Read Aloud
Speak the displayed passage aloud.
What is PTE Academic?
Understand the test.
PTE stands for Pearson Test of English. This guide focuses on PTE Academic: an English-language test that assesses speaking, writing, reading and listening through computer-based tasks.
FOUR SKILLS. THREE PARTS.
What does it contain?
Speaking and writing share the first part. Reading follows, then listening. Some tasks combine skills—for example, listening to a recording and writing a summary.
This page describes question formats, not the exact questions you will receive. PTE Core and PTE Home have different formats.
01
Speaking & Writing9 question types
76–84 minutes02Reading5 question types
23–30 minutes03Listening8 question types
31–39 minutesSection times follow Pearson’s current format guidance. Follow the timer and instructions on your test screen.
What will you be asked to do?
Explore all 22 formats. The descriptions below explain the action you take for each task.
PART 01
76–84 minutesSpeaking & Writing
9 question types. There is also an unscored personal introduction.
Repeat Sentence
Hear a sentence, then repeat it.
Describe Image
Give a spoken description of an image.
Retell Lecture
Explain a lecture’s main ideas aloud.
Answer Short Question
Give a brief spoken answer to a question.
Summarize Group Discussion
Listen to three speakers and summarise their discussion aloud.
Respond to a Situation
Say how you would respond to an everyday situation.
Summarize Written Text
Condense a passage into one sentence of 5–75 words.
Write Essay
Write an essay responding to the given topic.
PART 02
23–30 minutesReading
5 question types. Read for meaning, vocabulary and the way ideas connect.
Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown)
Select a word from a menu for each gap.
Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers
Read a passage and select more than one correct option.
Reorder Paragraph
Arrange text blocks into a coherent sequence.
Fill in the Blanks (Drag and Drop)
Move words from a word bank into the gaps.
Multiple Choice, Single Answer
Read a passage and select one correct option.
Source: Pearson’s Reading format guide
PART 03
31–39 minutesListening
8 question types. Recordings play once in the exam; you may take notes.
Summarize Spoken Text
Write a 50–70 word summary of a recording.
Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers
Listen and select more than one correct option.
Fill in the Blanks (Type In)
Type missing words into a transcript.
Highlight Correct Summary
Choose the summary that best matches the recording.
Multiple Choice, Single Answer
Listen and select one correct option.
Select Missing Word
Choose the missing ending of a recording.
Highlight Incorrect Words
Select words in a transcript that differ from the audio.
Write from Dictation
Listen to a sentence, then type it accurately.
Source: Pearson’s Listening format guide
SEE WHAT A TASK LOOKS LIKEREADING · FILL A GAP SPEAKING · RESPOND TO A SITUATION WRITING · ESSAY
From explanation to example.
These short examples are written for crackPTE. They are not official or predicted exam questions.
Choose the word.
“The research team repeated the experiment to check whether its results were ____.”
Options: reliable · reluctant · crowded
Reveal answer and explanation
Reliable fits: repeating an experiment helps check that its results can be trusted.
What would you say?
You borrowed a classmate’s notes, but need one extra day to return them. Explain and ask politely.
Reveal an example response
“Thanks for lending me your notes. I still have one section to review. Would it be okay if I returned them tomorrow afternoon? I can bring them to you before class.”
Develop your position.
Should universities give students more opportunities to work on projects with local communities? Discuss your view.
Explore a possible approach
State your position, explain one learning benefit, consider a practical difficulty, then conclude. Support your argument with relevant examples rather than memorised filler.
Based on Pearson’s official test-format overview. For the latest instructions and detailed scoring, consult Pearson before your test. This guide covers task formats, not admission or visa requirements.