PTE Test Format and Questions: A Complete Guide
Struggling to grasp the diverse question types in the PTE Academic? Gain clarity on the PTE exam format & question types with our guide.
About the article
A few years ago, when a candidate considered taking an English proficiency test to demonstrate their English skills for the purpose of emigrating from the country, the only names that came to mind were IELTS or TOEFL. However, in recent years, the PTE or Pearson Test of English has gained a lot of popularity among candidates seeking to prove their English language proficiency. The reason behind its popularity is the ease of taking the test due to the availability of dates and quick turnaround of results within 2-5 working days.
The PTE exam is a two-hour computer-based test that candidates take at a designated test center, divided into three sections: Speaking and Writing, Reading, and Listening.
There are about 20 different types of questions spread across these three sections. Understanding the different question types like aloud PTE, fill in the blanks, etc., and employing the correct strategies to answer each of them effectively varies.
The PTE test is comprised of the following components:
- Understanding the question prompt: This is the time spent in understanding the question which depends on the length of the text or the audio.
- Preparing the answer: This is the time spent in preparing the answer, which is on average 10 to 15 seconds for each segment.
- Answering the question: This is the time spent actually answering the question.
PTE Exam Pattern: Sections and Question Types
Here’s an overview of different sections and questions asked in each section
| PART | TYPE | DURATION | No. of QUESTIONS | SKILL TESTED |
| 1 | Speaking & Writing | 54 to 67 mins | 7 | Speaking, Listening & Writing |
| 2 | Reading | 29 to 30 mins | 5 | Reading & Writing |
| 3 | Listening | 30 to 43 mins | 8 | Listening, Reading & Writing |
PTE Academic Part 1: Speaking and Writing (54 to 67 minutes)
As the name implies, the PTE speaking and writing section tests the candidate's spoken and written skills. There are approximately 8 different types of questions in this section, and the duration and number of questions of each type vary. The total duration of this complete section is between 54 to 67 minutes, during which the candidate is expected to answer approximately 28 to 36 questions.
These question types are as follows:
Personal Introduction
The Personal Introduction is the initial task with which the exam starts. In this task, the candidate is expected to prepare their prompt in the initial 25 seconds and then record themselves in 30 seconds.
PTE Read Aloud
In this type of PTE Speaking question, the candidate is expected to loudly and clearly read the text that appears on the screen. The candidate gets 30 seconds to prepare a text of approximately 60 words before speaking it into the microphone. There are 6 to 7 tasks for Read aloud PTE.
Repeat Sentence
In this type of question, the candidate is expected to listen to a sentence of length 3 to 9 seconds and then repeat it into the microphone within 15 seconds. There are about 10 to 12 tasks of this type that can be expected.
Describe Image
In this type of question, the candidate is expected to describe an image that appears on their screen. The image can be a chart, graph, map, or diagram. The candidate gets 25 seconds before the microphone opens and is expected to record their response in 40 seconds. The number of tasks that can be expected in the exam may vary between 6 to 7.
Retell Lecture
In this PTE Speaking task, the candidate is expected to listen to a lecture and, after listening, summarize the main points of the lecture in their own words. The length of the audio can be up to 90 seconds, whereas the candidate gets only 40 seconds to retell the lecture. The number of tasks that can be expected in the exam may vary between 3 to 4.
Answer Short Question
In this type of question, the candidate gets to listen to a question and speak the answer into the microphone. The answer is usually a one-word or a very short answer, which is often just one or a few words. The number of tasks that can be expected in the exam may vary between 10 to 12.
Write Essay
In this type of PTE Writing question, the candidate gets to read a prompt of 2 to 3 sentences and is then expected to write an essay of 200 to 300 words, including all the questions asked in the prompt. The time allotted for this task is 20 minutes. Only one task of this type can be expected in the exam. For writing a great response, make sure to practice with a Writing essay template for PTE, as it will give you an idea of how you can structure your response.
