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PTE Exam Format - First Step Towards Effective Preparation

The PTE Academic is an English proficiency test that opens doors for study, work, and immigration in English-speaking countries. It is accepted by universities, employers, and governments globally and paves the way for countless opportunities.

PTE Exam Format - First Step
Understand In-depth exam

Understand In-depth PTE Academic Exam Format

To succeed in the exam, you must know PTE format well. The exam is computer-based, meaning you’ll use a computer, and your responses are scored by advanced algorithms. By understanding the structure, question types, and time limits, you’ll manage your time better and perform at your best.

The PTE Academic exam is divided into three main sections: Speaking & Writing, Reading, and Listening. Each section is designed to assess a specific set of language skills; from expressing yourself clearly to comprehending and interpreting spoken or written content.

The exam is fully computer-based, which means you’ll be taking it on a computer, and your responses will be instantly recorded and assessed.

PTE Academic Exam Format

Familiarize yourself with the PTE exam format and time limits & plan your preparation. Tackle the test successfully by knowing all the question types in-depth.

Section

Question Types Time

Time Limit

Speaking & Writing

Personal Introduction, Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Describe Image, Re-tell Lecture, Answer Short Question, Summarise Written Text, Essay

54-67 Minutes

Reading

Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer, Re-order Paragraphs, Fill in the Blanks, Multiple Choice, Single Answer

29-30 Minutes

Listening

Summarise Spoken Text, Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers, Fill in the Blanks, Highlight Correct Summary, Multiple Choice, Single Answer, Select Missing Word, Highlight Incorrect Words, Write from Dictation

30-43 Minutes

Speaking & Writing

This 54 to 67-minute section, the longest in the PTE format, includes seven question types. It tests speaking and writing skills.

Personal Introduction

The Personal Introduction helps you get used to the PTE pattern & test technology and prepares you for the speaking and listening questions. You will have 25 seconds to read the prompt and get ready, then 30 seconds to record your answer. You can only record your response once.

Remember, you are not scored for this part.

Read Aloud

Task

The text will appear on the screen. Read it out loud.

Prompt Length

Text up to 60 words

Skills Assessed

Reading & Speaking

Time To Answer

It depends on the question and the length of the text

How To Answer This Question:

For this question type, you have to read a written text aloud.

A countdown will show in the recording status box until the microphone opens. You’ll have 30–40 seconds to read and prepare. After you hear a short tone, start speaking right away. Do not speak before the microphone opens, or your voice won’t be recorded.

  • Speak clearly and don’t rush.
  • Make sure to finish before the progress bar ends. The word "Recording" will change to "Completed."
  • You can only record your answer once.

Boost your performance with effective PTE Read Aloud strategies and tips.

Note: If you stay silent for over three seconds, the recording will stop.

Question Is Scored On – Three factors; Content, Oral Fluency, Pronunciation

Repeat Sentence

Task

Listen to a recording of a sentence, then repeat it

Prompt Length

3-9 Seconds

Skills Assessed

Listening & Speaking

Time To Answer

15 Seconds

How To Answer The Question:

For this question type, you have to repeat the sentence you hear.

The audio will play automatically. When it finishes, the microphone will open, and the recording status box will show "Recording." Start speaking immediately (there is no short tone) and repeat exactly what you heard.

  • Speak clearly and don’t rush.
  • Make sure to finish before the progress bar ends. The word "Recording" will change to "Completed."
  • You cannot replay the audio and only record your response once.

For essential strategies to excel, read this guide on cracking the PTE Repeat Sentence task."

Question Is Scored On: Three factors; Content, Oral Fluency, Pronunciation

Describe Image

Task

An image will appear on the screen. Describe it in detail

Prompt Length

Not Applicable

Skills Assessed

Speaking

Time To Answer

40 Seconds

How To Answer The Question:

For this question type, you have to describe an image.

A countdown will appear in the recording status box before the microphone opens. You’ll have 25 seconds to look at the image and prepare your response. After you hear a short tone, start speaking right away. Don’t start before the microphone opens, or your voice won’t be recorded.

  • Speak clearly, and don’t rush.
  • Finish before the progress bar ends. The word "Recording" will change to "Completed."
  • You can only record your answer once

Learn how to master the task with this guide on PTE Describe Image.

Question Is Scored On: Three factors; Content, Oral Fluency, Pronunciation

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Re-tell Lecture

Task

After listening to or watching a lecture, re-tell the lecture in your own words

Prompt Length

Upto 90 Seconds

Skills Assessed

Listening & Speaking

Time To Answer

40 Seconds

How To Answer The Question:

For this question type, you have to re-tell what you heard.

