts from different genres
- Improve your vocabulary
- Practice time management
- Develop skimming & scanning strategies
What are the assessment criteria for PTE writing?
PTE essay writing is assessed for content, form, development (structure/coherence), grammar, general linguistic range, vocabulary range, and spelling.
What are the writing rules for PTE?
For the essay writing question, you should write 200-300 words using an academic and formal style. You must not write over the word limit. You will write 5-75 words or one sentence for a summary writing question. You can get feedback for PTE Writing Correction for Essay and Summarise Written Text Topics from experts at Benchmark Education.
What is the structure of PTE essay writing?
The PTE Academic essay follows a usual pattern of introduction, body paragraph 1, body paragraph 2, and conclusion.
What is the format of speaking in PTE?
Speaking tasks include questions, such as reading aloud, repeating the sentence, describing the image, retelling a lecture, and answering short questions. Each question consists of prompts, is timed, and is scored instantly.
How is speaking scored in the PTE test?
The PTE speaking test assesses your recordings for content, fluency, and pronunciation. Before taking the test, practice speaking with an AI-assisted partner or a human English-speaking friend.
Where can I get authentic content to prepare for the PTE Academic test?
You can Practice PTE Mock Tests For Free with AI Scores, training, and templates without wasting time. Sign up today, and let’s get going!