Summarize Written Text
In this type of question, the candidate gets to read and analyze a paragraph of 150-200 words and then summarize it in one single sentence of 5 to 75 words. The candidate gets 10 minutes to complete this particular PTE Speaking task.
| Question Type | Number of Questions | Duration | Skill tested | Objective | Scoring Criteria |
| Personal Introduction | 1 | 55 sec. = 25 sec. to prepare & 30 sec. to record | - | Record information about self | Not scored |
| Read Aloud PTE | 6 to 7 | 30 to 40 sec. | Reading & Speaking | Read the sentence that appears on the screen | Content, Oral fluency & Pronunciation |
| Repeat Sentence | 10 to 12 | 15 sec.– 3 to 9 sec. to listen & 15 sec. to record | Listening & Speaking | Repeat the sentence that one listens to | Content, Oral fluency & Pronunciation |
| Describe image | 3 to 4 | 40 sec. | Speaking | Describe the main features of the image that appears on the screen | Content, oral fluency, & pronunciation |
| Retell lecture | 1 to 2 | 90 sec. to listen, 10 sec. to prepare, 40 sec. to record | Listening & Speaking | Summaries the text that one listens to | Content, Oral fluency & Pronunciation |
| Answer short question | 5 to 6 | 20 sec. - 3 to 9 sec. to listen to the prompt, 10 sec. to record | Listening & Speaking | Answer the questions being asked in one or two words | One mark per correct answer |
| Summarise written text | 1 to 2 | 10 mins | Reading & Writing | Summarise the text that appears on the screen in your own words | Enabling skills of grammar, Spelling & vocabulary |
| Write essay | 1 to 62 | 20 mins | Writing | Write an essay of 200 to 300 words about the prompt that appears on the screen | 2 points each for grammar, linguistic range, vocabulary & Spellings |
| Total number of questions | 28 to 36 |
PTE Academic Part 2: Reading Section — 29 to 30 mins
As the name suggests, the PTE Reading section tests the candidates' ability to understand written text followed by written instructions in the English language. This section is divided into 5 segments with approximately 5 types of questions. Since a lot of students find this section difficult, seeking proper PTE Training can help you a lot. The total duration of the reading section is between 29 to 30 minutes, during which the candidate is expected to answer approximately 13 to 18 questions in total, which are as follows:
Fill in the Blanks – Reading & Writing
In this type of question, the candidate is expected to read a text of up to 300 words with several gaps in between. The candidate is then expected to select the correct answer for each gap from the drop-down list that appears on the screen. The number of tasks that can be expected in the exam may vary between 5 to 6.
Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers
In this type of question, the candidate is expected to read a text of approximately 300 words and choose all the correct answers from the 5 to 6 options given. The number of tasks that can be expected in the exam may vary between 3 to 4.
Re-order Paragraph
This is the third part of the PTE reading exam, and it is not an integrated part, which means that the marks for this part are given individually. In this, a text of up to 150 words appears in several text boxes on the screen, and these text boxes are arranged in random order. The candidate is expected to put them in the correct and meaningful order. The number of tasks that can be expected in the exam may vary between 2 to 3.
Fill in the Blanks – Reading
In this type of question, the candidate is expected to read a text of up to 80 words with several gaps in between. The candidate is expected to drag and drop words or phrases from the blue box given at the bottom to fill in the gaps. The number of tasks that can be expected in the exam may vary between 4 to 5.
Multiple Choice, Single Answer
In this type of question, the candidate is expected to read a text of approximately 300 words and choose the correct answer from the 3 to 4 options given. In this type of question, the candidate is expected to choose only one correct answer. Practice these questions well, as they affect your PTE Overall score.
| Type of Questions | Number of Questions | Skills tested | Objective | Scoring Criteria |
| Fill in the blanks- reading and writing | 5 to 6 | Reading & Writing | Complete the passage With the words from each drop-down menu | 1 mark per correct answer, 1 minus for every extra answer selected |
| Multiple choice, multiple answers | 1 to 2 | Reading | Select all the correct options from the list of given options | 1 mark per correct answer, 1 negative mark per incorrect answer |
| Reordering paragraph | 2 to 3 | Reading | Arrange the sentences given in an appropriate order | 1 mark per correct combination of sentences |
| Fill in the blanks- reading | 4 to 5 | Reading | Complete the passage with the words given in a box | 1 mark per correct answer |
| Multiple-choice, single answer | 1 to 2 | Reading | Select the correct options from the list of given options | 1 mark per correct answer |
| Total Questions | 13 to 18 | |||
| Total Duration | 29 to 30 mins |
PTE Academic Part 3: Listening — 30 to 43 minutes
As the name suggests, the PTE Listening section is designed to assess the candidate's ability to understand spoken English text and comprehend its correct meaning. In this section, it is crucial for the candidate to carefully listen to the audio file played and to comprehend and retain what they have heard. This section is divided into 8 segments, and the allotted time for each segment varies. In total, the candidate is expected to answer between 12 to 20 questions within a time span of 30 to 43 minutes.