The audio will play automatically, and you may also see an image related to it. After the audio stops, you will have 10 seconds to prepare.

A countdown will appear in the recording status box before the microphone opens. You’ll hear a short tone, and after that, start speaking right away. Don’t speak before the microphone opens, or your voice won’t be recorded.

  • Speak clearly, and don’t rush.
  • Finish before the progress bar ends. When it does, the word “Recording” will change to “Completed.”
  • You can only record your response once.

Note: You can take notes on the erasable noteboard while the audio plays.

Question Is Scored On: Three factors; Content, Oral Fluency, Pronunciation

Check Latest Scoring Change For Re-tell Lecture & Describe Image

Answer Short Question

Task

After listening to a question, respond with one word or a few words

Prompt Length

3-9 Seconds

Skills Assessed

Listening & Speaking

Time To Answer

10 Seconds

How To Answer The Question:

For this question type, you have to answer the question in one or a few words. The audio will play automatically, and you may also see an image.

Once the audio finishes, the microphone will open, and the recording status box will show "Recording." Speak into the microphone immediately (there is no tone) and give your answer in one or a few words.

  • Speak clearly, and don’t rush.
  • Make sure to finish before the progress bar ends. The word "Recording" will change to "Completed."
  • You can’t replay the audio and can only record your answer once.

Question Is Scored On: Vocabulary Factor

Summarise Written Text

Task

After reading the text, write a summary of the passage in one sentence

Prompt Length

Text up to 300 words

Skills Assessed

Reading & Writing

Time To Answer

10 Minutes

How To Answer The Question:

For this question type, you are required to summarize the text in one sentence.

You have 10 minutes to complete your summary, which should capture the main points of the passage in no more than 75 words. The word count at the bottom of the screen shows how many words you’ve written. You can use the cut, copy, and paste buttons to help with editing your response.

  • Cut: Select the text you want to remove, then click "Cut."
  • Copy: Select the text you want to copy, then click "Copy."
  • Paste: Position the cursor where you want to paste the text, then click "Paste."

For more tips and tricks to score high, read this guide on PTE Summarize Written Text.

The question Is Scored On: Four Factors; Content, Form, Grammar, Vocabulary

Essay

Task

Write an essay of 200 to 300 words on the given topic

Prompt Length

2-3 Sentences

Skills Assessed

Writing

Time To Answer

20 Minutes

How To Answer The Question:

For this task, write a 200–300 word argumentative essay based on the given prompt. You have 20 minutes to complete it.

A word counter at the bottom shows your word count. Make sure your essay is at least 200 words but not more than 300.

You can use the cut, copy, and paste buttons to edit your text:

  • Cut: Highlight text to remove it, then click "Cut."
  • Copy: Highlight text to copy it, then click "Copy."
  • Paste: Click where you want to add the copied/cut text and click "Paste."

To improve your essay-writing skills further, learn more about PTE essay writing.

The question Is Scored On: On Seven Factors; Content, Development, structure & coherence, Form, General linguistic range, Grammar, Vocabulary range, Spelling

Reading

This 29–30 minute PTE section includes five question types. One of them, 'Reading and Writing: Fill in the Blanks,' assesses both reading & writing skills in an integrated approach.

Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks:

Task

Fill the gaps in the text by choosing words from the dropdown menu.

Prompt Length

Text up to 300 words

Skills Assessed

Reading & Writing

Time To Answer

Not Applicable

How To Answer The Question:

For this question type, you have to choose the correct words from a drop-down list to complete the text.

The passage has missing words, and each gap has a button with a drop-down list. Click the button to view the options and select the one that best fits the gap.

If you change your mind, simply click on a different option.

Question Is Scored On: Scoring is based on correct/incorrect basis.

Multiple Choice Multiple Answer :

Task

After reading the text, answer a multiple-choice question about its content or tone by selecting multiple responses

Prompt Length

Text up to 300 words

Skills Assessed

Reading

Time To Answer

Not applicable

How To Answer The Question:

In this question type of PTE exam format, read the passage and choose all the correct answers from the available options.

Select the options you believe are correct by clicking on them with the left mouse button. If you change your mind, click again to deselect.

The selected options will be highlighted in yellow.

Question Is Scored On: Scoring is based on correct/incorrect & partial credit basis.

Re-order Paragraphs:

Task

Text boxes will appear on the screen in a random order. Arrange them in the correct sequence.

Prompt Length

Text up to 150 words

Skills Assessed

Reading

Time To Answer

Not applicable

How To Answer The Question:

For this question type, you need to restore the correct order of the text by selecting and dragging the text boxes.

You can move the text in two ways:

  • Left-click on a box to select it (it will be outlined in blue), hold the left mouse button, and drag it to the desired position.
  • Left-click on a box to select it, then use the left and right arrow buttons to move it. You can also use the up and down arrows in the right panel to reorder the boxes.

To deselect a box, simply click anywhere else on the screen.

Question Is Scored On: Scoring is based on correct/incorrect & partial credit basis.

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Fill in the Blanks:

Task

The text on the screen has several gaps. Drag words from the box below to fill in the missing parts.

Prompt Length

Text up to 80 words

Skills Assessed

Reading

Time To Answer

Not applicable

How To Answer The Question:

For this question type, you need to drag and drop words to fill the gaps in the text.

The passage has missing words, and you will have a list of words in the blue box. Not all the words will be used, as there are more words than gaps.

To use a word, left-click to select it, hold the left mouse button, and drag it to the appropriate gap. You can also move words between gaps. To remove a word from a gap, drag it back to the blue box.

Question Is Scored On: Scoring is based on correct/incorrect & partial credit basis.

Multiple Choice, Single Answer:

Task

After reading the text, choose the correct answer by selecting one option.

Prompt Length

Text up to 300 words

Skills Assessed

Reading

Time To Answer

Not applicable

How To Answer The Question:

For this question type, read the passage and answer the multiple-choice question.

There are several options, but only one is correct.

To select an option, click on it with the left mouse button. If you change your mind, click again to deselect it or select a different option.

The chosen option will be highlighted in yellow.

Question Is Scored On: Scoring is based on correct/incorrect & partial credit basis.

Listening

The PTE listening section lasts 30–43 minutes and has eight question types based on audio or video clips. Each clip plays once, and you are allowed to take notes.

Summarise Spoken Text:

Task

After listening to a recording, write a 50–70 word summary.

Prompt Length

60-90 Seconds

Skills Assessed

Listening & Writing

Time To Answer

Not Applicable

How To Answer The Question:

For this question type, you will listen to an audio recording and then write a 50–70 word summary of what you heard.

You have 10 minutes to listen and write your summary.

The audio will play automatically, and you can listen to it only once.

The Word Count at the bottom will show the number of words you've written. Ensure your summary is at least 50 words but no more than 70 words.

You can use the cut, copy, and paste buttons while writing your summary in this PTE exam format:

  • Cut: Select the text you want to remove, then click “Cut.”
  • Copy: Select the text you want to copy, then click “Copy.”
  • Paste: Place the cursor where you want to paste the text and click “Paste.”

Question Is Scored On: Five Factors; Content, Form, Grammar, Vocabulary, Spelling

Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers:

Task

After listening to a recording, answer a multiple-choice question about its content by selecting multiple responses.

Prompt Length

40-90 Seconds

Skills Assessed

Listening

Time To Answer

Not Applicable

How To Answer The Question:

For this question type, you will listen to a recording and answer the multiple-choice question, which has more than one correct response.

The audio will play automatically, and you can listen to it only once.

Select all the options you believe are correct from the list provided.

To select an option, click on it with the left mouse button. If you change your mind, click again to deselect it.

The selected options will be highlighted in yellow.

Question Is Scored On : Scoring is based on partial credit basis.

Fill in the Blanks:

Task

A transcript of the recording will appear on the screen with missing words. After listening to the recording, type the correct word in each gap.

Prompt Length

30-60 Seconds

Skills Assessed

Listening & Writing

Time To Answer

Not Applicable

How To Answer The Question:

For this question type, you will see a transcript of the audio recording with some missing words. Your task is to restore the transcript by typing the missing words.

The audio will play automatically, and you can listen to it only once.

Click on each gap to type the missing word, or use the Tab key on your keyboard to move between gaps.

Note: While listening, you can take notes on the erasable noteboard provided, and then fill in the gaps.

Question Is Scored On: Scoring is based on content factor & partial credit basis.

Highlight Correct Summary:

Task

After listening to a recording, choose the paragraph that best summarises its content

Prompt Length

30–90 seconds

Skills Assessed

Listening and reading

Time To Answer

Not Applicable

How To Answer The Question:

For this question, listen to the recording and choose the summary that matches it best. The audio will play automatically, and you can only listen to it once.

There are several options, but only one is correct.

Click on an option to select it. If you want to change your choice, click again to deselect or choose another option.

The selected option will be highlighted in yellow.

Question Is Scored On: Scoring is based on correct/incorrect basis.