Summarize Spoken Text
In this type of question, the candidate listens to audio of length 60 to 90 seconds, after which they are expected to write a summary of 50 to 70 words in the text box that appears at the bottom of the screen. The number of tasks that can be expected in the exam may vary between 2 to 3.
Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers
In this type of PTE Listening question, the candidate listens to audio of length 40 to 90 seconds, after which they are expected to select all the correct options out of the 5 to 6 options provided for the answers. The questions in this task are based on the tone and content of the recording. The number of tasks that can be expected in the exam may vary between 2 to 3.
Fill in the Blanks
In this type of question, the candidate listens to a text of length 30 to 60 seconds. The transcription of the recording appears on the screen with several blanks, and the candidate is expected to identify the words that are different from the transcript and then type the missing words as they listen to the audio. The candidate gets 10 seconds to read the text before the audio starts. The number of tasks that can be expected in the exam may vary between 2 to 3.
Highlight Correct Summary
In this type of question, the candidate listens to audio of 30 to 90 seconds, after which they get 10 seconds to go through multiple summaries given about the paragraph. The candidate is expected to select the paragraph that best summarizes the recording. The number of tasks that can be expected in the exam may vary between 2 to 3. Multiple Choice,
Single Answer
In this type of PTE Listening question, the candidate listens to audio of length 30 to 60 seconds and then selects one correct option out of the multiple options provided for the answers. The question is usually based on the tone or the content of the recording. The number of tasks that can be expected in the exam may vary between 2 to 3.
Select Missing Word
In this type of question, the candidate listens to audio of length 20 to 70 seconds, and after hearing the last word of the audio followed by a beep sound, they are expected to select the correct option that can be placed as the last word of the audio from the four options provided. The number of tasks that can be expected in the exam may vary between 2 to 3.
Highlight Incorrect Word
In this type of question, the candidate listens to an audio of 15 to 50 seconds. The transcription of the recording appears on the screen. As the candidate listens to the audio, they are expected to highlight the words that do not match with those in the transcript. The candidate also gets 10 seconds to read the transcript before the audio starts. The number of tasks that can be expected in the exam may vary between 2 to 3.
Write from Dictation — Listening and Writing
In this task, the candidate is expected to listen to a sentence of 3 to 5 seconds and type it as closely as possible in the text box that appears at the bottom of the screen. The candidate is not expected to paraphrase or change the order of the words, doing so may lower your PTE Overall score. The number of tasks that can be expected in the exam may vary between 3 to 4.
| Type of Question | Number of Questions | Duration per task | Skills tested | Objective | Scoring Criteria |
| Summarise spoken text | 1 to 2 | 60 to 90 sec of prompt, 10 mins to write | Listening & Writing | Listen to a long audio and write a summary | Full credit for a response of 50 to 70 words—grammar, vocabulary |
| Multiple-choice multiple answers | 1 to 2 | 40 to 90 of prompt, | Listening | Select all the correct options from the list of given options | 1 mark per correct answer, 1 negative mark per incorrect answer |
| Fill in the blanks | 2 to 3 | 30 to 60 sec | Listening & Writing | Click on each cap and type the missing word | 1 mark per correct answer |
| Highlight correct summary | 1 to 2 | 30 to 90 sec | Listening & Reading | Choose the correct summary from the given options | 1 mark per correct answer |
| Multiple choice single answer | 1 to 2 | 30 to 60 sec | Listening | Select the only one option that is correct | 1 mark per correct answer |
| Select missing word | 1 to 2 | 20 to 70 sec | Listening | Select the correct option that complete the last word of the audio meaningfully | 1 mark per correct answer |
| Highlight incorrect word | 2 to 3 | 15 to 50 sec | Listening & Reading | Select the words that are different from those in the audio | 1 mark per correct answer |
| Write from Dictation | 3 to 4 | 3 to 5 sec | Listening & Reading | Type the sentence that you hear in the response box | 1 mark per correct word |
| Total Questions | 12 to 20 | 30 to 43 mins |
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