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Multiple Choice, Single Answer:

Task

After listening to a recording, answer the multiple-choice question by selecting one option

Prompt Length

30-90 Seconds

Skills Assessed

Listening

Time To Answer

Not Applicable

How To Answer The Question:

For this question type, you will listen to the recording and then answer the multiple-choice question.

The audio will play automatically, and you can only listen to it once.

There are several response options, but only one is correct.

To select an option, left-click on it. If you change your mind, left-click on the option again to deselect it, or click on a different option to select it.

The selected option will be highlighted in yellow.

Question Is Scored On: Scoring is based on correct/incorrect basis.

Select Missing Word:

Task

After listening to the recording, choose the missing word from a list of options to complete it.

Prompt Length

20-70 Seconds

Skills Assessed

Listening

Time To Answer

Not Applicable

How To Answer The Question:

For this question type, the final word or group of words in the recording is replaced by a beep. Choose the most suitable option to complete the recording.

The audio will play automatically, and you can listen to it only once.

There are multiple options, but only one is correct.

To select an option, click on it with the left mouse button. If you change your mind, click again to deselect it or choose a different option.

The selected option will be highlighted in yellow.

Question Is Scored On: Scoring is based on correct/incorrect basis.

Highlight Incorrect Words:

Task

A transcript of the recording will appear on the screen. While listening, identify the words in the transcript that are different from what is spoken.

Prompt Length

15-50 Seconds

Skills Assessed

Listening & Reading

Time To Answer

Not Applicable

How To Answer The Question:

For this question type, you will see a transcript of the audio recording, but it contains some errors. While listening and reading, identify the words in the transcript that do not match what the speaker says.

The audio will play automatically, and you can listen to it only once.

To select a word, click on it with the left mouse button. If you change your mind, click again to deselect it.

The selected words will be highlighted in yellow.

Question Is Scored On: Scoring is based on partial credit basis.

Write from Dictation:

Task

After listening to a recording of a sentence, type the sentence.

Prompt Length

3-5 Seconds

Skills Assessed

Listening & Writing

Time To Answer

Not Applicable

How To Answer The Question:

For this question of PTE exam format, you will hear a short sentence and need to type it into the response box at the bottom of the screen.

The audio will play automatically; you can only listen to it once.

Be sure to check your spelling before submitting.

Note: You can take notes on the erasable noteboard during the audio.

Question Is Scored On: Scoring is based on content factor & partial credit basis.

PTE Exam Format With No. Of Tasks

Know different question & number of tasks in PTE exam pattern.

PTE Question Type

No. Of Tasks

Speaking & Writing Section

Read Aloud

6-7

Repeat Sentence

10-12

Describe Image

3-4

Re-tell lecture

1-2

Answer short question

5-6

Summarize Written Text

1-2

Write Essay

1-2

Reading Section

Reading and writing: Fill in the blanks

5-6

Multiple-choice, choose multiple answers

1-2

Re-order paragraphs

2-3

Reading: Fill in the blanks

4-5

Multiple-choice, choose single answer

1-2

Listening Section

Summarize spoken text

1-2

Multiple–choice, choose multiple answers

1-2

Fill in the blanks

2-3

Highlight correct summary

1-2

Multiple-choice, choose single answer

1-2

Select missing word

1-2

Highlight incorrect words

2-3

Write from dictation

3-4

How Gurully Enhances Your PTE Preparation

Explore how Gurully streamlines your PTE Academic preparation.

1

Full-Length Mock Tests

Simulate the real exam environment with our mock tests. Analyse your performance, identify weak areas, and track your progress with detailed reports. By doing this you can target more on your weaknesses.

2

Section-Wise Tests

Target one section at a time with focused practice for Speaking, Writing, Reading, or Listening. Sharpen your skills where it counts most. It will help you score high by mastering all the sections.

3

Question-Wise Practice

Practice individual question types to focus on areas where you struggle or score lower. Repeatedly working on these specific question types will help you improve and build your confidence.

Gurully is your all-in-one solution to achieving your goals. Our online platform offers comprehensive practice to ensure thorough preparation. With AI-powered scoring and instant feedback, you’ll save time and track your progress efficiently. Our accurate scoring and real-time exam simulation streamline your preparation, making your journey to success smoother and easier.

FAQs

Have questions about the PTE Academic exam format? Find comprehensive answers to all your queries in our detailed FAQs.

The PTE Academic exam follows a comprehensive PTE exam format with three main sections: Speaking and Writing, Reading, and Listening. The PTE exam pattern is designed to assess your language skills across various areas, and each section evaluates your ability to communicate effectively in academic environments.

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